(Track #1, ‘Jubilee ’77’ from the four-track, debut ‘Don’t Tax Me’ E.P.)

The Exile are reputed to have been Scotland’s first punk band. Formed in February 1977 in the north Glasgow suburb of Bishopbriggs, their career was relatively short lived and recorded output severely restricted by a general apathy of us Scots’ towards the new sounds of Punk in 1977.

Their first E.P. was released in August 1977 and was predictably very ‘DIY,’ being released on their own Boring Records label, with the opening track equally predictable in its contempt for royalty in the year of The Queen’s Silver Jubilee. (‘Predictable,’ by the way, does not imply boring, mind – this is all good, straight up, no frills, old school punk as it was intended.)

The second track, ‘Hooked On You,‘ perhaps lacks the venomous delivery of some ’77 Punk music, but is again, another bouncy, energetic track probably more what would latterly be referred to as ‘New Wave.’

‘Fascist DJ‘ is reported on the excellent punk music site, ‘Bored Teenagers’ as being the band’s reaction to local (Radio Clyde) presenter Tom Ferrie and his ‘ active hindrance of new wave music in Glasgow.’

The final track, ‘Windmill‘ makes me think of early New York band Television – so, for a band so early on the scene, The Exile presented an excellent and varied package.

This EP is now classed as ‘scarce’ and has exchanged hands on Discogs for in excess of £70. At the time though, the band used the proceeds to fund Punk nights at Glasgow’s Gigi’s venue – where I saw my first punk gig in either summer of ’76 or ’77 …. The Rezillos.

The following year (1978) saw the band sign to Charly Records – a label I associate more with the Rockabilly revival a year or so later. They made only the one release with Charly, ‘The Real People,’ which as it turned out, was the band’s final release.

Following a couple of bass player changes, the band finally broke up in 1980, though Dougie Burns, Graham Scott and Stan Workman went on to form new outfit, Friction.

THE EXILE

Graham Scott – Vocals / Guitar
Stan Workman – Guitar
Robert Kirk – Bass
Dougie |Burns – Drums

TITLE	FORMAT	YEAR	LABEL	NOTES
Don’t Tax Me E.P.	7″ E.P.	1977	Boring Records	Has sold for £72 on Discogs
The Real People	7″ Single	1978	Charly Records	Has sold for £60 on Discogs