Shake Appeal is an English rock group from

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, England, existing between 1984 and 1989. The last line-up of the band evolved into

Swervedriver Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band formed in Oxford in 1989 around core members Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge. Between 1989 and 1998, the band released four studio albums and numerous EPs and singles despite a considerable ...

Origins

The band took their name from a Stooges song off the album ''

Raw Power ''Raw Power'' is the third studio album by American rock music, rock band the Stooges (credited as Iggy and the Stooges), released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's ...

''. Their primary influences were

the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...

and the MC5. The first song the band learned to play was "

Search and Destroy Search and destroy, seek and destroy, or simply S&D is a military strategy best known for its employment in the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. The strategy consists of inserting ground forces into hostile territory, ''search''ing out ...

". The original line-up was

Graham Franklin Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan Gr ...

(vocals), Jimmy Hartridge (guitar) (both previously in The Roadrunners), Adam Franklin (guitar) and Paddy Pulzer (drums) (both previously in Splatter Babies). Original bass player Paul Wilson left, and was replaced by Richard Mason, who was in turn replaced by Adi Vines.

Early career

Throughout 1986, the band played in Oxford, Brighton, and London. They played one show at a squat in Hackney called the Blue House, with an early incarnation of My Bloody Valentine, who at the time closed their set with a version of the Stooges' "Shake Appeal". After the departure of Wilson in 1986, the band recorded a four-song demo EP featuring the songs "Amphetamine", "Freedom", "Gimme Fever", and "Train Train" with Franklin on bass. The demo was reviewed in ''Underground'' magazine, who described the band as sounding "like MC5 with their shirts on fire", calling it "loud, obnoxious, and perfect for the late '80s"."Tip Sheet", ''Underground'', October 1987, p. 41 In 1988, they released a new version of "Gimme Fever" (featuring Vines on bass) on NoTown Records; the Black Flag-influenced "Mexico City SOS" was on the b-side. Later in 1988, the band recorded a new version of "Amphetamine", and an MC5-inspired tune called "Rollercoaster". "Rollercoaster" was featured on ''The Jericho Collection'', a compilation album featuring Oxford bands; "Amphetamine" was on a bonus 7" included with the album. The band was voted "Best Band in Oxford" by readers of local music magazine, ''Local Support''.

Evolution into Swervedriver

Around this time, the band had discovered the new American sounds

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...

Dinosaur Jr Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name. The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barl ...

, and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of th ...

. They took these new influences on board and began to evolve a new sound. However, by 1989 the band felt stuck in a rut in the Oxford scene. After a gig at the Oxford Polytechnic opening for World Domination Enterprises, the band decided to split up. Adam Franklin recorded home demos of three new songs: "Son of Mustang Ford", "Afterglow", and "Volcano Trash", and the band reformed to record studio demos of these songs, with Adam singing and Graham on backing vocals. Shortly after recording, Graham Franklin left to pursue electronic music with the techno band, Dimension 5, and Pulzer left to join the band Jack. The three remaining members, Adam Franklin, Hartridge, and Vines changed their name to

. They added Graham Bonner, formerly of the band Ut on drums, and Swervedriver was soon signed to

Creation Records Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...

, based on the strength of the last Shake Appeal demo.

Discography

* "Gimme Fever" b/w "Mexico City SOS" 7" - (1988, Notown Records) * Various artists: ''The Jericho Collection'' - (1988, Jericho Records) - Two Shake Appeal tracks appear on this compilation: "Amphetamine" and "Rollercoaster" * Swervedriver: ''Juggernaut Rides'' - (2005, Castle Music) - Includes original 1989 demo of "Son of Mustang Ford"

References

{{Swervedriver English rock music groups Musical groups from Oxford