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 cinΓ©ma vΓ©ritΓ© 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.
The Good Missionary
Alternative TV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vibing up the senile man of a hundred years
We had it in our pockets and now it's on the streets
Accusing the answer phones, and the back-stabbing lies
Ask for the waiter
Move for the girl
Ask for the chef
"I didn't ask for grilled waiter, which is not my kind of dish"
Understanding questions, set the record straight, we've found your truth
Hiding in a phone box on the M1
We're on our way to a club in some sordid big city
They're waiting
Watching every move
Asking for the words of wisdom from the prophets
Disappointed
Disjointed
Ask for action
Move in your own time
Smash the television
Questions, answers, ideas, critics, sounds
We're on a bad trip and they're on a good one
But who are we to tell you what to do and you what to say
Disappointed and disjointed
An important decision takes place every time
A mother buys a piece of meat
Part of a missionary who lived a wonderful life
Helping people
Giving them his faith, and showing them his good book
And good looks, and good words, and good hymns, and good walk, and good signs, and good food, and good fights, good life
And he died a great death
But the people were still disappointed
And disjointed
Disappointed
And disjointed
The lyrics of Alternative TV's song The Good Missionary seem to be about the disillusionment and disappointment in society, particularly in regards to false promises and expectations. The first part of the song seems to criticize the superficial and artificial nature of restaurants, with lines like "Vibing up the senile man of a hundred years" indicating the manipulative tactics of the establishment. The verse then moves into accusing those who perpetuate lies and deceit, with the answer phones and back-stabbing lies being called out.
The second part of the song seems to be more focused on the disappointment in those who are looked up to as wise or prophetic figures. Lines like "Disappointed, Disjointed" suggest that these individuals are not living up to the expectations placed on them. The song then takes a sudden turn towards a more existential note, with the lines "An important decision takes place every time, a mother buys a piece of meat/Part of a missionary who lived a wonderful life/Helping people/Giving them his faith, and showing them his good book" seeming to suggest that life and death are intertwined, and that we must make meaningful decisions every day.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the frustrations of modern life, specifically calling out those who are dishonest and hypocritical, as well as those who fail to live up to expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Restaurant
We're in a restaurant.
Vibing up the senile man of a hundred years
We're enjoying ourselves in the company of an old man.
We had it in our pockets and now it's on the streets
We used to have something valuable but now it's widely available to everyone.
Accusing the answer phones, and the back-stabbing lies
We're frustrated by dishonesty and lack of accountability.
Ask for the waiter
We want to call our server.
Move for the girl
We're interested in a girl and want to approach her.
Ask for the chef
We want to speak with the chef.
"I didn't ask for grilled waiter, which is not my kind of dish"
We didn't order what the waiter recommended because it's not to our liking.
But it's sweet
Even though we're disappointed, we appreciate the gesture.
Understanding questions, set the record straight, we've found your truth
After asking some clarifying questions, we've found out what we need to know.
Hiding in a phone box on the M1
We're hiding in a phone booth on the highway M1.
We're on our way to a club in some sordid big city
We're traveling to a club in a seedy part of a large city.
They're waiting
People are waiting for us.
Watching every move
People are observing us closely.
Asking for the words of wisdom from the prophets
People are seeking guidance from those they look up to.
Disappointed
People are let down.
Disjointed
Things are not connected or organized well.
Ask for action
We want someone to take action.
Move in your own time
We're encouraging someone to take their time and do what feels right for them.
Smash the television
We want to destroy the TV or what it represents.
Questions, answers, ideas, critics, sounds
These are all things that are part of a discussion or debate.
We're on a bad trip and they're on a good one
We're having a difficult time, while others are enjoying themselves.
But who are we to tell you what to do and you what to say
We don't feel it's our place to dictate behavior or expression to others.
An important decision takes place every time
Every decision is important.
A mother buys a piece of meat
A mother is shopping for food.
Part of a missionary who lived a wonderful life
A piece of meat was once part of a great person who dedicated their life to helping others.
Helping people
This person's life work was all about helping others.
Giving them his faith, and showing them his good book
This person shared their religious beliefs with those they helped.
And good looks, and good words, and good hymns, and good walk, and good signs, and good food, and good fights, good life
This person was exemplary in many ways: they were attractive, spoke well, sang beautiful songs, walked with confidence, made meaningful gestures, cooked delicious food, and stood up for what they believed in.
And he died a great death
This person's life ended heroically.
But the people were still disappointed
Despite the individual's impressive life, others were still unsatisfied.
And disjointed
Things are not connected or organized well.
Disappointed
People are let down.
Contributed by Asher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@colincooper7501
Original, unique, different and great material from these lads. Still sounds good!
@davidgray557
Loved it then love it now