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The Professionals - I Didn't See It Coming

© Marianne Moro

Many people would agree that the late '70s and early '80s were great times for music (well, maybe not if you looked on the top 40 charts). In that slip of time between punk and new wave, dozens of little - known and long-forgotten gems were released. In between the demise of the Sex Pistols and the reunion shows, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook collaborated on only one project - the Professionals, a raucous but slick band that combined the best of punk, ska and no-nonsense, three-chord rock.

One would never guess the LP had anything to do with the old band except for the guitar sound. More than ever, this proves the sods were the real musicians. After all, they started the with the late, lamented Wally Nightingale, before Malcolm, Johnny, or Sid arrived on the scene.

On the 18 track EMI compilation I Didn't See It Coming, the duo's songwriting ability is amply demonstrated on tracks like Little Boys In Blue, (great Jonesy guitar solo here) and the party anthem Kick Down The Doors.

This re-issue contains the whole Professionals catalogue, as the band disintegrated in 1982 after 2 short American tours and a handful of gigs in the UK. While not especially distinctive, Steve's voice sounds good here. He wouldn't actually sound that convincing again til the Neurotic Outsiders. Original collaborator Andy Allen took umbrage when Kick Down the Doors was released on a record company compilation without his consent. After some legal wrangling, Allen's contributions were scrapped and the album had to be re-recorded. Second guitarist Ray McVeigh and bass player Paul Meyers were recruited to finish the recording and tour. The band was wracked with more bad luck more than controversy - in the middle of the first American tour , Cook, Meyers and McVeigh were seriously injured in a car crash. Sad that the album was all but lost n the shuffle - its surprisingly mature, nothing cheap, overtly political, or overtly sexual - it's not plain dumb rock either; it's a refreshing "happy medium.

The bonus tracks included on I Didn't See It Coming consist of b-sides & covers. They include Join The Professionals, the centerpiece song of the cult film Ladies And Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, the singles 1-2-3 and Just Another Dream, and covers of White Light, White Heat and Baby, I Don't Carethat prove catchier than the regular album. Makes you wish they'd stuck around for awhile.

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