APB FROM ABERDEENSHIRE JOHN PEEL SESSION 1981

APB was a Scottish post-punk band, formed in 1979, that blended funk rock, punk rock and new wave music. The group had only modest success during its brief run, yet its influence can be heard in the sound of such current bands as Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture, and Red Hot Chili PeppersAPB formed in the small rural town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and consisted of singer/bassist Iain Slater, guitarist Glenn Roberts, and drummer George Cheyne.

Though living in a remote area, they took inspiration from the "DIY" spirit of the punk scene, sounding like bands as Liquid Liquid, adopting a hard-working approach to writing, rehearsing and performing. Meanwhile, in Aberdeen, a small independent record company called Oily had started to release records and they were impressed enough by the band's live shows to release a single in 1981. The song was "Chain Reaction", which had long been a favourite at gigs. It was basically a two and a half minute punk/pop song with fuzzy distorted guitar and Scottish inflected vocals, but already the band was evolving with a sparser and more rhythmical sound. Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Gang of Four, ESG, Buzzcocks, and The Clash were all filtered through three teenagers from Aberdeenshire to create a catchy, rhythmic sound.

A change in their sound first became evident with their second single for Oily, "I'd Like To Shoot You Down" (1981). The single did well and sold out its first pressing, with some copies finding their way to New York City. Soon it was regularly played at most of NYC's underground dance clubs. Adam Horovitz described the song in 'Beastie Boy Book' as 'a punk dance-floor classic. I love it.'[2]

Unaware of the popularity of 'Shoot You Down' in the United States the band and Oily were busy pushing their third seven-inch, "Palace Filled With Love" (1982). This is when the Radio 1 sessions began. John Peel and David Kid Jensen (and lastly Peter Powell) were playing the tunes nightly and offering sessions despite the lack of a major record deal. After recording several BBC sessions, APB had some success in Europe.

Their next release was "Rainy Day" in 1982. Around this time Nick Jones joined as percussionist. The last release with Oily Records was "One Day" in 1983. Nick Jones left at this time and was replaced by Mickey Craighead.