Charlie 'Ungry

History

In the spring of 1977, four musicians from Enfield, North London, formed a group to play songs written by bassist and vocalist Jeff Gibbs and singer Tony Sando. The band also included drummer Andy Demetriou and lead guitarist Steve Protheroe. They had more than a dozen songs ready to record. By May 1977, only two months later, they cut a three-song demo at Tom Newman’s studio in Maida Vale—Newman was known for his work on Tubular Bells. Impressed by what he heard, Newman invited them back for a second session in August 1977. This time, over two days, they recorded all twelve songs live, with just a few overdubs.

The band’s sound was raw and explosive. That led to a showcase gig at the Greyhound, a well-known rock venue on Fulham Palace Road in London. A&R representatives from record labels came to watch on a quiet Monday night, but the crowd was thin. The performance went over well, yet no offers followed. Disheartened, the band split in November 1977, after only seven months together.

In 1980, Demetriou and Sando still believed in the Charlie 'Ungry sound. They tried to spark interest again with a three-song vinyl EP, simply titled Charlie Ungry. They sent it to radio stations and record companies. DJ Alan Freeman, who hosted a rock show on Capital Radio, played the track “Who is my Killer.” The EP did well in the independent market. Gibbs returned, and the group recorded two new songs with a new lead guitarist, Tony Nurse. But after a few months with no positive response, the musicians went their separate ways. Charlie Ungry was effectively shelved.

In 2004, twelve songs from 1977 and two from 1980 were collected on a CD called The Chester Road Album. It came out on a NWOBM compilation from Obscure Records, a Greek label run by George Arvanitakis. Demetriou also set up an official Charlie Ungry website to promote the band, with many tracks on YouTube. In 2013, the Italian label Rave Up Records released ten of those tracks on a 12-inch vinyl. In 2016, Hozac Records from Chicago, USA, put out a three-song vinyl EP without any remastering.