The magazine grew with the scene it championed, and for a year, it ruled the British fanzine roost. But the bank clerk, Mark Perry, was sick of writing -- he wanted to step out and be written about himself. His last band, the New Beatles, had done nothing; his next, Alternative TV, could scarcely do any worse.
Featuring Perry on vocals, ex-Generation X drummer John Towe, Mickey Smith (bass), and former Nobodies guitarist Alex Fergusson, the band formed in March 1977, rehearsing at Throbbing Gristle's studios in Hackney -- both "Love Lies Limp" and "Alternative to NATO" were written and recorded there -- and on May 6, 1977, ATV made their live debut in Nottingham.
The first lineup splintered almost immediately. Smith was replaced by New Beatle Tyrone Thomas, and on June 5 ATV opened for Wayne County's Electric Chairs in Brighton. Six gigs later, Towe quit, but not before ATV released their first single, "Love Lies Limp," as a free flexidisc with the final, August 1977 issue of Sniffin' Glue.
Towe was replaced by Chris Bennett, and in this form the band continued to gig, at the same time as preparing the ground for their debut album. They are caught rehearsing in The Punk Rock Movie, the cinéma vérité documentary of punk's first savage summer; more exposure came in December, when the "How Much Longer" single appeared on Perry's own Deptford Fun City wing of Miles Copeland's Illegal setup. The Image Has Cracked, the group's live and studio debut album, appeared the following spring.
Singles "Action Time Vision" and "Life After Life" followed, together with the archive Towe-era "Life," but ATV were changing first, as Perry rocketed on toward the Throbbing Gristle sound which by now captivated him (the official bootleg Live at the Rat '77, incidentally, was recorded by Genesis P-Orridge).
By the time of Vibing Up the Senile Man (Part One), the second ATV album, and its accompanying single, "The Force Is Blind," only Perry remained from the original band; only bassist Dennis Burns remained from any of those who had followed. And, of ATV's original, punk-era press disciples, even Sounds found the album unlistenable.
Unperturbed, Perry took the new album out on the road, but an end of sorts was in sight. In March 1979, on-stage at Chelmsford, ATV called it a day. Side one of the valedictory Scars on Sunday album preserves highlights from this final show; side two introduces the Good Missionaries, the band that would pick up exactly where ATV left off, only without the encumbrance of such an historically resonant name.
But of course it wasn't the end really. The first ATV reunion, with Fergusson back on board, occurred as early as 1981; another kept Perry amused through the second half of the decade and, in 1999, Perry celebrated the release of his 20th album, under the born-yet-again name of Alternative TV.
Release the Natives
Alternative TV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shifting blame to factory
Asking for pennies
Riceballs for the refugees
Innocence, innocence
Crawling on your hands for mercy, as the cannibal lifts his axe
As the cannibal lifts his axe
Feeding the millions
Down and out
The secrets have all been found out
Around about the centre of Africa lies an ancient stone
The spirits will kill
And we [...] the pharaohs
The spirits will kill
Ten [...] dropping in on our fat feast
The spirits will kill
So release the natives, release the natives, release the natives
"Release the Natives" by Alternative TV is a song that highlights various issues such as poverty, exploitation, corruption, and the inequality that exist in society. The song opens by painting vivid and graphic images of the aftermath of a hunting party and then swiftly shifting the blame to a factory, suggesting that society is shifting the responsibility for its wrongs to another party. The following line, "Asking for pennies, rice balls for the refugees," highlights the desperate situation that many people find themselves in, as they beg for money or food to survive.
The theme of innocence is introduced in the next line, and it echoes the desperation of the previous lines. "Crawling on your hands for mercy as the cannibal lifts his axe" depicts a scene of someone begging for mercy, while a cannibal prepares to take their life. This image is haunting, and it underscores the desperation felt by many who are vulnerable and suffering in their present circumstances.
The verses then move towards a more global perspective, where the song highlights the exploitation of developing countries through the buying of second-hand clothes while many of their citizens are living in abject poverty. It then makes reference to an ancient stone in the center of Africa where the "spirits will kill," likely a reference to a belief in the power of ancestral spirits to inflict consequences on those who exploit others. The song then concludes with the line "Release the Natives," repeating it three times, as if to suggest that the solution is to set people free from their oppressive circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Ending of the hunting party
The end of a violent and oppressive regime
Shifting blame to factory
Blaming societal problems on industrialization and corporations
Asking for pennies
Refusing to pay a fair wage for labor or resources
Riceballs for the refugees
Providing inadequate and insufficient aid to those in need
Innocence, innocence
The innocent are often the victims of injustice and oppression
Crawling on your hands for mercy, as the cannibal lifts his axe
Living in fear and submission to those in power who seek to harm and exploit
Feeding the millions
Providing for the basic needs of a large population without addressing root causes of poverty and inequality
Buying second hand clothes
Using consumerism and charity as an excuse for not creating system-wide change
Down and out
Struggling in poverty and hardship without support or resources
The secrets have all been found out
The truth about oppressive systems and hidden histories is being revealed
Around about the centre of Africa lies an ancient stone
Acknowledging the rich cultural and historical heritage of the African continent
The spirits will kill
Warning of the destructive power of greed, exploitation, and disregard for human rights
And we [...] the pharaohs
Comparing modern-day power structures to ancient empires built on exploitation and violence
Ten [...] dropping in on our fat feast
The consequences of environmental destruction, climate change, and depletion of resources are catching up to us
So release the natives, release the natives, release the natives
Urging for an end to colonialism, imperialism, and other forms of exploitation and oppression
Contributed by Ruby P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terry Sutton
This blew me away when I first heard it on the John Peel show. Very creative band, Mark Perry was a true original.
Jaques-'Jaques' Liverot
still got this on tape from 1978
wildebeast
the best song ever!
Kandi Gloss
this reminds me of some of the more out there stuff that the doors did