Please Don’t Touch
Ah, what better day than Record Store Day to recognize one of the all-time musical pirates who made this all possible?
It was 50 years ago today that Frederick Heath, using the stage name Johnny Kidd, found himself at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios.
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates cut their first record during that session on April 18, 1959, yielding the outstanding single “Please Don’t Touch”.
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
Allmusic’s Bruce Eder offers a fantastic biography of the band, providing a timeline that includes their history as one of the biggest British rock & roll acts in the pre-Beatles era, their biggest hit song “Shakin’ All Over” (later covered notably by The Who), their record label’s inability to properly manage their career, and (sadly) Heath’s untimely death in a car crash in 1966.
While the legacy of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates is preserved by a few ardent followers, most significantly the incredibly detailed work of Adrian Barrett in maintaining “the Kidd’s homepage”, the music has largely been forgotten.
But on this 50th anniversary of the recording of “Please Don’t Touch”, I have the pleasure of sharing with you one of the greatest covers known to man, woman, or child.
Thanks to CBT77 on YouTube, you can enjoy this unbelievable version featuring Motorhead & Girlschool together from 1981. Words cannot do justice to how great this is. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do (along with the previous 800,000 viewers and counting).
Thanks for indulging me in that slice of ridiculousness. If the original versions of Johnny Kidd’s material is more your speed, you are in luck with last year’s release of the comprehensive (and 5-star reviewed) compilation The Best Of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.
Enjoy that. And I’ll keep digging for more musical gems to share in the days ahead.
