Music Review: Heavy Metal Kids - Hit The Right Button Plus Expanded Angel Air Re-Release

In 2003 The Heavy Metal Kids returned with their perfectly titled album Hit The Right Button. Just like the title says, they did exactly that. It proved to be a superb return from the band formed in London way back in 1973.

The good news is that we now have Hit The Right Button Plus an expanded edition available via Angel Air Records. It includes four bonus live tracks recorded in 2004 in London and Milan.

Let’s go briefly back to where it all started. Way back when they were spotted by Dave Dee, sadly no longer with us, who signed them to Atlantic Records.

The band was initially fronted in his own unforgettable way by the late Gary Holton. Originally an actor he is equally remembered for his appearances in the stage musical Hair, and the film Quadrophenia, before really making his name as Wayne in the UK TV hit series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

However, when he fronted the HMK he possessed a huge stage presence that anyone who saw him, myself included, will never forget. Sadly, he died in October 1985 before series two of Auf Widersehen, Pet was finished. There must be a whole book full of stories surrounding his short but memorable life.

Last year I had the pleasure to interview the bands own keyboard genius Danny Peyronel for Blogcritics as part of the Classic Eurorock series. During his incredible career Danny has written for Meatloaf, UFO, David Gilmour, and Sade. What a lovely, funny guy he proved to be.

With a million anecdotes of his time with the KIds, UFO, and others I could easily have listened to him for several months. He was even kind enough to send me a copy of his excellent solo album Make The Monkey Dance, one that is well worth checking out.

I asked Danny whether, in hindsight, the Heavy Metal Kids had a somewhat misleading name. He gave a great answer to that one in the above link. If you’ve got to give them a label then I guess glam metal might Hit The Right Button. One thing is definite though, they have every right to claim their place as being influential of what came later with the punk explosion headed by the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Damned, and Generation X.

Article Author: Jeff Perkins

Jeff is a writer who lives in France. He writes CD/DVD box sets, music reviews and has had a book published about David Byron of Uriah Heep. He is 'busy' exploring the music of Europe with his wife Debbie and dog Dylan. It's Dylan that does the writing of course. …

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