Tom Robinson Band (TRB) were a British rock band, established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson
The band hit the club scene right in the middle of London's punk explosion. Their live shows got favourable reviews, and EMI Records signed TRB. TRB made leaflets and fliers about their political views and sent them to everyone who attended their gigs, they gave away badges and made up T shirts emblazoned with the band's logo and they appeared regularly at Rock Against Racism concerts.
"2-4-6-8 Motorway" was their first single, released in late 1977. It got into the top five of the UK singles charts, staying there for over a month. It was followed almost immediately by their next record, a four song EP called Rising Free which was recorded live at London's Lyceum Theatre in November 1977. It contained the songs "Don't Take No for an Answer", "Martin", "Glad to Be Gay" and "Right On Sister". The EP reached #18 in the UK singles charts.
In early 1978, TRB recorded their debut album, Power in the Darkness which reached number 4 in the UK album charts and won the band a gold record, and TRB were voted "Best New Band" and "Best London Band" for the year 1977 by listeners at the Capital Radio Music Awards. Mark Ambler left the band after recording the album. Session pianist Nick Plytas was drafted in as a temporary replacement.
Ian Parker joined as a permanent replacement for Ambler. TRB then went to Rockfield Studios to record their next album, TRB Two. Chris Thomas who had produced their first album, was also at the control deck for their second album, to start off with. Dolphin Taylor suggested Todd Rundgren should replace Thomas. After not being able to decide which tracks should appear on the LP, the band eventually agreed to let Rundgren choose. However, he picked two of the songs Dolphin particularly disliked, and Taylor decided that he would leave rather than play on the tracks. A day later he had calmed down somewhat and offered to return, but Robinson refused, and Preston Heyman was recruited as an emergency stand-in. His picture was included on the album cover, but there was never any intention for him to join the band permanently. Taylor's eventual replacement was Charlie Morgan.
To support the album's release, the band went on tour, but by this point the TRB's infighting had taken its toll. When Kustow decided to quit in 1979 that was the end of TRB.
In 1989, Robinson, Kustow and Ambler put together a reunion tour and played sold out shows at the Marquee in London and went on for the best part of a year before splitting one final time.
Tom Robinson has released several records after the split-up of TRB, but never achieved the success of the band.
Source, Wikipedia and various other sources
Band Members:
Tom Robinson: Born 1950. Composer, vocals, bass
Danny Kustow: Guitar
Mark Ambler: Born 1960. keyboardist. Co-wrote "Power in the Darkness". He left in 1978 and was replaced by Ian Parker.
Brian Taylor: Born 1958. Drums.
Ian Parker: Born: 1953. Keyboards. Joined in 1978.
Discography:
1. Power in the Darkness - EMI 1978
Tracks:
1. Up Against The Wall / 2. Grey Cortina / 3. Too Good To Be True / 4. Ain't Gonna Take It / 5. Long Hot Summer / 6. Winter Of '79 / 7. Man You Never Saw / 8. Better Decide Which Side You're On / 9. You Gotta Survive / 10. Power In The Darkness / 11. Don't Take No For An Answer / 12. Martin / 13. Glad To Be Gay / 14. Right On Sister / 15. 2-4-6-8 Motorway / 16. I Shall Be Released* / 17. I'm Alright Jack* / 18. Waiting For My Man (Live)* 19. Power In The Darkness (2004 remix)*
Rating : 8
2. TRB 2 - EMI 1979
Tracks:
1. All Right All Night / 2. Why Should I Mind / 3. Black Angel / 4. Let My People Be / 5. Blue Murder / 6. Bully For You / 7. Crossing Over The Road / 8. Sorry Mr Harris / 9. Law And Order / 10. Days Of Rage / 11. Hold Out / 12. Never Going To Fall In Love.* / 13. Getting Tighter* / 14. 2-4-6-8 Motorway (TRB Demo)* / 15. Elgin Avenue * / 16. Number One Protection* / 17. We Didn't Know What Was Going On* / 18. Suits Me, Suits You*
Rating : 5
3. Sector 27 - Vertigo 1979
Tracks:
1. Can't Keep Away* / 2. Invitation/What Have We Got To Lose/ 3. Not Ready/ 4. Mary Lynne / 5. Looking At You / 6. Five 2 Five / 7. Total Recall / 8. Where Can We Go Tonight / 9. Take It Or Leave Me / 10. Bitterly Disappointed / 11. Day After Day* / 12. Dungannon* / 13. Stornoway* / 14. One Fine Day / 15. Won't You Tell Me How I Feel* / 16. Martin's Gone* / 17. Christopher Calling* / 18. Shutdown* / 19. Out In The Cold Again*
Rating : 4
4. North By Nothwest - Transmission 1982
Tracks:
1. Now Martins gone / 2. Atmospherics / 3. Can't keep away part 2 / 4. Looking For A Bonfire / 5. Merrily up on high / 6. Those days / 7. In The Cold / 8. The night tide / 9. Duncannon / 10. Love comes / 11. Tango An Der Wand* / 12. Now Richard's Gone* / 13. Alptraum tango dub* / 14. Any favours* / 15. Out To Lunch*. [*] = Bonus-track
Rating : 4
5. Hope and Glory - Castaway Northwest 1984
Tracks:
1. War Baby / 2. Murder At The End Of The Day / 3. Prison / 4. Ricky Don't Lose That Number / 5. Old Friend / 6. Looking For A Bonfire / 7. Back In The Old Country / 8. War Baby / 9. Atmospherics/Listern To The Radio / 10. Cabin Boy / 11. Blonde And Blue / 12. Hope And Glory / 13. Prison / 14. Hell Yes / 15. Begging You Baby / 16. Blonde And Blue / 17. More Lives Than One / 18. Bonfire
Rating :
6. Still Loving You - Castaway Northwest 1986
Tracks:
1. Feel So Good Hurt So Bad / 2. Nothing Like The Real Thing / 3. Still Loving You / 4. Take Me Home Again / 5. You Tattooed Me / 6. Drive All Night / 7. Living In A Love Town / 8. Spain / 9. This Little Romance / 10. Wedding
Rating :
7. We Never Had It So Good ( with Jakko Jakszyk ) - Castaway Northwest 1990
Tracks:
1. Werner's Weekend In London / 2. Joys Of Christmas / 3. Gilbert's Last Letter / 4. Theme 1 / 5. Cat From Hell / 6. Smelling Dogs / 7. Theme 2 / 8. My Beer / 9. Work Pie / 10. Thought Of Fish / 11. Theme 3 / 12. All Tomorrow's Parties / 13. Gay Parenting / 14. Theme 4 / 15. Punk Rock / 16. Cynic's Handbook / 17. Theme 5 / 18. In Any Case / 19. Ambient B / 20. Taking The Plunge / 21. Forgiving The Unforgivable
Rating :
8. Living in a Boom Time - Cooking Vinyl 1992
Tracks:
1. Intro / 2. Living In A Boom Time / 3. Blood Brother / 4. More Lives Than One / 5. Yuppie Scum / 6. My Own Sweet Way / 7. Castle Island / 8. Rigging It Up Duncannon / 9. Brits Come Rolling Back / 10. War Baby / 11. Back In The Ould Country
Rating :
9. Love over Rage - Cooking Vinyl 1994
Tracks:
1. Roaring / 2. Hard / 3. Loved / 4. Days / 5. Driving Green / 6. Green / 7. DDR / 8. Fifty / 9. Silence / 10. Chance
Rating :
10. Having It Both Ways - Cooking Vinyl 1996
Tracks:
1. Disrespect / 2. One / 3. Rum Thunderbird / 4. Cold Cold Ground / 5. Fool To Myself / 6. Hot Dog / 7. Sorry / 8. Raining In Connecticut / 9. Congo Blue / 10. Castaway / 11. Last Word
Rating :
11. Smelling Dogs - Castaway Northwest 2001
Tracks:
1. Werner's Weekend In London / 2. Joys Of Christmas / 3. Gilbert's Last Letter / 4. Theme 1 / 5. Cat From Hell / 6. Smelling Dogs / 7. Theme 2 / 8. My Beer / 9. Work Pie / 10. Thought Of Fish / 11. Theme 3 / 12. All Tomorrow's Parties / 13. Gay Parenting / 14. Theme 4 / 15. Punk Rock / 16. Cynic's Handbook / 17. Theme 5 / 18. In Any Case / 19. Ambient B / 20. Taking The Plunge / 21. Forgiving The Unforgivable
Rating :
12. Only the Now - Castaway 2015
Tracks:
1. Home in the Morning / 2. Merciful God / 3. The Mighty Sword of Justice / 4. Don't Jump, Don't Fall / 5. Holy Smoke / 6. Cry Out / 7. Never Get Old / 8. In My Life / 9. One Way Street / 10. Risky Business / 11. Only the Now
Rating :
Essential Albums!
Original albums as listed and rated on “Rate Your Music” - May 21 - 2009
130 Power in the Darkness - 1978
477 Hope and Glory - 1994
582 TRB 2 - 1979
794 Sector 27 - 1980
Check and Rate Here!
My Suggestion For a 80 minutes (app.) Best Of Compilation:
1. 2-4-6-8 Motorway ( Robinson ) Power in the Darkness
2. Winter of 79 ( Kustow/Ambler/Taylor/Robinson ) Power in the Darkness
3. I Shall Be Released ( Dylan ) Power in the Darkness*
4. Glad to Be Gay ( Robinson ) Power in the Darkness*
5. Too Good to be True ( Taylor/Robinson ) Power in the Darkness
6. Blue Murder ( Robinson ) TRB 2
7. Sorry Mr Harris ( Robinson ) TRB 2
8. Power in the Darkness ( Ambler/Robinson ) Power in the Darkness
9. Bully For You ( Gabriel/Robinson ) TRB 2
10. Total Recall ( Burt/Robinson ) Sector 27
11. Listen to the Radio ( Gabriel/Robinson ) Hope and Glory
12. Long Hot Summer ( Robinson ) Power in the Darkness
13. Up Against the Wall ( Robinson/Butterfield ) Power in the Darkness
14. Black Angel ( Robinson ) TRB 2
15. Crossing Over the Road ( Kustow/Parker/Robinson ) TRB 2
16. Hold Out ( Robinson ) TRB 2
17. Getting Tighter ( Longo/Camacia ) TRB 2*
18. Merrily Up on High ( Gabriel/Robinson ) North By Northwest
LINKS:
The Official Tom Robinson homepage