Chaos (1973-75)

Chaos were a UK band who released just two singles between 1973 & 1975.  First single "Down At The Club" is a Glam Rock stomper with what sounds like Noddy Holder's kid brother on vocals.  Released on Polydor in 1973, it received a lot of airplay at the time on Radio 1 and Radio Luxembourg and the band even managed to get an appearance on Top Of The Pops but the single only managed to reach number 49 in the UK pop charts.  B-Side "You Could Be My Girl" is the killer side though.  A rocking power pop number that the Raspberries would have been proud of.  The brilliantly chauvinist chorus "If you'll do what I'm asking, you can be my girl.  If you'll do what I'm wanting you to, you can be my girl" would never be allowed nowadays and I'm surprised they even got away with it back then...still, I won't let a duff lyric get in the way an ace tune.

Both sides were written by Martin Rushent (an English producer known for his work with the Buzzcocks, Stranglers & Human League).  Rushent also co-produced the single with John Bromley, a superb songwriter working for Polydor at the time.  Bromley's own 1969 Popsike album "Sing" is another lost pop gem and will eventually be reviewed on here. The pair also worked on another Polydor single at the same time for a Glam/Rockabilly band called Tank.

The second Chaos single arrived in 1975 and was produced again by Rushent.  I've never came across a British copy and am assuming that it was only released in Germany on the Bellaphon label.  Both sides of the single credit Malestroem as songwriter but song wise, not much has changed. "Guitar Man" is  100mph glam boogie with a frantic tambourine bashing away through the chorus of "Give me more, more, more Mr Guitar Man".  The B-side "Dance, Dance, Dance" is a power pop gem that sounds more like early Bangles than Slade, with its sped up vocals.
The picture sleeve of the single shows a man (the lead singer presumably) wearing a fine, oversized Noddy style top hat.  No mirrors though!