A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement is an album released on 10th June 2002 formed of recordings made by Seventeen in 1979. Only two of the tracks on the album had been previously released. Don’t Let Go and Bank Holiday Weekend as a 7″ single released on Vendetta Records in November 1979. The other recordings are from the 1979 Wallasey Sound Recording Studios (WSRS), Liverpool, demo recordings which were never released. There had been talk of a Seventeen album in 1980 but it never happened. The album includes the following cover versions : I Can’t Control Myself originally recorded by The Troggs in 1966, Please Please Me recorded by The Beatles in 1963. All the other songs were written by Mike Peters and Eddie Macdonald.
Album sleeve notes
In the first ever live review of Seventeen in a Melody Maker of 1978. the band were described as “A flashing blur of stripped down excitement” – an apt description.
Seventeen began in Rhyl, North Wales in 1978, Mike Peters (bass, lead vocals) and Eddie Macdonald (lead guitar) who had been childhood friends/neighbours since 1963, would write songs and dreams of playing in the big leagues. Armed with a two song demo tape and a copy of the Melody Maker Peters and Macdonald caught a train to London in search of recognition and against all the odds, returned with a one-off simple record deal from a small independent record label – vendetta Records. To make the record, Seventeen (the name was taken from a song by the Sex Pistols) would be joined at first by Nigel Buckle (drums) and later Dave Sharp (guitar). Both had grown up together on the same street in Kersal, Manchester and maintained a friendship despite Nigel moving to live 75 miles away in Rhyl. Together the four fashioned their power pop in the time of the first great British mod revival.
Urged to don two tone suit by a record collecting friend (Russ ‘Woofer’ Taylor), Seventeen burst onto the scene via the Don’t let Go / Bank Holiday Weekend single. They could be seen, often in matching Slazenger v-neck sweater, on Hastings Pier supporting Secret Affair or up North in Huddersfield with the Killermeters, at home in Rhyl with Squire and The Fixations or in Cardiff with Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Beneath the ever present smiles, the sweat and the multi-coloured jumpers, Seventeen were a working band, always searching out gigs in pubs and clubs, aided and abetted by manager Peter Buckle (step father of Nigel). The Raven in Flint was once ‘stormed by Seventeen {witnessed by Liverpool FC striking legend Ian Rush, The Albion in Chester was taken over for a month long residency. A Seventeen gig at The Queens Hotel in Rhyl was the scene of a near riot as a crowd of Middlesbrough supporters invaded the town during a typical British seaside bank holiday weekend and during the ‘Don’t Be Square – See You There’ tour of the South coast Seventeen were inadvertently booked into a ‘biker’ bar in Salisbury. Undeterred the gig was played and respect was earned. Seventeen could be found in Manchester at The Portland Bars where Ian Brown (Stone Roses) would come to check them out, or in London at the Windsor Castle on a three band bill – headlining at the Trafalgar in Shepherds Bush and Supporting Paul Young and the Q-Tips at the Fulham Greyhound.
Apart from the single, the music of Seventeen was until now, only ever heard live. this collection of songs was cut to try and tempt a long term record deal out of a major label and as a result was sent out to hundreds of record labels and producers. (Surprisingly, despite the global success of Seventeen’s reincarnation as The Alarm, these tapes were never discovered by fans or potential bootleggers!). The tracks themselves were recorded on a 4-track at Wallasey Sound Recording Studios on the Wirral near Liverpool in 1979. It’s basically the live set as played by Seventeen throughout most of 1978-79. All are Mike Peters/Eddie Macdonald songs except The Beatles’ which was a nod to the mod/60’s revival of the time, whilst the cover of The Troggs ‘I Can’t Control Myself’ was appropriated from a version which could be heard on the ‘Time’s Up’ bootleg by The Buzzcocks.
Although these recordings were never intended to be heard by a wider audience they do capture the essence of what the band was all about. Some of you listeners will have seen Seventeen as The Alarm and will be able to hear the beginnings of all that was to come. Some of you may have even seen Seventeen live and will be reminded of a great night out, a melody that is strangely familiar, half forgotten, half remembered: ‘ a flashing blur of stripped down excitement’ – Mike Peters 2002
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Lead Guitar
Dave Sharp – Guitar
Nigel Buckle – Drums
Produced by Neil Richmond
Recorded at Wallasey Sound Recording Studios, Liverpool, England in 1979 except Don’t Let Go / Bank Holiday Weekend recorded at Village Way, PInner, London HA5. England in 1979
Discography
Vinyl album released in the UK in 10th June 2002 in Vinyl Japan catalogue number ASKLP135
Track listing
A-side
1. Talking About The Weekend 2. Stop Thinking About Yourself 3. I Can’t Control Myself 4. Street Of A Thousand Faces 5. Hear Me Out 6. Night’s Over Now 7. Please Please Me
B-side
1. Say What I Think 2. Nothing Lasts Forever 3. It’s Only Natural 4. Every Night Of The Week 5. Here Comes Tonight 6. Don’t Let Go 7. Bank Holiday Weekend
CD album released in the UK in 10th June 2002 in Vinyl Japan catalogue number ASKCD135 
Track listing
1. Talking About The Weekend 2. Stop Thinking About Yourself 3. I Can’t Control Myself 4. Street Of A Thousand Faces 5. Hear Me Out 6. Night’s Over Now 7. Please Please Me 8. Say What I Think 9. Nothing Lasts Forever 10. It’s Only Natural 11. Every Night Of The Week 12. Here Comes Tonight 13. Don’t Let Go 14. Bank Holiday Weekend
CD album released in Japan in 2008 in Vinyl Japan catalogue number JASKCD135P 
Track listing
1. Talking About The Weekend 2. Stop Thinking About Yourself 3. I Can’t Control Myself 4. Street Of A Thousand Faces 5. Hear Me Out 6. Night’s Over Now 7. Please Please Me 8. Say What I Think 9. Nothing Lasts Forever 10. It’s Only Natural 11. Every Night Of The Week 12. Here Comes Tonight 13. Don’t Let Go 14. Bank Holiday Weekend
Click on above image for audio of the whole A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album available on youtube
(Page updated 05/10/2025)