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Originally released in 1981 on Dan Treacy from the Television Personalities label Whaam! Records, The Times were the brainchild of Ed Ball. He was a co-founding member of the Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars and 'O' Level. This single is just over three minutes of pop perfection that will not leave your stereo for weeks. 'Red With Purple Flashes' is pure Mod revival meets 60’s pop that sits next to the Television Personalities, The Creation and The Jam in your collection. The flip 'Biff! Bang! Pow!' is another uptempo mod stomper that would have been an A-Side for most bands. The sleeve design features a pastiche of Warhol's Campbell's soup cans. Finally reissued on 7” so you don’t have to spend £200+ on the original.
Our take: Static Shock brings this slice of brilliance from 1981 back into print, and I am beyond stoked to have it in my collection. Just last week I wrote my staff pick about how much I love the early Television Personalities, a love that extends to related groups like the Times, Teenage Filmstars, and O Level. This single might be the single best record from any of those groups, as both tracks are DIY pop classics delivered with all the ramshackle brilliance you want from this sound. Seriously, if you don’t love “Red With Purple Flashes,” I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re a fan of this style of music, you need this. Pro tip: the Times’ second single, “I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape,” is a banger too.