AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Magazine

Artist:Magazine

Song:Shot by Both Sides

Album:Rays & Hail 1978-1981

Buzzcocks lead singer Howard Devoto formed the band Magazine after leaving Buzzcocks. The British punk scene was volatile at the time and band memberships were very fluid. So not surprisingly, Magazine was only around for a couple of years. They have reunited in recent years. Devoto says he left Buzzcocks to form a more progressive punk band. I'm not sure what that means. With Devoto's voice, the band will always sound the same. Soon after leaving, he met John McGeoch and they started writing songs together. McGeoch was an art student at the time. They added Bob Dickinson on keyboards, Barry Adamson on bass and Martin Jackson on drums and Magazine was born. All these guys are from Manchester, England. After signing with Virgin Records, they started playing live gigs. Pretty soon it was decided that Dickinson didn't fit in. So he was replaced by Dave Formula of the 60s band St. Louis Union. Meanwhile, their debut single Shot By Both Sides was released and it reached #41 on the British Singles chart. Devoto wrote all of Magazine's songs usually with McGeoch. But the chord progression for Shot by Both Sides was lifted from the Buzzcocks song Lipstick. So Pete Shelley got a songwriting credit. Devoto wrote the song after a political argument with his girlfriend and she said he would be shot by both sides. Then they released the album Real Life and toured. Jackson left during the tour and was replaced by Paul Spencer. Then Spencer was replaced by John Doyle. Magazine's 1979 album Secondhand Daylight featured an increased use of synthesizers which were becoming more prevalent in British pop music. McGeoch, Adamson and Formula briefly joined the synth pop band Visage. Then after the release of the 1980 album The Correct Use of Soap, McGeoch left to join Siouxsie and the Banshees because he didn't think Magazine was going anywhere. Devoto tried to keep the band going. But this kind of music was dying anyway. So Magazine split up in 1981. This budget comp covers their history. Devoto formed the band Luxuria then quit the music business to become a photo archivist. The others bounced around various bands. McGeoch died in 2004. Magazine reunited in 2009 to play a few gigs. They released a 2011 album and split up soon after. Devoto seems to be retired. Here's Magazine performing Shot by Both Sides on the Belgian TV show Follies July 2, 1979.