{"title":"The Monks","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"no-shame-the-complete-recordings","title":"No Shame- The Complete Recordings","description":"\u003cp\u003e2CD set featuring all of The Monks’ issued albums and singles, as well as six bonus tracks, five tracks previously unreleased on CD and five completely unreleased tracks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Monks were formed by Richard Hudson and John Ford who had both been in Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera before joining Strawbs. After finding success as a song-writing partnership during their stint with Strawbs the pair left to start their own project Hudson Ford before forming The Monks in 1979.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBringing in vocalist Terry Cassidy, the band quickly secured a deal with EMI after their single ‘Nice Legs Shame About Her Face’ hit the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart but EMI was soon to be taken over by Thorne and the band’s debut album \u003ci\u003eBad Habits\u003c\/i\u003e got lost in the transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough \u003ci\u003eBad Habits\u003c\/i\u003e did not fare well in the UK it was a surprise success in Canada, spearheaded by the success of the single ‘Drugs in My Pocket’ that hit the Top 20 of the Canadian Singles Chart, the album would eventually go double-platinum in Canada.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFree of EMI and electing to concentrate on their popularity in Canada, the band’s second album, \u003ci\u003eSuspended Animation\u003c\/i\u003e was released in Canada in 1981 on Polydor. The album went gold in Canada as the band enjoyed something akin to Beatlemania as they toured the country in support of the album.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlans were made for a third album, \u003ci\u003eCybernetic Sister\u003c\/i\u003e, and recording sessions took place but the band dissolved before the record was completed; all six of the songs that were completed are included on this set.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cherry Red","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50445838942539,"sku":"2045819","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Monks-Cover_1e4b091a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727047285"},{"product_id":"the-early-years-1964-65","title":"The Early Years 1964-65","description":"\u003cp\u003eToday, “garage,” “psych,” and “punk” are three overused words to say the least. They’re dropped from every direction to brand, market, and sell, but looking back to the mid-1960s, there was only one group of musical mavericks that clearly defined them. The Monks were five beat playing American GIs stationed in Germany who, after their discharge, decided to stay and continue their musical mission. Meeting up with a team of local managers, they transformed themselves and their sound into a holy racket like the world had never known. This five-person order literally birthed the above genres through a fuzz-drenched evolution of sound, bursting with social commentary and future primitive rhythms. Krautrock? It started here. Do we hear non-believers? We are NOT making this up. If you aren’t already converted, it won’t take long…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Early Years 1964-1965 contains numerous period photographs (many unseen) and an extensive two-part essay by Canadian music journalist Kevin Howes (Jamaica – Toronto series) and tells the Monks story like it has never been told. Bonus material dating back to pre-Monks Torquays and up to post Black Monk Time 7\"s are also included. From “Shut Up” to “Boys Are Boys”\", “Complication” to “Cuckoo,” worlds will collide before your very eyes. Press play, drop the needle, zone in, and see for yourself. And while there’s no need to shave your head, you’ll certainly flip your wig. Come on everybody, it’s Monk Time!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Light in the Attic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50452975878475,"sku":"311020","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/6a35a230-be28-41d3-8376-01b3c5c4c4a0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727167135"},{"product_id":"demo-tapes-2","title":"Demo Tapes","description":"\u003cp\u003eYes, the legendary band the Monks, responsible for one of the most fabulous records of of 60s ('Black Monk Time'). This is a totally pro studio recording that preceded the album. Here you can find earlier versions of most the album best songs. In this record we have also included two tracks of The Five Torquays (The Monks before changing names and shaving their heads), and one track of the Monks Tribute record 'Monk Hop' by Jason Forrest. And a big booklet full of info. Tracklisting: Monk Time; Love Came Tumbling Down; Boys Are Boys; Space Age; We Do Wie Du; I Hate You; Pretty Suzanne; Higgle-dy-piggle-dy; Hushie Pushie; Oh, How To Do Now; There She Walks; Boys Are Boys, Monk Hop.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Play Loud!","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50875293008203,"sku":"2227516","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_f1334bd8_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1732255970"},{"product_id":"black-monk-time","title":"Black Monk Time","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eReleased exclusively in Germany in March 1966, \u003cem\u003eBlack Monk Time\u003c\/em\u003e by The Monks has become a cult classic –praised as a groundbreaking forerunner to punk and krautrock. Though the album was overlooked at the time, its bold sound and sharp lyrics have earned it lasting influence and critical acclaim.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe Monks were five American G.I.s stationed near Heidelberg, West Germany. Originally performing as a typical beat group under the name the 5 Torquays, they evolved into something far more radical. After discovering guitar feedback by accident and embracing a raw, percussive approach, they caught the attention of two German ad men—Walther Niemann and Karl Remy—who became their managers and helped reinvent their identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eDressed in monks' robes with tonsured hair and noose neckties, the band developed a confrontational, rhythm heavy sound. Nowhere is this clearer than in the album’s opening track, ‘Monk Time,’ which captures their entire aesthetic in under three minutes. A pounding, repetitive groove of bass and drums anchors the track, layered with distorted guitar bursts, percussive electric banjo, chaotic organ stabs, and unrestrained, shouted vocals. It’s a declaration of intent—urgent, jarring, and unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eTheir sole studio album, produced by Jimmy Bowien and recorded in Cologne in late 1965, defied musical norms. From the explosive opener ‘Monk Time’ to the fierce ‘Complication,’ “Black Monk Time” rejected flower power for something more urgent—anger, humor, and innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAt the time, Polydor Records deemed the music too radical for American audiences, delaying its U.S. release. Despite its initial commercial failure, the album is now seen as a pivotal moment in rock history—loud, strange, and unapologetically ahead of its time. The Monks' story is as unlikely as their sound: five ex-soldiers and two ad executives creating one of the most daring records of the ‘60s. The band never sparked the revolution they hinted at, but decades later, \u003cem\u003eBlack Monk Time \u003c\/em\u003estill resonates. This is your chance to experience the album that dared to be different - don’t miss it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Munster","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":52344309645643,"sku":"R4469-6953","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/image007_428140e1-8cbf-40ab-ba30-7501a26a6b93.jpg?v=1750434311"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/the-monks.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}