The Rich Kids

Infobox musical artist
Name =The Rich Kids


Img_capt = The Rich Kids photo. From left to right: guitarist Steve New, lead vocalist and guitarist Midge Ure, drummer Rusty Egan and bassist and vocalist Glen Matlock.
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Origin = London, England
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Genre = Power Pop
Punk Rock
New Wave
Occupation =
Years_active = 1977–1979
Label = EMI
Associated_acts = Glen Matlock, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Midge Ure, Slik, PVC2, Thin Lizzy, The Skids, Visage, Ultravox
URL =
Current_members = Glen Matlock
Steve New
Rusty Egan
Mick Jones
Midge Ure
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

The Rich Kids were a short-lived, much-hyped rock and roll band from London in the late 1970s.

Career

They were formed by Glen Matlock (vocals / bass guitar) after he left the Sex Pistols, and fronted by Glaswegian Midge Ure (vocals / guitars / keyboards) (formerly of Slik and PVC2). Rusty Egan (drums) and Steve New (vocals / guitars), briefly second guitarist for the Sex Pistols and later PiL, completed the line-up.Strong, Martin C.: "The Great Alternative & Indie Discography", 1999, Canongate, ISBN 0-86241-913-1] An early line-up in 1977 was formed by New and Egan on their same instruments and Matlock on lead vocals and bass, and The Clash's Mick Jones on guitar. Midge Ure saw a little interest early 1977 in the group and continued with his Slik transformed to punkier PVC2 members, which split up in September 1977. Ure left his Slik/PVC2 bandmates and moved immediately to Rich Kids and Jones dropped out and continued with The Clash.

The Rich Kids were amongst the foremost British exponents of the power pop style, blending influences from 1960s acts such as The Small Faces and The Who with more recent punk rock sounds. They put out one album, "Ghosts Of Princes In Towers" (produced by Mick Ronson), and three singles during their existence, from March 1977 to December 1978 (although the official announcement of their disbanding was not made until mid 1979). At their Lyceum show in spring 1978 Ronson played guitar and Ian McLagan (ex-Faces) played keyboards.

Their material did not have commercial success (like the first single "Rich Kids") and the group announced their official separation in 1979.

Matlock and New went on to tour with Iggy Pop, while Egan and Ure formed a band called The Misfits (not the American hardcore punk band) and, after short spells with The Skids and Thin Lizzy, respectively, reunited in Visage. In April 1979, Ure joined Ultravox, and, shortly afterwards, to Thin Lizzy.

With only one single making the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart,cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 460
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5] the Rich Kids join the list of one-hit wonders; a list that includes other UK punk or new wave acts such as John Cooper Clarke, Jilted John, 999, the Radio Stars, and The Vibrators.

Discography

ingles

all EMI
*"Rich Kids" /b-side "Empty Words" - January 1978 #24
*"Marching Men" /b-side "Here Come the Nice" (live) - March 1978
*"Ghosts of Princes in Towers" / b-side "Only Arsenic" - August 1978

Albums

*"Ghosts Of Princes In Towers" - August 1978 #51Track Listing:
# "Strange One"
# "Hung On You"
# "Ghosts Of Princes In Towers"
# "Cheap Emotions"
# "Marching Men"
# "Put You In The Picture"
# "Young Girls"
# "Bullet Proof Lover"
# "Rich Kids"
# "Lovers and Fools"
# "Burning Sounds"

* "Best of The Rich Kids" - 2003Track listing:
# "Strange One"
# "Hung On You"
# "Ghosts Of Princes In Towers"
# "Cheap Emotions"
# "Marching Men"
# "Put You In The Picture"
# "Young Girls"
# "Bullet Proof Lover"
# "Rich Kids"
# "Lovers and Fools"
# "Burning Sounds"
# "Empty Words"
# "Here Comes The Nice" (live)
# "Only Arsenic"
# "No Lip" (bonus track)
# "Move, The" (bonus track)
# "Shape Of Things To Come" (bonus track)
# "King" (bonus track)
# "Precious" (bonus track)
# "Just Like Lazarus" (bonus track)
# "Ambition" (bonus track)
# "Twisted" (bonus track)
# "Tomorrow's Zero" (bonus track)

ee also

*Timeline of punk rock
*List of Peel sessions
*List of British punk bands
*One-hit wonders in the UK

References