New Rose

Legendary THE DAMNED Guitarist BRIAN JAMES Passed Away Aged 70

Posted on by JL

9 March 2025


Cover debut LP – Brian James on the right

Last Thursday the brill guitarist BRIAN JAMES who co-founded the legendary proto-punk band THE DAMNED in 1976, has passed away, aged 70. No cause of death was revealed.

He was the driving and songwriting force of the group. He made 2 albums – Damned Damned Damned and Music For Your Pleasure with them and already left at the end
of 1977.

Afterward he kept on playing with different acts and big names such as badass
Iggy Pop, Blondie’s Clem Burke, MC5’s Wayne Kramer, The Police’s Stewart Copeland
and others.

He wrote the very first British punk song (James never want to label what
they did was punk) with the smashing Damned‘s debut single NEW ROSE.

Flamboyant Damned bassist/guitarist Captain
Sensible posted this message on his social media.

R.I.P.

Brian James Story

THE DAMNED – From Blistering Hot To Boring Cold And Back At LOKERSE FEESTEN In BELGIUM

Posted on by JL

5 August 2024

London‘s legendary punks THE DAMNED are smashing things up since 1976 and have no intention whatsoever to call it quits. They’re those kinds of musicians who would go insane when they have to stay home, and get endlessly bored with painting their fence, mow the grass, work in their garden etc.

Last night they played, with 3 heroes of the original line-up (drummer Rat Scabies, guitarist Captain Sensible and frontman Dave Vanian) at Lokerse Feesten in Belgium. Within an hour they went from blistering hot to boring cold and back.

Blistering hot with roasting renditions of golden oldies New Rose, Neat Neat Neat, Love Song and Eloise. Boring cold with lesser known tracks that just didn’t work out to get the crowd afire, and then Captain Sensible losing himself in totally boring guitar solos. Guitar solos? Wasn’t punk invended to get rid of macho guitars solos and dinosaur rock? I thought so.

– NEW ROSE –
Set opener

Of course, the die-hard fans loved it, as well as they did like the beers. Good for them. Unfortunately The Damned sounded mostly as a cover band of their own. Glorious past? YES. Glorious present? NO.

Maybe they should smash it all up for good.

– SMASH IT UP –
Set closer

The Damned: Story

(Photos by Turn Up The Volume)

Waking Up With… A Damned Rose

Posted on by JL

Works faster than caffeine

I got a feeling inside of me
It’s kind of strange like a stormy sea
I don’t know why I don’t know why
I guess these things have got to be

I gotta new rose I got it good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can’t stop to mess around
I got a brand new rose in town

See the sun see the sun it shines
Don’t get too close or it’ll burn your eyes
Don’t you run away that way
You can come back another day

I got a new rose I got it good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can’t stop to mess around
I got a brand new rose in town
I never thought this could happen to me

This is strange why should it be
I don’t deserve somebody this great
I’d better go or it’ll be too late
I got a feeling inside of me
It’s kind of strange like a stormy sea
I don’t know why I don’t know why
I guess these things have got to be

I got a new rose I got her good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can’t stop to mess around
I got a brand new rose in town

MUSIC MOVIES!

Posted on by JL

THE DAMNED: DON’T YOU WISH WE WERE DEAD

A crazy mix of archival, interview and contemporary footage
of punk legends The Damned. The film also discusses the hot
rivalry between members Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies with
their disagreement over unpaid royalties.

Released: 2015

Trailer…

Happy B. to guitarist/songwriter Brian James.
He celebrates his 66th birthday today.

Give him a new rose…

THE DAMNED: Facebook

FIVE INFLAMMABLE SUMMER BANGERS – Part 8…

Posted on by JL

Weekly series of five rolling ripsnorters to go completely bananas to this summer…

This week we unleash five classic punk sledgehammers to bang your head to…

1. ‘No Fun’ by The Stooges 
(Self-titled debut LP – 1969)

2. ‘New Rose’ by THE DAMNED
(Album: Damned Damned Damned – 1977)

3. ‘Bodies’ by SEX PISTOLS
(Album: Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols – 1977)

4. ‘Janie Jones’ by THE CLASH
(From self-titled Debut LP – 1977)

5. ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ by RAMONES
(From self-titled debut LP – 1976)

All 40 Summer Bangers so far
collected here on Spotify…

See/hear you next week, music junkies…

THE DAMNED – Scored One Of The Best Punk Classics… NEW ROSE

Posted on by JL

When timeless in sound and vision it’s a.…

quotefield-kopie

‘New Rose’ by THE DAMNED

the-damnedrose

As already reported a few days ago on these pages British punks THE DAMNED
released their smashing debut LP DAMNED DAMNED DAMNED 40 years ago
today – on 18 February 1977. A top-notch powerhouse that stood the test of time splendidly and… loudly. To celebrate here’s NEW ROSE. The smashing first single
(released in October of the previous year) of the album. Without a shadow of
a doubt one of the true punk classics. Hell yeah!…

Is she really going out with him?
Ah!
I gotta a feelin’ inside of me
It’s kinda strange like a stormy sea
I don’t know why, I don’t know why
I guess these things have gotta be
I gotta new rose, I got her good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can’t stop to mess around
Like a brand new rose in town
See the sun, see the sun it shines
Don’t get too close or it’ll burn your eyes
Don’t you run away that way
You can come back another day

I never thought this could happen to me
I feel so strange, so why should it be
I don’t deserve somebody this great
I’d better go or it’ll be too late, yeah
Ah!

damned
On the legendary ‘Stiff Records’ label…

damned
The album – 40 years ago – 18 February 1977…