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999
In London, on Sunday 5th December 1976, Nick Cash (guitar & vocals), Guy Days (guitar & vocals), Jon Watson (bass) and Pablo LaBritain (drums & percussions) started to play together. The first gig was 22.1.1977 and their band was called The Dials at that time. Soon the changed their name to 48 Hours (Nick Cash was called Gene Carsons at that time), and after that the name was The Fanatics, and finally 999. As trivia: Nick did play in early 70's in Kilburn & the High Roads, which is known as Ian Durys first band - Nick left the Kilburns 17.6.75. Soon 999 established it's name as an excellent live act in London punk-circuit and played often at places like Nashville, Roxy, Vortex, etc., issuing their incendiary debut single "I'm Alive" on their own Labritain Records in late 1977.
The single won the quartet a deal with United Artists, which issued both "Nasty Nasty" and "Emergency" in 1978; an eponymously (a what?) titled LP debut, produced by Andy Arthurs, followed later in the year. For their second album, 1978's Separates, 999 enlisted producer Martin Rushent, resulting in a more polished, mainstream veneer for material like the near-hit "Homicide" and "High Energy Plan." After Pablo suffered injuries in a car accident, drummer Ed Case was brought in to pick up the slack for a major U.S. tour preceding the release of 1980's The Biggest Prize in Sport; issued a short time later, The Biggest Tour in Sport EP collected material recorded live during the group's American dates.
A healthy Pablo rejoined 999 full-time for 1981's Concrete, an album buffered by covers of "Li'l Red Riding Hood" and "Fortune Teller". 1983's 13th Floor Madness was universally panned for its disco-like grooves, although 1985's self-released Face to Face was acclaimed as a melodic return to form. At the end of the year, Jon Watson exited the group's ranks and was replaced by bassist Danny Palmer in time to record 1987's Lust, Power and Money, a live set cut in London. Danny was subsequently replace by Arturo Brassick in 1991.
