REVENGE, THE - FOUR SONG EP 12"

If the original intent of punk rock was to reject the excesses of
mainstream rock, strip things back to bare bones basics, jettison
slickness and embrace a DIY ethic, then The Revenge were
punk rock personified. Formed in 1977 in Cheshunt, London by
Lol Hammond (vocals / guitar), Ian Strange (bass / vocals)
and Dave Edgar (drums / vocals), these teenagers played most
of London’s punk clubs, including the Roxy. The band selfreleased
two singles in 1978 on their own Loony Records before
disbanding in 1979. Both 7-inches were pressed in incredibly
small amounts and now have legendary status amongst collectors
going for ridiculous sums. According to Lol Hammond, “I was
totally blown away to learn our second single was changing
hands at £400 a pop! We probably recorded it for less!”
The recordings are extremely raw, even by punk standards—
particularly on the band’s first single, where the guitar sound is
so tough and scuzzy it would not sound out of place on a volume
of Back From The Grave. Needless to say, the singles received
little press and vanished without a trace.
Nowadays Lol Hammond is one of London’s well known DJs
who has recorded as Drum Club and Girl Eats Boy, collaborated
with Roger Eno, directed film scores and has remixed the likes
of Jah Wobble, Killing Joke and The Fall, to name but three.
In The Red is proud to issue the first legitimate (these singles
have been bootlegged) reissue of The Revenge’s two singles.
Sonically restored by William Hayter and masterfully mastered
by Mikey Young, these tracks sound better and louder than ever
before.
“With no more than 200 / 250 copies pressed, the first Revenge
single was greeted by mostly negative reviews. In retrospect, it’s
songs epitomize the essence of three-chord Punk.”
—Mario Panciera, author of 45 Revolutions (1976/1979)