Racey was a British pop group, formed in 1976 in Weston-super-Mare, by singer Phil Fursdon and Clive Wilson. The group was formerly known as Alive 'n' Kickin.
Racey scored a series of hit singles in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand including "Lay Your Love on Me" and "Some Girls". Their Smash and Grab album sold about 500,000 copies worldwide.[citation needed]
The band's hits were written and produced by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. Another Chinn-Chapman song, "Kitty", was reworked and released by Toni Basil as "Mickey" in 1981; it reached Number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in early 1982.
Racey's first single, "Baby It's You", was penned by Smokie members Chris Norman and Pete Spencer. Their second single, "Lay Your Love on Me", was the group's first hit single, peaking at No.3 in late 1978/early 1979. The third single, "Some Girls", was written for Blondie, for whom Mike Chapman also produced, but was instead given to Racey as a follow-up to "Lay Your Love on Me".
Racey parted company with Chinn and Chapman after Smash And Grab, and the band split in 1985. Since then two separate groups named Racey exist, one featuring Richard Gower, and the other originally featuring Clive Wilson, Phil Fursdon and Pete Miller, the original bass player of Racey. Miller died of cancer on 6 May 2003.
CDs with re-recordings of the original hits, and new material, are available from both of the present day versions of the group.
Richard Gower appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in Australia between late August and early September 2007. He sang 2 songs, "Lay Your Love On Me" and "Some Girls".
18 May 2009 sees the reissue of Racey's "Smash And Grab" album on double CD through 7Ts records (a division of Cherry Red Records in London, UK). This includes the original 1979 album, along with all other recordings made for RAK Records between 1978 and 1982 inclusive. The booklet has the original artwork, extensive sleeve notes by Steve Thorpe and many pictures of the original single sleeves from UK and foreign releases. It has been completely remastered by audio guru Tim Turan from Turan Audio in Oxford. Catalogue Number GLAM CDD 87
7” SINGLE
A side: Some Girls
B side: Fighting Chance
Condition: Near Mint
Sleeve, Excellent
Released on the RAK Label
Date: 1979
Number: RAK 291
All Vinyl played before dispatch to ensure good playback.
If you require further info` contact me.
Record Grading
The grading system I use when determining the condition of the vinyl is The 'Record Collectors' Grading System, taken from the Rare Record Price Guide book.
Mint (M) The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.
Near Mint (NM) The record looks brand new with no scuffing or any deterioration in sound quality and only the smallest hint that its ever been played. The cover and any additional extras are clean, crisp and with no wear whatsoever.
Excellent (EX) The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
Very Good (VG) The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
Good (G) The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.
Fair (F) The record is still just about playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.
Poor (P) The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
I will not refund you if have not read and understood the grading system I use.
To illustrate my point: if I describe a record as Good (G), it's not brand new or excellent - sound quality has noticeably deteriorated and the cover may be damaged with splits or discoloration.
