Orpington’s Max Headroom & The Car Parks cruised into being as a post-punk outfit in early 1979, but soon changed direction. Influenced by The Who and The Kinks, with Chris Westerman taking Buzzcocks drummer John Maher’s rock solid but busy style on board, the band were tailor-made for the emerging mod-revival boom.
Before long, Virgin started sniffing around, paying for the band’s studio time and slating Lies for a single release. Inexplicably, the label pulled it at the last minute, with founding member John Silcock leaving the group in Autumn of 1979.
Re-emerging as The Heartbeats, the boys touted a set of tight, jaunty mod tunes, replete with catchy choruses. Support slots with the likes of The Purple Hearts and The Belle Stars followed – as did label interest from Magnet and Decca. New Uniform was slated for single release by the latter but, again, it was shelved.
Disillusioned and calling it a day in 1982, The Heartbeats had recorded a raft of studio tapes but, in the end, their only release – apart from privately sold demos – was the Go single on indie label Nothin Shakin. That cut’s here, with 22 of the band’s other tracks. Justice is finally served.
