The Chase Is On: English Dogs and their NWOBHM Cult Connection
English Dogs on full display here as a super power on the live front. This gig was at London's legendary 100 Club on 4th April, 1985 and features Ade Bailey (vocals) and Gizz Butt (guitar). Photo taken by Paul May of the great Final Curtain fanzine and received through Al Quint of Suburban Voice mag.
MARCHING VICTORIOUS, FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD!
English Dogs' "To The Ends Of The Earth" 12" (1984) and "Forward Into Battle" LP (1985) are two of the best crossover albums to ever come out of the UK. Both were straight bangers released on the choice label Rot Records (Varukers, Resistance 77), headed up by Dunk from Riot Squad. At the time the Dogs had transitioned from GBH-sounding UK82 (which was also great) to the new crossover sound that was coming out. They'd had a couple lineup changes and recruited Ade Bailey, previously of the cult Riot City band Ultra Violent, on vocals and added Gizz Butt, from the Destructors, on guitar.
To help with the transition in sound, they enlisted friend of the band Trace Abbott of the cult NWOBHM band Overdrive (whose 1981 single "On The Run" is a highly sought after pounder). Trace ended up with writing credits on the song "The Chase Is On" from the "To The Ends Of The Earth" EP. Here Trace explains how it all went down:
"I get asked this question many times, haha. I am the founding member of NWOBHM band Overdrive and also play with Witchfynde. I used to have a rehearsal room and small studio in Grantham in the early '80s and many of the local bands rehearsed and recorded demos there. I also attended the same school as John Murray, who played bass with Overdrive before he left to form the English Dogs.
"They approached me when they made the change over to metal as they where struggling with writing, so I came up with a few riffs and we rehearsed in my studio and recorded demos. They asked me to join them on a full time basis, but unfortunately I was busy with other projects, so they used the demo to secure a deal and Gizz."
English Dogs Rot Records pressings, including the "Have A Rotten Christmas Volume Two" comp LP, from the collection of friend of the mag Kyle AKA Juicy.
"Forward Into Battle" LP Brazilian pressing on New Face Records (NEW-0010, 1988) with old stock vinyl and modern cover from the collection of Negative Insight staff.
