Alternative TV (often referred to by fans as ATV) were an English rock band, formed in London in 1976. Their punk rock and post-punk sound has proven influential for several musical artists.
As the founding editor of the pioneering Sniffin' Glue fanzine, Mark Perry gained attention in the English punk scene. He formed the band whilst producing the fanzine, although eventually diverted his energies solely to this band.
Key members of the band were Perry and Alex Fergusson, who described their music as "closest to Can and reggae-type rhythms".
The band's debut single was "Love Lies Limp", a free flexi disc issued with the final edition of Perry's Sniffin' Glue fanzine. On this single Perry and Fergusson were accompanied by John Towe (ex Generation X) and Tyrone Thomas. Towe left to join the Rage and was replaced by Chris Bennett, so completing a line-up which early punk fans consider to epitomise the punk era (the band subsequently underwent extensive line-up changes). Shortly afterwards they released the "How Much Longer" / "You Bastard" 7" in December 1977, the A-side being a critique of youth culture apathy.
Soon thereafter at the end of 1977, Perry sacked his chief collaborator Fergusson. The latter went on to form Cash Pussies and, a few years later, Psychic TV along with Genesis P Orridge. Fergusson was replaced by Dennis Burns.
A dub influenced single, "Life after Life," was released as well as a critically acclaimed debut album, The Image Has Cracked. The band's second album, Vibing Up the Senile Man saw the band take a more explicitly experimental direction however, which alienated many of their followers as well as the music press. Around the same time, a live LP, split with commune-dwelling hippy band Here and Now was released (a document of their tour together), marking the band's movement further away from the ever more predictable punk/new wave scene. Alternative TV soon evolved into the avant-garde project, The Good Missionaries (taking the name from a track on the 'Vibing' album), releasing one album, "Fire From Heaven" in 1979. A series of releases under Perry's own name as well as an album under the name Door and the Window followed before Perry, Burns and Fergusson briefly reformed Alternative TV along with former members of Fergusson's Cash Pussies in 1981. Alex briefly returned to collaborate with Mark on the Alternative TV's 'pop' album, Strange Kicks which was produced by Richard Mazda.
From 1981 to 1984, Perry had a new project, Reflections, collaborating with Karl Blake (of Lemon Kittens) and Grant Showbiz among others, before concentrating on production.
Perry reformed ATV in 1985. This line up started with Karl Blake, Steve Cannell and Allison Philips. Protag and then Clive Giblin featured later on guitar and ATV released further records on and off over the following decade or so with varying line-ups, Perry being the only constant member. Another line up followed with James Kyllo and Steve Cannell which lead to the releases of "Sol" and "Dragon Love".
Lost Moment Records released the 2001 studio album, "Revolution", followed in 2003 by the official bootleg album "Viva La Rock'n' Roll - comprising of live performances recorded in the UK, France, Germany and the US. In 2004 Mark finally gave in to logic and recorded the Ramones classic "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" for a Lost Moment Single and an Argentinian Ramones tribute CD, and the world heard at last his version of the song that his pioneering fanzine took its name from. Cleopatra Records released a compilation of the Lost Moment output for the US market in February 2006, entitled "In Control".
Mark Perry is currently (Dec 2006) in the process of forming the new Sniffin' Glue Records label, which will feature a third Long Decline album as its first release.
myspace.com/thealternativetv
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