Saints – "I'm Stranded" (1976)

Like a snake calling on the phone

I’ve got no time to be alone

(I don’t know what the hell it means either.)

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Who was the first punk rock group?  Good question!

The Sex Pistols, the Damned, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks were all great punk bands – but none of them were the first punk band.

Some people say that the Ramones were the first true punk band, while others point to the Dictators.  

The Dictators were formed before the Ramones were, and their first album was released almost a year earlier than the Ramones’ eponymous debut album.  But while the music of the Dictators sounded pretty punk, their original songs had a certain tongue-in-cheek character – I’m not sure how seriously to take them.

(Green Day was NOT
the first punk rock band)

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“I’m Stranded” clearly wasn’t the first punk rock record, but the Saints – who were formed in Brisbane, Australia, in 1973 – arguably deserve the title of “First True Punk Rock Band” as much as anyone.  

The group couldn’t find a record company that wanted to sign them, so they decided to record and release “I’m Stranded” on their own in September 1976 – which was about a month before the Damned released their iconic first punk single, “New Rose.”  

I’m not sure when I first became aware of “I’m Stranded,” but it had been off my radar for some time until very recently, when I heard it while listening to a punk-rock playlist on Spotify.  (Thanks to my older son for giving me a year’s subscription to Spotify for Christmas.)

It is a m-o-n-e-y record – relentless and truly punk in attitude.  But it’s only my second-favorite Saints record.

Tune in to the next 2 or 3 lines to find out which Saints record is my favorite.

Click here to listen to “I’m Stranded.”

Click here to buy the recording from Amazon.