999

One of the longest-lived groups of the punk era, 999 formed in London in December 1976. Led by vocalist/guitarist Nick Cash, a onetime student at the Canterbury College of Art under the tutelage of Ian Dury and a former member of the pub rock units Kilburn and the High Roads, the band also included guitarist Guy Days, bassist Jon Watson, and drummer Pablo LaBrittain. After dispensing with a series of names -- including 48 Hours, the Fanatics, and the Dials -- 999 quickly established themselves as a popular fixture on the London punk circuit, issuing their incendiary debut single, "I'm Alive," on their own LaBrittain Records in late 1977. The single won the quartet a deal with United Artists, who issued both "Nasty Nasty" and "Emergency" in 1978; an eponymously titled LP debut, produced by Andy Arthurs, followed later in the year. For their sophomore effort, 1978's Separates, 999 enlisted producer Martin Rushent, resulting in a more polished, mainstream veneer for material like the near-hit "Homicide" and "High Energy Plan." After LaBrittain suffered injuries in a vehicular accident, drummer Ed Case was brought in to pick up the slack for a major U.S. tour preceding the release of 1980's The Biggest Prize in Sport; issued a short time later, The Biggest Tour in Sport EP collected material recorded live during the group's American dates. A healthy LaBrittain rejoined 999 full-time for 1981's Concrete, an album buffered by covers of "Li'l Red Riding Hood" and "Fortune Teller" -- an indication that the group's wellspring of creativity was running dry. 1983's 13th Floor Madness was universally panned for its disco-like grooves, although 1985's self-released Face to Face was acclaimed as a melodic return to form. At the end of the year, Watson exited the group's ranks and was...