Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias

Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias
Origin	Manchester, England
Genres	Comedy, rock, punk, pub rock, geek rock
Years active	1973–1982
Labels	Transatlantic, Stiff, Logo, Overground
Past member(s)	Chris "C.P." Lee Bruce Mitchell Jimmy Hibbert Bob Harding Simon White Tony Bowers John Scott Ged Green Ian Morris ("Mog") Les Prior

Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias were an English comedy rock band. They were formed in Manchester, England in 1973.

Their story is told in CP Lee's book When We Were Thin . The name of the band is a corruption of the Latin American band Alberto y Los Trios Paraguayos.

Career

Created in 1973 by Chris "C.P." Lee (vocals, guitar, bass), with Jimmy Hibbert (vocals, bass) and Bob Harding (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), the comedy sketch outfit became a musical group in 1974 and was joined by drummer Bruce Mitchell (drums), with Les Prior (vocals), Simon White (steel guitar, guitar) and Tony Bowers (vocals, bass, guitar). They became a popular support act, supporting Dr. Feelgood on their 1974 tour. The group mercilessly parodied the major rock names of the 1970s – "Anadin" was a sendup of Lou Reed's "Heroin". By 1975 they were topping the bill in their own right and were supported by such acts as The Police, The Stranglers, Devo, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Cure, The Jam, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robyn Hitchcock, Split Enz, John Dowie, The Smirks, Talking Heads, Squeeze, John Otway, Lene Lovich, John Cooper Clarke, Whirlwind, The Slits, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Jam, XTC and Blondie. They were promoted by Noddy Holder and Freddie Mercury. As with many comedy ensembles, the Albertos belied their comic aspirations by their exemplary musicianship, and they released four albums and a variety of spoof discs, culminating in the musical play, Snuff Rock.

Sleak (aka Snuff Rock), inspired by the then recent film, Snuff, and the concept of snuff movies, but carrying the idea to a band who killed themselves for entertainment, was their musical play presented at London's Royal Court Theatre and Round House and was famous for the role of the comic disc jockey played by Les Prior. They reached the UK Singles Chart with the accompanying EP, "Snuff Rock", released on Stiff Records, poked fun at the punk rock phenomenon, targeting the Sex Pistols ("Gobbing On Life"), The Damned ("Kill") and The Clash ("Snuffin' Like That") as well as myriad reggae bands in "Snuffin' In A Babylon". Tony Bowers and Bob Harding left the band on 29 July 1978, and they were replaced by John Scott (vocals, bass, guitar, saxophone, keyboards) (ex John Cooper Clarke and Jilted John) and Ged Green (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) (ex The Poppies) in August 24, 1978. They reached the UK Singles Chart with the Status Quo spoof, "Heads Down No Nonsense Mindless Boogie" in 1978. Les Prior died in January 31, 1980 from leukaemia, which left a large gap in the group. Ged Green left the band in April 25, 1980, he was replaced by Ian Morris ("Mog") (vocals, bass) (ex The Smirks) in May 23, 1980.

After their nationally networked TV show Teach Yourself Gibberish, their fourth and final album with Radio Sweat and crack at America with Sleak (they met with Oingo Boingo, Joan Jett and Pete Shelley in New York, who were saw their show, at the time), the Albertos disbanded in 1982.

The band's brand of spoof rock has been said to be in the same English tradition as that of the Barron Knights and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, but a better comparison might be the American parody singer Weird Al Yankovic.

Discography

Albums

• Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias – Transatlantic Records, 1976
• Italians from Outer Space – Transatlantic Records, 1977
• Skite – Logo Records, 1978
• Lunatic Soup – New Hormones, 1979
• TV Sweat – New Hormones, 1981
• Slimy Hits – New Hormones, 1982

Compilation albums

• The Worst of the Berts – Logo, 1980
• Snuff Rock – the Best of the Albertos – Mau Mau, 1991
• Radio Sweat - Overground Records, 1996
• Mandrax Sunset Variations – Castle Records, 2001

Singles

• "Dread Jaws"/"De Version"* (1976) Transatlantic
• Snuff Rock EP – "Kill", "Gobbing On Life", "Snuffin' Like That", "Snuffin' In A Babylon" (1977) Stiff
• "Old Trust"/"Teenage Paradise"/"Teenager in Shtuck" (1977) Logo
• "Heads Down No Nonsense Mindless Boogie"/"Thank You"/F*** You"*/"Dead Meat Part II"* (1978) Logo (UK #3)
• "Juan Lopez"/"God is Mad" (1978) Logo
• "Ou Est Madeline"*/"Can't Stand Lasagne"* (1979) New Hormones
• "The Ballad of Robin Hood"*/"Space Invaders"* (1979) New Hormones
• "Don't Ask Why"*/"Shot by Both Sides"* (1980) New Hormones
• "Gabble Natter Chatter"/"My Feet's Got Soul" (1981) New Hormones
• "Trouble With A 'G'"/"Birthday Surprise" (1981) New Hormones
• "Cruisin' With Santa"*/"Little Nerds"* (1982) New Hormones

(* Non-album tracks)

Other websites

• Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias discography at Discogs

• Lee, C. P. (2007). When we were thin : music, madness & Manchester, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias. Manchester: Hotun Press. ISBN 978-0-9556257-0-1. OCLC 506208810.