Blockheads

The Blockheads formed in London in 1977 around singer Ian Dury and guitarist Chaz Jankel. Their first album came out the next year, mixing ska and punk with a sharp, talky delivery that felt different from most of what was happening at the time. They weren't exactly a punk band, but they shared that scene's energy and disregard for polish.

Things clicked with their second album, 'Do It Yourself,' in 1979. The single 'Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick' became a genuine hit in the UK, landing in the top ten. That song's success gave them room to stretch out. By the early '80s, they were folding in more new wave and pop elements. The 1981 album 'Laughter' had 'Stay the Night' on it, which found an audience well beyond their original scene.

Dury's lyrics were a big part of the draw. He wrote about everyday characters and social observations with a kind of streetwise wit. Songs like 'Because Of Me' and 'Between Human And Animal' had that quality, funny, a little rough, and grounded in real life. The band's rhythm section, with Norman Watt-Roy on bass, gave everything a loose, danceable feel that held their various styles together.