They are commonly regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement and the punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock genres in general. They are primarily remembered for their singles, a string of would-be hits that combined a strong grasp of pop song craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy. These singles were collected on Singles Going Steady, described by critic Ned Raggett as a "punk masterpiece" The widely covered "Ever Fallen in Love?" remains one of their best-known songs.
The name "Buzzcocks" partially comes from the Manchester slang term cock meaning youngster, and its use in the 1970s ITV drama serial Rock Follies which included the catch phrases "that's the buzz, cocks" and "give me a buzz, cock!"
Buzzcocks were one of the key first generation British punk rock bands to form in the wake of the Sex Pistols in 1976. They were founded by Mancunians Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, however Devoto left soon after the group released their Spiral Scratch EP (on their own independent label), leaving Shelley to take over vocals.
They are best known for their catchy, poppy punk sound, which has been widely influential, which was adopted as Peter Shelley took over on the vocals, singing about what the whole punk rock scene opted not to sing about: love. Devoto in the meanwhile formed Magazine.
They rehearsed in a friend's kitchen and played at the all-day 100 club punk "festival", in London. At the end of 1977 the band signed to United Artists and released "Orgasm Addict", with Shelley's high-pitched vocal delivery and Ramones-esque fuzz-guitar sound ensuring the controversial single would be played over again. Later came "What Do I Get?" which hit the UK charts and showed Shelley's brilliance in songwriting.
An LP was then released, Another Music in a Different Kitchen which came with its own carrier bag, labelled "Product". In 1978-79 five chart-hitting singles were released including "Ever Fallen in Love?" and had captured a pop-loving audience by this time. Love Bites, their second LP was released later on, which had less excitement than the last album, though it did sell well, with Steve Diggle taking over lyric-writing.
October 1979 saw A Different Kind of Tension which was panned by some critics, quite unfairly, as it contains some excellent songs, the title track being the stand-out. It perhaps suffered from being the second album to be released that year, with the record company keen to capitalise on the band's chart success at the time.
3 more singles followed in 1980, but the spark had clearly gone out for a while. Musical differences and the long slog behind them led to the band splitting in early 1981. Pete Shelley embarked in a solo career..
He released three dance/electronic influenced solo albums: Homosapien, XL1 and Heaven and The Sea - all with the same fine songwriting skills. Meanwhile, Steve Diggle formed Flag of Convenience - a power pop combo - and toured with some success.
A 5 album/CD set was released in 1989 called Product, which contained all the albums to date, plus the greatest hits and B sides album, Singles Going Steady, and the last non-album singles, Why She's A Girl From the Chainstore, Airwaves Dream and Running Free, plus the B sides
In 1992 the Buzzcocks reformed, without original drummer John Maher and bassist Steve Garvey, and releasd Trade Test Transmissions in 1993, quite different from their earlier material, with nods to the power pop scene popular at the time. All Set in 1996 saw a return to form with familiar riffs and pin sharp lyrics pop-punk. Next year Chronology was released, the missing album, including outtakes from the three United Artists albums. In 1999 they released Modern, which saw Shelley in reflective mode and Steve Diggle taking over more of the vocal duties.
Then followed another brief break in 2000, with Shelley teaming up with old band-mate Howard Devoto to release a largely disappointing album, Buzzkunst. Compilations followed, including Inventory in 2003, which contained every single to date, and 30 in 2005 to celebrate 30 years performing
2005 saw the Buzzcocks back touring and in 2007 they released the superb Flat Pack Philosophy, widely agreed to rank up with the best of Buzzcocks output
2008/9 saw a short tour where the band played tracks from Another Music and Love Bites.
In August 2011 they headlined the first night of The Rhythm Festival in Bedfordshire.
In November 2011 it was announced they would be playing two shows in 2012 that would feature the original line-up as well as the classic line-up of the band reunited for the first time in many years; these shows took place on 25 May 2012 in Manchester at the O2 Apollo and on 26 May in Brixton at the O2 Academy. It was announced on 26 May 2012 that, for the first time, they would headline Thursday night in the Empress Ballroom at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool sharing the stage with the likes of Rancid, Public Image Limited and Social Distortion.
On 1 May 2014 Buzzcocks released the album The Way via PledgeMusic. On 13 September 2014 Buzzcocks played "a brief but triumphant set" at Riot Fest 2014 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In October 2014 Buzzcocks toured the U.K. for three weeks with The Dollyrots as main support.
In 2016, the band embarked on their 40th-anniversary tour (dubbed "Buzzcocks 40"). In 2017, "Why Can't I Touch It" was featured in the opening segment of the Telltale game 'Guardians of the Galaxy.
Buzzcocks continue to be a huge influence on many bands and are still enjoyed by a large, and very loyal, fanbase.
Pete Shelley died on 6 December 2018.
Rendezvous
Buzzcocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the only thing I could do
I went upstairs took a vacant seat
And found I'd sat next to you
It's been a long time since we last met
I thought you'd moved out of town
Still have the power to stir me up
I'm on a cloud I must be in a dream
This can't be real this can't be happening
Before I knew it we had reached your stop
I blurted out something obscene
You promised that you would call me soon
Leave a message on my machine
I'm on a cloud I must be in a dream
This can't be real this can't be happening
What are the odds against this rendezvous
It's worth the gamble when the prize is you
I'm on a cloud I must be in a dream
This can't be real this can't be happening
What are the odds against this rendezvous
It's worth the gamble when the prize is you
The song Rendezvous, by British punk rock band Buzzcocks, tells the story of a chance encounter with an old flame on a bus ride. The singer of the song had overslept and was left with no choice but to catch the bus. Upon boarding the bus, they found themselves sitting next to their former lover whom they had not seen in a long time. The sudden appearance of their ex stirred up emotions they thought they had put to rest.
The singer is depicted as being in disbelief at the chance encounter, as reflected in the line, "This can't be real, this can't be happening." Despite the awkwardness of the situation, they relish the opportunity to reconnect, knowing that the odds of such a rendezvous are low, but the potential reward of reigniting the relationship is worth the risk.
The song has a unique energy that blends punk rock and pop sensibilities. The lyrics are straightforward but relatable to anyone who has experienced a surprise reunion with someone from their past. Buzzcocks wrote the song in their signature style, combining Buzzcocks' intense punk energy with a more melodic vocal delivery.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd overslept so I caught the bus
Due to my oversleeping, I had no other option but to take the bus.
It's the only thing I could do
The bus was the only available transportation option for me.
I went upstairs took a vacant seat
After boarding the bus, I went upstairs and found an empty seat.
And found I'd sat next to you
To my surprise, I realized I had taken the seat next to you.
It's been a long time since we last met
It has been a significant amount of time since we last saw each other.
I thought you'd moved out of town
I believed that you had already left town.
Still have the power to stir me up
Despite the time that has passed, you still have the ability to evoke strong emotions in me.
Just when I hoped I'd settled down
At a time when I thought I had achieved stability in my life.
I'm on a cloud I must be in a dream
I feel incredibly happy and ecstatic, I can't believe this is actually happening.
This can't be real this can't be happening
I am in disbelief that I am sitting next to you on this bus.
Before I knew it we had reached your stop
Before I even realized it, we had arrived at your destination.
I blurted out something obscene
In the heat of the moment, I said something inappropriate or offensive.
You promised that you would call me soon
You made a commitment to contact me in the near future.
Leave a message on my machine
Please leave a message for me on my answering machine.
What are the odds against this rendezvous
The probability of this spontaneous meeting taking place is relatively low.
It's worth the gamble when the prize is you
Even though it was a risky move to pursue this meeting, the potential reward of being with you was worth it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SHELLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind