Timothy "T. V." Smith (born 5 April 1956) is an English singer-songwriter who was part of punk band The Adverts in the late 1970s.[1] Since then he has fronted other bands, as well as pursuing a solo career.[2]
Smith and Gaye Black (a.k.a. Gaye Advert) moved from, respectively, Okehampton in mid-Devon, and Bideford, a small coastal town in Devon, to form The Adverts in London in 1976.[3][4] The Adverts are best known for their 1977 hit single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" and acclaimed 1978 debut album Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts.[5] Following unsuccessful follow-up album Cast of Thousands,[6] The Adverts split up in late 1979, and Smith formed a new band, T.V. Smith's Explorers. They were: Erik Russell (guitar), Colin Stoner (bass), Mel Wesson (keyboards) and David Sinclair (drums). The Explorers released their debut single "Tomahawk Cruise" (a response to the installation of BGM-109 TomahawkCruise missiles on UK soil) in 1980, followed by an album, The Last Words of the Great Explorer.[7]
Smith then recorded as a solo artist, releasing the album Channel Five in 1983.[8][9]
Smith's next band was Cheap. Cheap were:
TV Smith: Vox, Mik Heslin: Guitar, Martin 'Fuzz' Deniz: Drums, Andy 'Bean' Bennie: Bass.
They toured the UK and Europe from 1986 to 1991 and recorded the politically charged single "Third Term", released in 1990. Cheap also recorded a Peel Session for the BBC. However, they failed to find commercial backing for their album RIP...Everything Must Go, which was eventually released in 1993 after the band had split up.[8]
Smith went solo again with album March of the Giants[10] in 1992. Albums Immortal Rich[11] (1995), Generation Y[12] (1999) and Not a Bad Day[13] (2003) followed, with Smith touring constantly, aided overseas by a variety of other bands, including Germany's Die Toten Hosen, Finland's Punk Lurex OK, the United States' Midnight Creeps, and Spain's Suzy & Los Quattro.
In 2005, he joined the American punk band Amen on their UK tour. As well as supporting, he joined them on stage for several covers of Adverts songs, such as "One Chord Wonders", and "Gary Gilmore's Eyes". Casey Chaos, lead singer, is a lifelong fan of The Adverts, and referenced them in the song "Hello (One Chord Lovers)".
In 2006 Smith contributed vocals to the song "Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)" on Fehlfarben's album 261⁄2.
The same year saw his first album (Misinformation Overload[14]) on Boss Tuneage records. In the Arms of My Enemy followed in 2008.[15] In 2010 a series of re-issue CDs began with 'Sparkle in the Mud',[16] a compilation of previously unreleased material from the early-1980s period.
In 2012, Smith was the subject of a BBC Four documentary on his career as a singer-songwriter,[17] credited with renewing public interest in his work.[18]
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