2) A British rock band from Liverpool in the mid 70's. They released two albums, Rush and Back to Thunder.
Strife were formed by Paul Ellson in 1969 with Peter Trotman on guitar, Peter Hobbs on bass , and Ellson on drums. Within a few gigs, Gordon Rowley had replaced Hobbs on bass and also became chief vocalist. Around that time, Graham Kin also joined on keyboards and vocals, leaving within a year to return to studies.
Soon (1971), the band were joined by John Reid, ex The Klubbs, on guitar and vocals. They recorded a demo - 'Preparation' c/w 'Jerafter' as a four peice but soon after, Peter Trotman left the band and they were joined by singer Paddy Breen also ex The Klubbs. Breen's sojourn, however, was short-lived.
In '72, John Reid was badly injured whilst Stock Car racing. Peter Trotman stepped in temporarily but, at a Liverpool Club, Gordon Rowley was electrocuted and almost died on stage, being resuscitated by medics from the stunned audience.
Back together again, the 3 piece record "Magic of the Dawn" a demo recording organised by soul singer Edwin Starr who had seen the band at the Mardi Gras club in Liverpool. (Whist gigging nationally, Strife also often played local, Merseyside venues, sometimes playing Liverpool's Cavern Club, two or even three nights in a week.)
In 1973 Strife went to Los Angeles, they had an invitation to contact Mal Evans, Apple executive and former Beatles road manager. They had met Mal on a film set, 'Little Malcolm'. Although their act was considered too wild and attention-grabbing for the film's club scenes (some audience members spontaneously jumped on the tables, thus spoiling the shots) it's possible that the band may be seen as extras (has anyone out there checked?). Mal Evans was working in L.A. with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. However, the media frenzy at this get-together was so intense that, a few hours prior to the arranged meeting, the ex-Beatles and their entourage had left the city for a secret destination where they could continue their work in peace. No-one, including Strife, were told of the departure or the destination.
As the band walked away from the abandoned meeting place, a pink Cadillac did a U-turn and pulled alongside. It was Edwin Starr. Through Starr they soon met up with R.Dean Taylor and recorded a demo album, both in L.A. and in San Francisco, with Taylor as producer. One of these songs, 'Better Man than I' turned up on the album 'Rush'. These sessions also resulted in the acetate 'Worry', believed to be now owned by renown Liverpool DJ, Billy Butler. Whist on a second trip to the US that year, Strife were offered a deal by the William Morris Agency to replace Grand Funk Railroad on their roster. For some reason, the band were unimpressed and returned to the UK to tour; gigs included the last night of the original Cavern Club.
Strife signed with Chrysalis Records in the UK in '74 and recorded 'Rush'. It was released in early '75 with a strong appearance in the Virgin chart (at the time, the main barometer of UK rock music). As the album was released, Strife toured with Ginger Baker led outfit, The Baker Gurvitz Army. Shortly after this tour, they were joined by guitarist Vic Pappaleo but, despite Vic being an amazing guitarist, the format didn't work out. Strife continued as a three piece, working solidly and increasing their fan-base. However, despite the band's popularity, Chrysalis, whilst going through a corporate identity crisis, refused to release any further material - yet they held Strife to their contract. Regardless of the legal situation, Strife were determined to keep recording and recorded the EP 'School', releasing it on their own label, Outlaw. (Their agent, Paul King was later to take the name 'Outlaw' for his highly successful concert promotions company). After Strife eased out of the Chrysalis contract, 'School' was quickly picked up and released by EMI .
During this mid-70s period the gigging figures showed that Strife were the most in-demand rock band in Britain. No band was safe from being blown offstage. Procol Harum paid Strife off, Judas Priest pulled out, The Average White Band turned plain nasty and Slade's manager, Chas. Chandler, gave instructions that his band should never have to appear with Strife again. Moving from support, from '73 onwards, the band headlined in major venues as well as famous rock clubs such as the London's Marquee and Frankfurt's Zoom.
On New Year's Eve 1977, Paul Ellson left the band to be replaced by David Williams, his former drum roadie. With Williams in the driving seat, the album 'Back to Thunder' was recorded and released on the Gull label. By now though, Punk dominated the scene and, within a year or so, following an illness' of Gordon Rowley, the band split.
3) Dungeon synth. https://strifeofficial.bandcamp.com/
Overthrow
Strife Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The true fight lies against the ignorance of the outside world
We cannot succumb to the conflicts of this inter-segregation
The creation of something pure has been infected by a prejudice
This movement can only survive with the committed support of all
Overthrow
Overcome
Rise above
Rise as one
Restricted the advancement of this voice is stifled by itself
When those who hold it in their grasp have become the enemy
I cannot stand alone
We must not accept this trend
With hands held high and fist clenched tight to put an end to this infest
End this dissension
The lyrics of "Overthrow" by Strife convey a message of unity and strength against oppression and prejudice. The first few lines talk about how attacking one's own will only lead to the defeat of the whole, and that the real fight is against the ignorance of the outside world. The song emphasizes the importance of not succumbing to conflicts or inter-segregations, as they can infect the creation of something pure with prejudice. The lyrics go on to say that the movement can only survive with the committed support of all, and ultimately calls for the listeners to overthrow and overcome the oppression, and rise above it.
The second half of the song goes on to talk about how the advancement of this movement is being restricted, and that it is being stifled by those who hold it in their grasp. The lyrics then call for unity, stating that the singer cannot stand alone and that the trend of accepting oppression and prejudice should not be accepted. The song culminates in a call for action, with hands held high and fist clenched tight, to end the infest of dissension.
Overall, the lyrics of "Overthrow" by Strife are a powerful call to action and a reminder that unity and strength are essential in fighting against oppression and prejudice.
Line by Line Meaning
Overthrow, attacks on one's own will only to defeat the whole
Attempting to destroy oneself in order to defeat a group as a whole is pointless and counterproductive.
The true fight lies against the ignorance of the outside world
The real battle is against the lack of knowledge and understanding in the world outside of our own group.
We cannot succumb to the conflicts of this inter-segregation
We must not give in to the conflicts caused by segregating ourselves from others.
The creation of something pure has been infected by a prejudice
Prejudice has tainted something that was once pure and good.
This movement can only survive with the committed support of all
For this movement to succeed, everyone must be fully committed to supporting it.
Overthrow
We must overthrow the negative forces that are holding us back.
Overcome
We must work to overcome obstacles and challenges that stand in our way.
Rise above
We must elevate ourselves and our movement above the negativity and hate around us.
Rise as one
We must unite and work together as a single force to achieve our goals.
Restricted the advancement of this voice is stifled by itself
Our progress is being held back by our own internal conflicts and inability to communicate effectively.
When those who hold it in their grasp have become the enemy
The very people who are supposed to support us have become our adversaries.
I cannot stand alone
I cannot fight this battle alone and need others to stand with me.
We must not accept this trend
We cannot allow this negative trend to continue and must take action to stop it.
With hands held high and fist clenched tight to put an end to this infest
We must rise up and take action to eradicate the negativity and hate that has infected our movement.
End this dissension
We must put an end to the internal conflicts and disagreements that are holding us back.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDREW E. KLINE, CHAD JEREMY PETERSON, RICK MYRON RODNEY, SIDNEY A. NIESEN, TODD RYAN TURNHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind