The King Normals formed in early 1990, the name deriving from a phrase used in The Dave Clark Five Film Catch Us If You Can Joe liked the name as the phrase in the film, refered to Squares. The line-up consisted of Heath Murphy guitar and lead vocals, Joe Blanchet guitar and backing vocals, Tony Ames guitar, Mark "Soap" Chambers" bass guitar and backing vocals,
Stuart "Peck" Perry drums.
Soap, Heath and Tony were also in the Green Hornets a Folkestone garage band, with two releases under their belts,the Come and Love Me EP and the Buzz EP (when the Green Hornets folded in 1991 their name was usurped by a Portsmouth garage band a la Sonny Boy Williamson) Joe and "Peck" were currently in the Roaches and before that The Men From Uncle both Folkestone garage bands.
All five of the lads shared the same musical influences, Rockabilly, Blues, Hillbilly, 60's Garage, and Psych.
This line-up of the King Normals was a thrashy fifties punk style band, featuring numbers, such as I Need it - Ray McCoy, and Satelite Rock - Jimmy Copeland, Cool Baby Cool - Vern Edwards with their most well known song being Steady with Betty by the legendary Benny Joy. They played about a dozen gigs in South Kent, their most notable being supporting Indie band The Senseless Things at Hero's in Folkestone. This line-up disbanded in the autumn of 1990, due to indifferent reaction.
In the Spring of 1991 King Normals reformed as a busking band, minus the original lead singer Heath Murphy, this line-up featured "Soap" on lead vocals and double bass, Tony on lead guitar, Joe acoustic guitar and backing vocals, and "Peck" on snare drum cymbals and backing vocals. this group had a more Rockabilly feel with a tinge of 60's garage, their set listed consisted of obscure 60's Elvis covers, including Once is Enough from Kissin' Cousins, Love Machine from Easy Come Easy Go, and Meanest Girl In Town from Girl Happy.
The band went on to play a lot of well paying gigs after meeting a Taxi Driving Teddy Boy, who became their manager, they played a big gig at the Labour Hall in Folkestone, supporting Teddy Boy Faves The Flyin' Saucers. The "Normals" split with their manager, after being asked to play Rock n Roll standards, rather than the obscurities they prefered, however this did not prevent the lads getting some good gigs notably several at the notorious St.Johns Tavern in Archway London. By early 1992, with "Peck" and Joe of to university in London, the groups activities slowed down.
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In late 1993 the four guys got back together again to record some tracks, resuting in Sugar Babe; Stop Look And Listen; Meanest Girl In Town; Dirty Dirty Feeling; If You Think I Don't Need You and the instumental Ice Cream Sunshine. Recorded at King Ethelberts Castle Studios, Folkestone. (Soap started to alternate between electric and double bass on these and subsequent recordings) Due to some hard work by Joe's brother "Colonel" Tom Blanchet they secured a deal with Englands "Alophicio Records" for Ice Cream Sunshine to be include on the compilation album "Locked Into Surf". This was followed by a deal with the legendary San Francisco label "Hillsdale" resulting in the single Surgar Babe b/w Stop Look And Listen in January 1995. This Disc hit the ground running, gaining a great deal of attention, including airplay on Englands Radio One, on numerous occasions. Radio Two and Greater London Radio, DJ, journalist and TV personality Mark Lamar rang "Soap" one Sunday Afternoon to tell him what a good record it was. A lot of good reation also came from Japan and the West Coast of America. The King Normals were a good distribution deal away fro ma freak hit in England.
In August "95" The Meanest girl In Town / Dirty Dirty Feeling and If You Think I Don't Need You were released gaining some airplay, but not to fanfares of Sugar Babe
meanwhile in the Spring of 1994 the King Normals added a fifth member in singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Shone. He played rhythm on the next session in April 1994, yeilding Cherry Cup Cake sung by Joe and Bone Idol sung by Soap. Another session in August 1994 gave Chris his first taste of lead vocals for the band. Resulting in the original numbers Please Don't Fight It, Stay Single Be Hip and Nocturnal Baby.
January 1995 saw the next session with the five lads cutting, colors, Love's Like A Merry-go-Round and So Natural. which all saw release along with Please Don't Fight It from the previous session
on the King Normals third Hillsdale EP Colors. reaction was minimal in the U.K, but got some positive feedback from Europe, the States and Japan. During this time the King Normals played gigs in their home county of Kent, as well as a few in London and Europe
Their Next recording session was in 1999 and held at the now renowned King Ethelbert Castle Studios. The cuts recorded at this session were all Presley beat numbers Hey Little Girl; Night Rider; Adam and Evil and the Clyde McPhatter cover Come What May and lastly Put The Blame On Me, the first four of these tracks were released in late 2000 on a Hillsdale EP,(For ore information on Hillsdale Records follow the link at the bottom of this page) which got a review in the magazine Record Collector in March 2001. No gigs followed this period, and they did not record again until January 2004, this time at Plain Road Studios in Folkestone laying down four originals Trick Baby; Three Times Seven; High Flyer and Friday, these tracks have remained unreleased until now.
The King Normals have gained a reputation across the world as men of mystery, but in truth they can be found livin' it up in one the towns many boozers, most nights of the week, so if you spot one buy him a drink.
Johnny Tyrone & The Asassins first appeared in 1994, out of locational necessity, with Joe and Peck in London. Chris Vocals and rhythm guitar Soap slap bass and Tony lead guitar continued on as a Rockabilly trio. Initialy they were just a buskin' combo for laughs, but were coerced into doing a few pub and club gigs. Things dried up a little between early 1995 and mid 1996 when Chris joined Joe and Peck in London to form indie rockers Hyperglo, but the trio have continued on and of ever since.
In 1998 over a period of several weeks the trio recorded 25 original songs at King Ethelberts Castle, most of them included on the CD on sale here.
With the name now trimmed down to The Assasins they're still busking and gigging around South East Kent.
The fellas are currently working on a additional project, with further musicians joining the trio,Chris Wright on drums Mark Shone singing harmony, and Mike Bleaze on guitar. These songs have a more contempary feel, and come from Soaps "king of heartbreaks stage" more
news on these songs when they have been recorded. The seession is due to be produced by none other than mate and former member Stuart "Peck" Perry.
If you would like to hear The Assassins's new 4 track EP visit their