In Februray 1977 - because he liked the Beatles - Glenn Matlock (bassist) was pushed out of the Sex Pistols.
The original idea for a new band, including Glen, had come from Jimmy Norton who was a good friend of his. They had also been at St Martins College of Art(London) together in the early 70's.
It was rumoured as early as January '77 that Jimmy was discussing with Glen the idea of putting together a group under the working title Rich Kids. The title was an obvious one given the, then, current spate of pseudo-working class, drop out, squatting type bands already on the scene. Lets get a band together who are neither over the top nor saddled with chips on their shoulders.
During March Glen auditioned madly for band members and acquired Rusty Egan on drums and guitarist Steve New. By this time Jimmy Norton had grown disenchanted with his idea and moved on to pastures new, thus leaving a threesome consisting of Glen, vocals and bass and Rusty and Steve. Glen asked Midge Ure to join. Midge, still a few years off Bob Geldof and greater things, depending on which way you look at it, had originally been offered the job of lead vocalist with the Sex Pistols but had declined. He joined the Slik, a sort of Bay City Rollers without tartan who were so well packaged well-hyped and well over the top that they burned themselves out. The group folded so when Glen Matlock came calling Midge immediatly said yes.
In these eraly days of the RICH KIDS its ranks were swelled, albeit briefly, by Mick Jones on loan from the Clash, and they played some low key and one off London Gigs, the most famous of wich was the Vortex which became a bootleg album and the first vinyl release of the RICH KIDS.
It seemed that Glen was trying to put together one of the biggest bands around as he attempted to persuade Paul WELLER of the JAM to join but in this he failed. After these first few live shows, Mick Jones rejoined the Clash and the RICH KIDS assumed its permanent line up of Glen, Midge, Steve and Rusty.
Most of the summer was spent writing, rehearsing and generally routining and polishing their stage format. In August '77 the second European Punk Festival was held in Paris and the RICH KIDS were invited to appear along with the Damned, The Boys, Police and Asphalt Jungle. On their return to England 'Sounds' Magazine ran its first feature on the group under the headline "Back with a Bullet". The interviewer was Phil Silverton who years later would co-write "I Was A Teenage Sex Pistols" (Omnibus Press) with Glen. In the article Steve New claimed that the RICH KIDS did a far better version of "Pretty Vacant" than the Sex Pistols, and having heard that number on the pistols documentary "Dead on Arrival", it is obvious that he was correct.
Bonfire night '77 opened with a bang for the group when the very happy looking RICH KIDS were pictured in the music press signing for EMI just twelve months after EMI had fired the Pistols and the Pistols got shot of Glen.
Under EMI's protective wing and still without an official first vinyl release the RICH KIDS went out on a UK tour starting on December 15 at Mr George's, Coventry. December 16 saw the group in Birmingham, 17th in Liverpool, 18th in Manchester, 19th in Dewsbury and the last date before the Christmas break in Huddersfield on the 20th. On Christmas Day, at the Sex Pistols' last ever UK gig, Johnny Rotten was seen sporting a T-shirt bearing the logo "Never mind the Rich Kids here's the Sex Pistols".
After the break the tour concluded with in chronological order strating on the 8th January 1978 and finishing on the 14th, gigs at Satellite City, Glasgow, Tiffany's, Edinburgh, Fusion Ballroom, Aberdeen, Rafters, Manchester, and two nights at Barbarellas in Birmingham. For those of you wholike a twist o story, try this one for size.
The RICH KIDS debut single "Rich kids" backed with "Empty words" was issued in the UK on January 1978. If you take onto account the time difference between the USA and the UK the Sex pistols were playing their last ever gig anywhere at the same time as the RICH KIDS were plugging their first disc. The first 15,000 copies of the single were pressed on red vinyl in a plain red sleeve and became the group's biggest seller.
As the songs put it, the group were very much 'all there'. No mad panic to release single after single. Three months would pass before the release of record number two "Marching Men" and "Here comes the Nice"(Marriot/lane), the latter being a rehash of an old Faces number. The live song came from the December 16 gig at Barbarellas and although EMI recorded the whole show they don't seem to know what happened to the complete tape, which would have been a great live album.
Round about the time of the second single Glen and Steve teamed up with Rat Scabies, then playing with the White Cats and Sid Vicious in an effort to show the world in general and the music press in particular that Glen and Sid were good mates. The resultant name based on all the personnel was Vicious White kids. As it happened Glen had already offered to give Sid bass guitar lessons after he(Glen) had left the Pistols but Sid had never taken up the offer. Pretty obvious, really, as Sid's bass playing left a lot to be desired and most of it disappeared off the Pistols' recordings.
The other reason for the formation of this Super-Group was that it gave gave Sid the opportunity to play farewell gig under the title Sid Sods Off prior to his leaving for the United States. The group did a one off gig at the Electric Ballroom, Camden Town.
The RICH KIDS only 'legal' album was "Ghosts of Princes in Towers" released in the UK in August '78. It was produced by Mick Ronson and recorded in John Kongos' house studio and originally came with a picture inner sleeve containing all the lyrics and various group photographs. The week after the release of the album EMI issued the group's final single coupling the albums title song with a brand new Glen Matlock number "Only Arsenic". Ironically "Only Arsenic" was the stronger of the two numbers.
The band had now run out of steam, Midge joined Thin Lizzy, temporarily, and then Ultravox after original vocalist John Foxx left. Rysty became more involved with Steve strange and the group Visage and latterly became Steve's partner in the night club business.
Steve continued to play guitar with various bands most notably Tony James and Johnny thunders while Glen drifted off into more new projects. He had played with the Spectors, Big Living and Iggy Pop.
It is a great pity that the one one album and three singles are the only legacy left behind by what was one of the better British groups of the late 70's.
In 1996, Glen Matlock rejoined the Sex Pistols for their .... "Filthy Lucre" reunion tour....
http://punkmodpop.free.fr/RichKids_pic.htm
***This is not really the Rich Kids, but mearly a fan site run by a fan: www.myspace.com/niggawhat_ Hope you guys enjoy this ;] ***
