Bruce Woolley, The Lost Buggle

Bruce Woolley, The Lost Buggle

Bruce Woolley, Trevor Horn, and Geoffrey Downes wrote Video Killed the Radio Star, broke up, Woolley formed the Camera Club, Horn and Downes formed The Buggles and went on to trivia immortality as the performers of the first video ever on MTV. Too bad. I've always agreed with Trouser Press which called The Buggles' work "technically stunning, reasonably catchy and crashingly hollow." But lucky for us aging baby boomers that they've re-issued the 1979 album by Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club. My favorite album of all time.

Comments

[Rick Donovan]

Favorite album of all time? It's funny, but yes, it may be my favorite, too. I'm 44. I saw Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club at a tiny joint in NYC in 1979 -- I don't remember the name. I owned the "punk rock" album and it never left me. I wonder what Bruce is doing today. Anyway, he was a talent.

Rick

[Lee Hodge]

Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club's English Garden is one of my all-time favorites also. I was turned on to this record by a friend who worked at a record store (Record Bar) back in 1980 - the record has been in my musical rotation ever since. I am not sure which version of “Video Killed the Radio Star” I like best (Buggles or Woolley) – I am also a Buggles fan (not to be confused with the Bugaloos – although the Buggles did not have Caroline Ellis, but I digress). I also think the Yes lineup for the album Drama was fun (if I had to pick one favorite band, it would be Yes). Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club's English Garden is the number two record on my sleeper list - number one is Alda Reserve's Love Goes On - anybody remember that LP?

[Dave]

Funny how some people make it and some don't in the music business. Back around 1980 when I was 18 my older brother got the Bruce Woolley English Garden LP and I thought it was a great album. I thought that Bruce would go right to the top of the charts but not once did I ever hear his songs on the radio (in the Toronto area) My brother and I moved quite a distance apart and I never heard of Bruce Woolley again but was almost haunted by the songs on the LP, especialy Sporting Boys.
The album is one of my all time favs and I just recently spent almost $40 Canadian to purchase a Origonal CD and LP on Ebay. I just had to have them!
Woolley had a great voice! I would be curious to know if he has done anything after or where he is.
Oh and I found that the album covers are different from the CD to the LP and that the song "Goodbye to Yesterday" is a different version on from the LP to the CD. I much prefer the version on the LP.

[Matt]

I am also a big fan, I think the closest that Bruce every came to anything resembling widespread acclaim is his inclusion in the soundtrack to Caddyshack- Flyin Man can be heard during the scene when Danny Noonan is covering for Brian Doyle Murray at the actual Caddy Shack.

[Steve E]

Lovely to hear such nice comments about a group of musicians that I knew really well for a time. Unfortunately, a recent tragedy befell Camera Club drummer Rod Johnson, who passed away in July 2005 in London. I'm sure that he would have been really touched by the admiration that you've all shown for his work

[Jon W]

Sorry to hear about Rod Johnson -- he is definitely a highlight of my favorite song on the album -- 'You're the Circus, I'm the clown'. I stumbled upon this blog because I'm going to see Thomas Dolby tomorrow -- his daughter and my son are classmates -- and I'd forgotten their connection until now. I'm going to ask him what is up with Woolley these days. I'll post back.

[Ian R]

For the fans of BW and the Camera Club, I can update you in as much as Bruce is working with The Radio Science Orchestra which is centered around the Theramin (remember Good Vibrations - Beach Boys?). He is still based in London as far as I know.
Dave Birch migrated to South Africa and made a big impact on the SA scene with his band Squeal between the early and late 90's.

[jan]

Sorry but my english isn´t good
i´m from Spain
I find two songs from Bruce Woolley
house of wax and you´re the circus
can you help me?
thanks

[EricMontreal22]

Bruce Wooly is listed as cowriter on 2 of the four songs Trevor Horn did for Dollar in 1982 - Mirror Mirror (mon amour) and hands in black and white

[Marc]

Hi,
I've just found this site through google.
The Bruce Woolley lp is in my top 20 of all time. My favourite ones are Get away William and Only babys can fly. Prior to the album he recorded singles as Fallen Angel and the TC Band, RB Zipper and Boogatti. Sounds strange but is true. In the UK eight Bruce Woolley singles were released. The answer for Jan is that House of wax was one of them and it is by far his rarest. You're the circus is of course one of the outstanding tracks on the album but was also available as the b side of Bobby Bad in a different version.
The US album has different versions of Goodbye to yesterday, and also of Video killed the radio star and Clean Clean (both are the singles versions).
Bruce Woolley also co-wrote Videotheque and Give me back my heart for Dollar in 1982.
One of my personal faves is Song of the factory written with the wonderful Jane Wiedlin for her Fur album.
World wide success he had with the song Slave to the rhythm written for Grace Jones.
I've once tried to contact Bruce through his Radio Science Orchestra website but unfortunately got no reply.
I hope some of these infos are useful to you.
All the best!

[dan]

I have the Firmament and the Elements single (Festival of Frothy Muggament/Maxence Cup--rather strange and not especially good; reminds me of a Renaissance Fair at Stirling Forest [if you're from the Hudson Valley, maybe you know what I'm talking about]) but I have never encountered a copy of their EP, "Essential". I would love to trade for a digitized version of it; I have every other Bruce song EXCEPT House of Wax/All at Once, which I'm still looking for as well....I much prefer the American mix of Bruce's LP to the exceptionally thin and brittle sound of the British (and Japanese CD) version.

[Mike Lowe]

Hello,

May be of interest that Bruce woolley is a family friend of ours. I had the priveledge of visiting his studio in 1986 (Twickenham: London) and seeing his then projects. He was very supportive of my own musical projects, and very inspiring. He was my Uncles best man @ his wedding in 1980. I could ramble on... but hey, thats enough for now. Mike

[Tim]

Did anyone see their TV performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test On BBC2? Awesome.

I'm a huge fan and also a BIG Tom Dolby Fan.

Trevor Horn - Bruce Wolley - Tom Dolby - What they all have in common is a fanatical attention to detail - Their song writing, orchestration and production are second to none.

Tom Dolby's 'Flat Earth' Album in particular is just gorgious.

I'm sorry to hear about Rod's tragic demise - I looked for more but couldn't find anything about it on the net. Can anyone fill us in with what happened?

Sad - he was a great drummer and he really drove the Camera Club Album along.

I'd like to pay my respects as an admirer of his musicinship and contribution to one of my favourite albums.

Rod - you inspired me and had me slapping my thighs and tapping my toes for many years.

You really cut it.

Tim

[blackpooltangerine]

I love the Camera Club material - be aware of a further track released by Bruce under the title 'The Killers' - superb track 'Killer on the Dancefloor'

[Emma]

Just want to say i too knew Rod and sadly lost touch with him a few years ago but am starting to play drums...which is partly down to him. So if anyone could tell me what happened to him I'd be grateful? Last met up with him in 2002...

[ZLUGGO POP]

I used to have both 7" versions of "Video Killed The Radio Star".
I loved them both and I still do.
A top tune and all time classic.

[Markinvention]

I saw Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club at the Marquee in about 197/1980 supporting a band called The Moview.

I am sure the keyboard player at the time was a certain Thomas Dolby!

They were excellent

[qzIB New Wave]

Hey Ya Know? Bruce Woolley has always been in my top 10 favorite artists of all time. There's a great video of him on YouTube explaining the Theremin. I just can't seem to find English Garden on CD. But we've still got the Vinyl !!! We have the CD from transferred vinyl though, I wonder if I could give the mp3's? Anyways there is a new group called The Killers. The Killers were origanally a group with Bruce. Does anybody have the mp3 of Killer On The Dancefloor? Well, About the Camera Club, Thomas Morgan Dolby Robertson is also one of my top 10 favorite artists of all time. I own Airwaves 7", Aleins Ate My Buick, Astronauts And Heretics, The Flat Earth, And The Golden Age Of Wireless, And With The Jazz Mafia Horns EP. Thanks For the Post, Dude.

[Dave]

I've recently uploaded to Youtube a few old 1979/80 Bruce Woolley videos - from BBC Midland Look Hear and also OGWT.
I remember them as one of the best and yet unappreciated bands of the time - luckily I saw them perform live on several occasions. Really friendly too!

[Dave]

Sorry, should have also said "click on my name to see the videos!"

Thanks!

[Steve Sullivan]

So, is there any CD version of the US release of the album? I thought maybe I should hunt up the Japanese one -- which has the "right" cover -- but you guys say that's it, either. I'm looking for the uncut version of Video and the non-disco version of Goodbye to Yesterday. Ironically, my two favorite songs on the album, changed on the recent (Brit) release.

Oh, deeply sorry about the drummer, too. Great loss of talent.

[Steve]

Somehow, the word "not" dropped out of my phrase "that's _not_ it, either." Meaning the Japanese version is (apparently) the same as the Brit one, and thus not the American LP version I'm looking for. Oops.

[Tim]

Bruce Wolley Seen on stage recently in London video via Tom Dolby's website links :

http://blog.thomasdolby.com/?p=494#comments

Bruce if you ever read this please do some more work with Seligman and Dolby. Thanks. Your songwriting and Camera Club album is still amazing. Don't ever give up. You've got too much talent and we the audiance demand more from you. Go for it Bruce we want it. :-)

[blackpooltangerine]

Just for info. Memories Of The Future by Bruce' present ensemble ' The Radio science Orchestra' is now available for download.

[Pete Dabell]

Good to see Mr woolley is still inspiring people.I knew
him years ago and I`ve still
got an old revox recording of
a song called "don`t come back" which sent me on the road of multitracking madness.I`ve still got a tape of the rough demo`s from Eden studio which his guitarist (dave Birch)gave me,some months before the LP came out,I believe the drummer on these(and the subsequent L.P. wasn`t Rod
Johnson but Richard Wernham(?) who was the ex drummer from the Motors,(of
Airport fame).and the bass
player was his girlfriend ,who wasn`t considered very
good,they had this line up
when I saw them at Loughborough university for
the first time supporting
either XTC or the Jags,I`ve
not listened to the tape for some time,but I do remember that it sounded a
lot better than the production on the LP when it came out.There`s also a
track called "this time,I`m
giving up with you on it"which didn`t seem to have been released, as far as I know.Yes they were a criminally underrated band