The Vibrators recorded sessions at for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 in October 1976, June 1977, and February 1978. They were one of the pioneering punk bands that played at London's Roxy Club. They headlined in January 1977, supported by The Drones, and in February they played twice at the venue. In March 1977 the band supported Iggy Pop on his British tour. Later that year they backed ex-Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter.
The band signed to Epic Records in early 1977. Their debut album, Pure Mania was co-produced with Robin Mayhew, the sound engineer for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust live shows, and reached the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. The album is well regarded by some music critics and, 17 years after its release The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music named Pure Mania one of the 50 best punk albums of all time.
Their follow-up album, V2, narrowly missed the UK Top 30. The only single to be taken from that album, "Automatic Lover", was the only Vibratorsβ single to reach the UK Top 40 where it reached #35. It earned the band a TV appearance on the prime-time TV show Top of the Pops. The Vibratorsβ final single on Epic, "Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)", was released in June 1978. It reached #70 in the UK singles chart. Years later it was included in Mojo magazineβs list of the best punk rock singles of all time.
A lack of further chart activity, and with only one UK Top 40 single to their credit, sees the Vibrators join the list of one-hit wonders; a list that includes other UK punk and new wave acts such as The Banned, John Cooper Clarke, The Flying Lizards, Jilted John, 999, the Radio Stars, and the Rich Kids.
During the 1980s, John Ellis recorded and toured frequently with Peter Hammill, and subsequently The Stranglers, eventually joining the latter full-time in the 1990s. Pat Collier went on to work closely with The Soft Boys, producing their seminal album, Underwater Moonlight, and Robyn Hitchcock, producing and mixing some of his solo albums (to which Knox also sometimes contributed). Despite numerous line-up changes, The Vibrators are still touring to this date as a three-piece, "Knox" and "Eddie" being the only original members.
Whips and Furs
The Vibrators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance to the music, dance to the music.
'Cos if you dance to the music,
The night will last, the night will last,
The night will go on and on.
He drives a black Cadillac, whips and furs in the back.
He drives a black Cadillac, whips and furs in the back.
The night will last, the night will last,
The night will go on and on.
You can take a chance on love, one more dance on love.
You can take a chance on love, one more dance on love.
'Cos if you dance to the music,
The night will last, the night will last,
The night will go on and on.
The Vibrators's song Whips and Furs is a fast-paced and energetic rock song that at first listen may seem like a fun dance track. However, upon analysis, the lyrics reveal a darker side. The repetitive chorus of "dance to the music" implies that dancing is a distraction from reality, a way to forget about real-life problems. The verses paint a picture of a man who drives a black Cadillac and keeps whips and furs in the back. This image evokes a sense of danger and potential violence. The line "you can take a chance on love," implies that love itself is risky and unpredictable, and dancing is a way to escape that reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance to the music, dance to the music.
Encouragement to enjoy the music and to dance to it.
Cos if you dance to the music, The night will last, the night will last, The night will go on and on.
Dancing to the music will extend the time of enjoyment and the night will seem endless.
He drives a black Cadillac, whips and furs in the back.
The person mentioned possesses a black Cadillac car, and in it, there are whips and furs kept, which may indicate a kinkier or darker side to the person's personality.
You can take a chance on love, one more dance on love.
You can gamble on love and take one more opportunity to dance with someone to see if love will bloom or not.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robin Mayhew
This takes me right back. I'm very proud to say that I helped produce the Pure Mania album and I actually sing the harmony on this track. Great stuff and all the best to Knox they were great days.
Rotten Bliss
I adore the harmony, it's actually one of my favourite things on here, a very unexpected and perfect harmony. Good job!
hela2
hi im eliseo from argentina and i cant stop listening this song, such a beautiful energy here. thanks
Martin Ashton
Robin Mayhew , bought this album on cassette on holiday in Holyhead Anglesey 1978 , got chased down the street being called dirty punks , absolutely loved it
pamela cheak
That's pretty cool, it as all around great song
Lorraine Mccallum
Fabulous album, I have it hanging in my hall
Dave Marriott
42 years later, and still one of the most perfect songs ever made.
Lucas Cabral
uno de los mejores discos de la historia
frflinstone
Pure Mania is still a great album. Play it all the time !!
Chris Murphy
My favorite Vibrators song.