Brian James, the guitarist from the Damned, was impressed by an early live performance and offered them a support slot, which led to a deal with Stiff records. The tour poster proclaimed 'The Adverts can play one chord, the Damned can play three. Come and see all four at . . .', referring to their surprisingly melodic debut single 'One Chord Wonders'.
Chart success (and some degree of controversy) arrived with the release of their second single 'Gary Gilmore's Eyes', which was written following the named death-row criminal's plea that medical science take his eyes for research after his execution. Despite the typically hysterical tabloid publicity that this generated, their profile was not raised enough to ensure the chart success of the follow-up 'Safety In Numbers'. However, it could be argued that the lyrical theme of punk becoming an exploited, closed-minded genre was both ahead of it's time idealistically (released in 1978) and commercial suicide.
Shortly after the release of the debut album 'Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts', Laurie Driver was replaced temporarily by John Towe (ex Chelsea/Generation X) before the arrival of Rod Latter.
Further problems ensued with a change of record labels, an unstable line-up, and poor production on the follow-up album ' Cast of Thousands' (1979). The Adverts bowed out in October 1979 at Slough College of Art, with Gaye by now replaced by ex-Doctors of Madness bassist Colin Stoner.
TV Smith has continued under many guises since the Adverts demise, including TV Smiths Explorers, and TV Smiths Cheap, and Radio 1 DJ John Peel has remained a supporter of Tim Smith's projects throughout.
Although they are often ignored when punk is mentioned as they weren't part of the 'first wave' featuring the Pistols, The Clash and The Damned, The Adverts can be considered a major influence on indie and alternative music as they were more melodic and adventurous than many of their peers, and soon progressed beyond the 'one' chord of their misleading first single.
IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU'LL LIKE THE ADVERTS: The Damned, The Only Ones, Penetration, X-Ray Spex, The Buzzcocks, Hole, The Fall, Mansun, The Vibrators, The Clash.