The Barracudas
Formed in 1979 as a neo-surfing band—their lone UK Top 40 entry in 1980 was the derivative Summer Fun—Jeremy Gluck (vocals), Robin Wills (guitar/vocals), David Buckley (bass/vocals) and Nicky Turner (drums/vocals) eschewed this direction during the recording of their debut album, DROP OUT WITH THE BARRACUDAS. Newer tracks, including I Saw My Death In A Dream Last Night, bore a debt to US-styled psychedelia, and the group became one of the genre's leading proponents during its revival in the early '80s. The original rhythm section was then replaced by Jim Dickson and Terry Smith. However, the group only asserted an individual style with the arrival of Chris Wilson, formerly of the Flamin' Groovies. His influence was felt on the Barracuda's next two studio albums, MEANTIME and ENDEAVOUR TO PERSEVERE, but these excellent releases were only issued in France. Failure to generate a British deal inevitably hampered the group's progress and they broke up in December 1984. Wilson and Wills were later reunited in a new venture, the Fortunate Sons, while Gluck, a former columnist on the music paper Sounds, resumed his journalistic career.