Bram Tchaikovsky (real name: Peter Bramall), formerly with The Motors who joined the band in 1977 and left the band in 1978 to strike out on his own. Teaming up with Mickey Broadbent and Keith Boyce to form the Power-Pop group Battle Axe, they scored a top-40 hit in the U.S. with Girl Of My Dreams. Quickly followed by a debut album and resulting tours.
The success was short-lived and follow-up releases failed to crack the charts. Eventually the band broke up in 1981 with Bramall leaving the music business entirely.
I remember Polydor (his label in the U.S.) doing a lot to promote him. But I think there was some confusion over the name. When this episode of the concert was issued to U.S. radio stations via the BBC Transcription Service – some thought it was a misprint and advertised the upcoming broadcast as a concert of Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Even the announcer on this In Concert episode makes a quip over the concert having nothing to do with the 1812 Overture.
What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot.
But even with the misconstrued name, there was still the matter of a Power-Pop Trio coming on the scene which was overrun by Punk at the time. There was some attempt on Polydor’s part at marketing Bram Tchaikovsky as New Wave. I don’t know how they were marketed in the UK, since they were signed to Radar Records, but it didn’t seem to work.
It’s been 36 years since Bram Tchaikovsky called it a day – since then, I suspect most people who remember them would be fans at the time. Although in 2012 a live album appeared, recorded in 1979. Still, it would be safe to say Bram Tchaikovsky has been largely forgotten in 2017.
But if you do remember those initial reactions and followed them, at least for a while, this 1978 concert should ring a few bells. If not, it’s another slice of Rock History to mull over.
Play loud anyway.
There are strong echoes of The Motors in these tracks, esp. She’s A Lover(?), Girl Of My Dreams
As well as Battle Axe, I’ve got 3 albums by him: Strange Man, Changed Man (1979), Pressure (1980), and Funland (1981)
I also have what was an in store promo on Polydor USA of him with Benny Mardones (who he?) entitled ‘Two Stars Are Better Than One’. I don’t know if it was ever released.
As for the UK marketting, at the time I was living in London, my home city and was able to wander into pubs across the city to hear and see a wealth of (pub-rock) bands, even meeting John Peel, the announcer for this gig.
That whole scene is something I miss now … Jakarta is not an easy city to navigate around.
So, Gordon, thanks for once again stirring my nostalgia.
Thanks for the kind words, as always. BTW – are you sure that’s Peel announcing?