DESCRIPTION:
Uk/1977
Plummet Airline(s), was a British pub rock band of the mid-1970s, which was originally formed in Nottingham. Band members later joined The Pogues and Darts.

The band was formed by students at Nottingham School of Art (now Nottingham Trent University, School of Art and Design), who needed a band for a film that fellow students John Crumpton and Graham Langford were making called 'One More Chance' [1] about a fading rock and roll star, Shane Ventura. The band was initially called "The Brothel Creepers", after the band in the film. Harry Stephenson (vocal/guitar) had previously been in Harrogate band "Junkyard Angel", whilst Richard Booth (guitar/vocal), Darryl Hunt (bass) and Simon Bladon (drums) had played in a jazz influenced band Moonlight Drive. Having completed the film, the band started playing gigs, and writing their own songs, mostly written by Stephenson.[2]

In 1974 Duncan Kerr (guitar/vocals) joined. They changed their name to 'Glider', and got a residency at The Kensington, Olympia, London; one of the new pub-rock venues. A band called 'Glyder' forced them to change their name, so they became Plummet Airlines. Bladon left and was replaced on drums by Keith Gotheridge, and they played at the Hope and Anchor, Islington, where they met Malcolm Morley (ex Man and Help Yourself) who was living in the pub, and they soon moved in, after Fred Grainger and John Eichler, who ran "The Hope", became their managers.

They recorded their first Peel Session in August 1976. Dave Robinson, who ran the recording studio at The Hope and Anchor, gave them a one record deal with Stiff Records who issued their first single: "Silver Shirt" / "This is the World" (BUY 8) produced by Sean Tyla. Morley started jamming with them and joined them for a Dutch tour in 1976, where they also supported Clancy.Morley recorded a solo album, at Foel Studios, using Plummet Airlines as the backing musicians, but the master tape was then lost until 2002, when it was issued as Lost and Found (Hux 34).

Gasper Lawal, who had been in Clancy, joined the band and appeared on their second Peel show in January 1977,and they supported Van der Graaf Generator, Rockpile and other bands. A second single "It's Hard" / "My Time in a While" was issued on State Records, but Grainger, their manager, could not agree an album deal. They split with Grainger, and sued him for mismanagement, as he was being ousted from "The Hope" by a coup d'état.

Simon Bladon – (drums) 1973-74
Richard Booth – (guitar, vocals) throughout
Keith Gotheridge – (drums) 1974-77
Darryl Hunt – (bass, vocals) throughout
Duncan Kerr – (guitar, vocals) 1974-77
Gasper Lawal – (percussion) 1976-77
Malcolm Morley – (guitar, keyboards) 1976
Harry Stephenson – (guitar, vocals) throughout