The Headboys Explained

The Headboys
Background:	group_or_band
Origin:	Scotland
Genre:	Power pop, new wave
Years Active:	1977 - 1980
Label:	RSO Records
Past Members:	Lou Lewis George Boyter Calum Malcolm Davy Ross Bob Heatlie

The Headboys were a Scottish power pop band, formed in 1977 in Edinburgh, Scotland, originally under the name of Badger.^[1]

Career

The band is best known for its single, "The Shape of Things to Come", which entered the UK Singles Chart on 22 September 1979. The track spent eight weeks on the chart, reaching number 45.^[2] This secured the band an appearance on Top of the Pops on 11 October 1979; the debut show for host Andy Peebles.

The group released an album in 1979 on Robert Stigwood's RSO label,^[1] which was produced by Peter Ker (who also worked with The Motors, and Bram Tchaikovsky).

The lack of any other UK chart hit left them labelled as one-hit wonders.

In 2013, the band announced on their Facebook page that the ten tracks they had recorded for a follow-up album, but which remained unreleased, would be issued on CD under the title The Lost Album by the American record label, Pop Detective Records.^[3] The album, issued on 1 December that year,^[3] was dedicated to the memory of drummer Davy Ross, who died in November 2010.^[4] George Boyter died in September 2022.^[5] Bob Heatlie died on 8 April 2023, at the age of 76.^[6]

Band members

• Lou Lewis — guitar and vocals
• George Boyter — bass and vocals
• Calum Malcolm — keyboards and vocals
• Davy Ross — drums and vocals^[7]
• Bob Heatlie — keyboards, sax, vocals

Discography

Albums

• The Headboys (1979), US #113^[8] Canada #69 ^[9] AUS #43
• The Lost Album (2013)^[3]

Singles

Year	Title	UK ^[10]	US ^[11]	AUS ^[12]	NZ ^[13]	NL ^[14]	Label Cat #
1977	"Biding My Time" / "Stepping Stones" (as Badger)	-	-	-	-	-	MCA 293
1977	"Night of Love" / "Don't Wanna Wait Too Long" (as Badger)	-	-	-	-	-	MCA 318
1979	"The Shape of Things to Come" / "The Mood I'm in"	45	67	89	-	17	RSO 40 - 2090386
1979	"Stepping Stones" / "Before Tonight"	-	-	-	-	-	RSO 49 - 2090404
1979	"Schoolgirls/ Stepping Stones + Double Vision"	-	-	-	-	18	RSO Holland 2252134
1980	"Kickin' the Kans" / "Double Vision + My Favourite DJ"	-	-	-	44	-	RSO 56 - 2090430
1980	"Something's Happening" / "Writing on the Wall"	-	-	-	-	-	Polydor 2040366

See also

• Video Concert Hall

External links

• Band biography
• Lyrics for "The Shape of Things to Come"

Notes and References

1. Web site: Myspace . Profile.myspace.com . 2014-01-30.
2. Book: Brown. Tony. The Complete Book of the British Charts. 2002. Omnibus Press. London. 0-7119-9075-1. 457.
3. Web site: The Lost Album - The Headboys - Releases. AllMusic. 25 October 2014.
4. Web site: The Shape of Things to Come (Headboys) . Jonkutner.com. 2 August 2023.
5. Web site: UK Singles Chart. 29 February 2020. Forums.deathlist.net. 2 August 2023.
6. Web site: Merry Christmas Everyone songwriter dies aged 76. 17 April 2023. 18 April 2023. BBC News.
7. Web site: Lost Bands Of The New Wave Era: The Headboys . Lostbands.blogspot.com . 2007-01-14 . 2014-01-30.
8. Web site: Headboys | Awards . AllMusic . 2014-01-30.
9. Web site: Results: RPM Weekly. Bac-lac.gc.ca. 2016-01-28.
10. Book: Roberts , David . 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 247. 1-904994-10-5.
11. Web site: Lyrics: The Shape Of Things To Come by The Headboys . Top40db.net . 2014-01-30.
12. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian)

    . David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 136.

13. Web site: Steffen Hung . The Headboys - Kickin' The Kans . Swedishcharts.com . 2016-01-28.
14. Web site: The Headboys - The Shape Of Things To Come | Top 40 . Top40.nl . 2016-01-28.