Reluctant Stereotypes ‘the nearly men’ of Coventry’s Ska scene
The Reluctant Stereotypes were the nearly men of Coventry’s flourishing ska scene, a scene that was headed by, of course, the mighty Specials.
Like many bands at the time, The Reluctant Stereotypes used the ska reggae rhythms as a backbone to hang their own mix of words and music onto.
While 2 Tone cut a very ethnic-based sound, bands like Gods Toys and The Stereotypes were riding the next wave of the ‘Coventry Sound.’
Theirs was much more of an ‘indie’ affair, more in common with the art college than the dance hall.
Guitarist Paul Sampson had been with the jazz/rock band Bung. Meanwhile clarinettist extraordinaire (and now the late lamented) Steve Edgson had been with the experimental nouveau progressive unit Analog (who were regulars at Coventry’s Hobo Workshop).
Guitarist Steve Haddon had formed a band called Ens and was looking for good personnel.
Steve joined first and Paul then came in to replace the great guitarist Peter Bosworth who would leave to concentrate on production, (he later sadly died from a heart attack).
The line-up was completed by two other ex-Analog members Mick Hartley on bass and (and the now sadly missed) Paul Brook on drums.
With Peter Bosworth gone a change of direction was called for, a new name was instituted and The Reluctant Stereotypes were born.
Now before we carry on it’s worth pointing out that the Stereotypes had two distinct periods, really only connected by a couple of members and the name.
So in 1979 the mark one version began to take shape, with Steve Haddon having ideas of making it a totally instrumental outfit, the vote however went against him and a lead vocalist was auditioned.
A certain former Police cadet called Paul King who had been singing at the Coombe Abbey medieval Banquets was tried for a few weeks and was rejected.
Eventually a Nuneaton guy called Martyn Bates came along and his unique vocal style fitted in perfectly.
They released their first single on Charlie Gillet’s Oval Records entitled ‘The Lull’ coupled with ‘The Rounds’ and ‘Fetch Mr Clifford the Political Boys Are On Us’.
All were deliciously different quirky jazz influenced pieces.
The Rounds remains one of my all time favourites, with Martyn Bates (or Salvador Darling as he often known then), providing a vocal line that was just as original as the music he was singing over.
It was all so inspired; the band took part in a special Oval Records night at Dingwall’s in Camden and began clocking up some great press.
But in every dream home a heartache and the musical style was not pleasing everyone.
Bates felt the music was too clever and too complex, a second single had to be chosen but no agreement was being reached.
Eventually the entire band left leaving just Paul Sampson and Steve Edgson to pick up the pieces. Bates would form the mighty Nuneaton duo Eyeless In Gaza with Pete Becker.
Meanwhile back at The Stereotypes, ex-drama student Paul King (or Winston Smith as he was known here) was finally recruited along with Tony Wall on bass and Colin Heanes on drums.
Phase 2 was beginning, they secured a deal with WEA records and released their first single the quirky ‘She Has Changed Not You’, recorded at Horizon Studios. (Made as a duo just before King, Wall and Heanes were recruited. Hence Paul Sampson on vocals)
It was easy to see the musical changes, gone was the innovative jazz time signatures, replaced by the then trendy Coventry Ska sound.
They were just as good, just very different. Paul Sampson admits that, It was this band that was a conscious attempt for commercial success.
“I got fed up with the people at the factory where I worked asking me when I was going to be on the telly then”.
1980 would see them release a further three high calibre Roger Lomas produced singles namely ‘Confused Action’, the rather wonderful ‘Plans For Today’ and ‘Nightmares’.
Paul King remembers those pre-King days,
“The Reluctant Stereotypes was Horizon Studios house band which is where my music career began. We toured the nations clubs; pubs and universities for two years non-stop finally claiming a performance in the Old Grey Whistle Test alongside Adam and the Ants as they banged Ant mania onto the pop charts”.
They released one well-received album entitled ‘The Label’, 12 slices of The Reluctant Stereotypes at their very best.
On the strength of this album they were to make an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Paul Sampson recalls: “The songs we played were ‘Nightmares’ and ‘MOD’. I never saw the broadcast as it went out live in those days, and few homes had a VCR.
“We did the show with Adam and the Ants, it was presented by Anne Nightingale, that 10 minute slot increased our audience and our appearance fee four-fold overnight!”
It’s testament to WEA’s belief in them that they were allowed to release four singles and an album.
Indeed they had all the makings of a chart band, the songs, the style, with Sampson hurling himself about on stage and King with his drama-school mime, not to mention the ever-curious Edgson on the not very rock ‘n’ roll clarinet.
I loved this band, and saw them many times. We all believed they would be the next big thing.
They did The Butts Festival against Racism in 1981 and played support to The Specials and The Q Tips (including Paul Young).
They went out on top though, as their final gig was at The Reading Festival in 1981.
They had gone as far as they could go so pastures new were secured. With Paul, Colin and Tony becoming The Raw Screens, later King and Paul Sampson and Steve forming The Pink Umbrellas (Paul would go on to become one of the Country’s top producers).
Paul Sampson once sent me an unused Stereotype’s track entitled ‘Radical World’, it is in my view one of their best ever tracks. It’s a song that I would play to anyone who wanted to hear an example of The Coventry Sound.
It’s just sad that this great track never made it as a single, had it been released it’s fair to say that Paul King would have seen chart action some four years prior to his hits with King!
Reluctant Stereotype Trivia
*Although Paul King would go on to be a major songwriter with King, the majority of Stereotype material was written by Paul Sampson.
*Good quality copies of their album ‘The Label’ are exchanging hands for £30 to £40!
*The Observer newspaper recently mentioned The Stereotypes in a review of U2’s new album saying bands like Prag Vec, Reluctant Stereotypes or Clock DVA appeared to be on an endless tour in the late 1970s, as were U2 .
*The 1981 Reading Festival featured (along with The Reluctant Stereotypes) the following bands; The Kinks, Greg Lake, Wishbone Ash and The Enid.
*Paul Sampson would go on to produce The Primitives and Catatonia
*Paul Brook considered one of the finest drummers from the area died in 2007, he was once a member of Mummy Calls
*Steve Edgson, top musician and all round good egg, sadly left a clarinettist shaped hole in the local scene when he passed away in 2008
Credit: Coventry Telegraph/Jane Stirland
About Author
