Formed in November 1979 by Chris Philpott , Mick Cohen and John Wratten , and augmented by Andy Orr in August 1980, Small World first hit the scene in November 1980. The band were influenced by 1960s guitar based groups like the Small Faces and post-punk new wave such as The Jam and The Clash.
Although the band attracted a diverse audience, they soon became a firm favourite on the Mod scene playing numerous headline gigs all over London and the UK, including venues such as the Marquee, Dingwalls, 100 Club, Fulham Greyhound. They had their own fan club, run by John’s sister Jacquie which had a membership of over 600. In 1982, the band released their first single “Love is Dead/Liberty†on Whaam! Records. The single quickly sold out and is now quite collectable. At the end of 1982, Andy Orr was replaced on drums by Paul Guidotti , formerly of The Stripes.
The band continued gigging throughout 1983 and 1984, releasing one further single “First Impressions†on Valid records. In October 1984, after a “farewell†gig at Islington’s Hope & Anchor, Small World were “put on iceâ€. This allowed the lads to pursue other musical projects which included The Combine and The Rage. In 1987, Small World reformed to play at the Assembly Room in Rotherham. The gig was a sell-out and subsequently the boys have continued to gig, on and off, ever since. Small World were different from many of their peers on the Mod scene.
Whereas some bands simply disappeared from the Mod scene due to its lack of “street cred†and money-making opportunities, Small World stuck with it. After all, the band were from the scene, from the grassroots, and not manufactured or shaped by some record company executive who wanted to cash-in on this year’s fad. Small World were proud to be part of the Mod scene!
Anyone who has ever seen Small World perform live will have appreciated how much effort and energy the lads put into their performance. Their sound is definitely more raunchy than “jingle-jangleâ€, but the songs are melodic and extremely catchy! One “Sounds†journalist once compared Small World’s rendition of “Tin Soldiers†to the original version by Stiff Little Fingers, quoting that the Small World version made the original “shrivel up and dieâ€. Not bad considering that SLF’s power always made the hair on the back of my neck stand up!
Small World - Who’s Who
1979 -1982
Chris Philpott – Vocals
John Wratten – Guitar
Mick Cohen – Bass
Andy Orr – Drums
1983 – present date
Chris Philpott – Vocals
John Wratten – Guitar
Mick Cohen – Bass
Paul Guidotti – Drums
