{{Short description|English surf rock band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox musical artist |name = The Barracudas |image = |caption = |image_size = |background = group_or_band |alias = |origin = [[London]], England |instrument = |genre = {{hlist|[[Garage rock|Garage rock revival]]|[[surf music|surf rock]]|[[jangle pop]]|[[pop punk]]}} |occupation = |years_active = 1979–1984, 1989, 2005–present |label = [[EMI]], Closer Records, Flicknife, NDN Records |website = |current_members = Jeremy Gluck<br/>Robin Wills<br/>Chris Wilson<br/>Rob Coyne<br/>Yan Quellien |past_members = Adam Phillips<br/>Starkie Phillps<br/>[[Nick Turner]]<br/>David Buckley<br/>Jim Dickson<br/>Terry Smith <br/>Steve Robinson<br/>[[Mark Sheppard]] }} '''The Barracudas''' are an English [[surf music|surf rock]] band formed in late 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-barracudas-mn0000037368|title=The Barracudas {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref> The band's original line-up consisted of Jeremy Gluck ([[Singing|vocals]]), Robin Wills ([[guitar]] and vocals), Starkie Phillips ([[Bass guitar|bass]] and vocals) and Adam Phillips ([[Drum kit|drums]]). Before the band recorded its first single, Starkie and Adam Phillips left the band.<ref name="Tom">{{cite web|title=The Barracudas: General Info - Bio|url=http://www.myspace.com/barracudaspop|work=myspace.com|publisher=Myspace LLC.|access-date=11 April 2012|author=MOD POP PUNK ARCHIVES|year=2003–2012}}</ref>
The band is notable for their 1980 [[hit single]] "Summer Fun", which started with an excerpt from a 1960s spoof advertisement for the [[Plymouth Barracuda]] campaign. The song included dialogue where announcers had difficulty pronouncing the word ''barracuda''. The single reached number 37 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=THE BARRACUDAS|url=http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/barracudas.htm|work=nostalgiacentral.com|publisher=Nostalgia Central|access-date=11 April 2012|orig-year=1998|year=2012|archive-date=5 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405205315/http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/barracudas.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The band officially lasted until 1981 with a final performance in [[Madrid]]. There have been a few occasional performances since.
==Early history== The beginnings of the band can be traced back to the year of 1978 when Canadian-born Gluck met Wills at a Dead Fingers Talk concert. Here the pair bonded over a shared passion for "60's garage and psychedelic music ". They started off calling themselves the "R.A.F.", but eventually settled on the name of The Barracudas. The name was inspired by a song they both liked by [[The Standells]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=The Barracudas|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_barracudas|work=rateyourmusic.com|access-date=11 April 2012|year=2000–2012}}</ref>{{deprecated source|certain=y|date=December 2024}}
==Recent activity== Initially perceived as a novelty surf act due to their first [[album]], subsequent recordings showed them to be a fierce garage rock and roll band in the mould of [[the 13th Floor Elevators]] and [[The Seeds]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} The band split in 1984, but reformed in 1989 to record "Wait For Everything," and then again in 2003. In 2005 they recorded the self-titled album on NDN. Throughout their career, their live performances have been energetic and frenetic.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}
After the first attempt at their second album, the group lost drummer Nick Turner to the group [[The Lords of the New Church|Lords of the New Church]]. Afterwards, Jeremy Gluck and guitarist Robin Wills assembled a new The Barracudas group, that went on to record their second album ''Mean Time''.<ref name=":0" />
The Barracudas disbanded in 1984, after making their third and final album ''Endeavour to Persevere''.<ref name=":0" /> However, in 2005, there became a growing interest regarding the reissue of their back catalogue. This resulted in Gluck and Wills reconnecting, and the two of them began composing again.<ref name=":1" />{{deprecated source|certain=y|date=December 2024}}
In 2014, the band reissued their ''Meantime'' album as a limited edition picture disc, under the reborn "Closer French" label. {{citation needed|date=October 2016}}
==Discography==
===7" Singles=== * "I Want My Woody Back" / "Subway Surfin" Cells CELLOUT 1 (February 1979) * "Summer Fun" / "Chevy Baby" Zonophone Z5 (July 1980) * "His Last Summer" / "Barracuda Waver" / "Surfers Are Back" Zonophone Z8 (September 1980) * "(I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again" / "Rendezvous" Zonophone Z11 (November 1980) * "I Can't Pretend" / "K.G.B. (Made a Man Out of Me)" Zonophone Z17 (January 1981) * "Inside Mind" / "Hour Of Degradation" Flicknife FLS027 (February 1982) * "I Can't Pretend EP" Voxx/Bomp EP3303 (June 1982) * "The Way We've Changed" / "Laughin At You" Closer CL0006 (March 1984) * "Stolen Heart" / "See Her Eyes Again" Closer CL7-15 (September 1984) * "Live EP" Record Runner RRR-002 (1984) * "Very Last Day" / "There's A World Out There" ''[[Bucketfull of Brains]]'' #7 (June 1985) Free with magazine * "Hear Me" / "She Knows" Dog Meat Records Dog022 (1989) * "Next Time Around" / "Takes What He Wants" Sympathy for The Record Industry SFTRI49 (July 1990) * "I Thought You Sounded That Way Yesterday" Shake SAL202 (January 1991) * "Don't Ever Say It Can't Be So" / "Not That Kind" Munster 7183 (2003) * "What You Want is What You Get" / "Somebody '05" NDN NDN040 (2005) * "Two Headed Dog" / "Teenage Head" Pop The Balloon Bang26 (2010) * "God Bless The 45" / "Festival Pop" / "East European Girls" Purepop PP 1965 (2013)
===12" singles and EPs=== * "House Of Kicks" Flicknife FLEP103 (May 1983) * "Live In Madrid" El Piso K9EP13 (July 1984) * "Stolen Heart" Closer CL12-15 (September 1984) * "Grammar Of Misery" Shakin' Street YEAHUP015 (October 1990)
===Albums=== * ''[[Drop Out with The Barracudas]]'' LP Zonophone ZONO103 (February 1981)/ Voxx 200.009 (1982) * ''Drop Out with The Barracudas'' CD EMI Gold 8757582 (May 2005) remaster with bonus tracks/ Voxx VCD2009 (June 1994) different bonus tracks * ''[[Mean Time]]'' LP Closer CL001 (February 1983)French/CD Mau Mau (June 1995) inc bonus tracks/CD Airmail (November 2006) remaster with more bonus tracks * ''Live '83'' LP Coyote COR021 (October 1983) * ''Endeavour To Persevere'' LP Closer CL009 (April 1984)/CD Mau Mau (June 1995) inc bonus tracks/CD Airmail (November 2006) remaster with more bonus tracks * ''The Big Gap'' LP Coyote COR022 (July 1984) * ''Los Angeles and Vicinity Vol 1 (Live in Le Havre 1982/09/18)'' LP 66 Records MP1002 (1985) Bootleg * ''(I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again'' LP GMG 75003 (January 1985) * ''The World's A Burn'' LP Trust Minitrust1 (April 1985) * ''Live In Madrid'' LP Impossible A4-25 (July 1985) * ''Surf and Destroy'' LP/CD GMG 270 (June 1987) * ''The Garbage Dump Tapes'' LP/CD Shakin' Street YEAH HUP 006 (January 1990) * ''The Complete EMI Recordings'' CD EMI C2-95 185 (January 1991) * ''Wait For Everything'' LP/CD Shake 203 (20 January 1992<ref>{{cite magazine |date=18 January 1992 |title=New Releases |magazine=[[Music Week]] |page=10}}</ref>) * ''Two Sides of a Coin 1979-84'' CD Flicknife/Anagram CDM M GRAM 62 (March 1993) * ''Through The Mysts Of Time: Rarities 1979-81'' CD Voxx VCD2072 (October 1999) * ''This Ain't My Time: Anthology '79-'90'' CD Castle (2001) * ''The Barracudas'' LP/CD NDN NDN41 (October 2005) * "Nothing Ever Happens In The Suburbs, Baby!" 10" Mini-LP NDN45 (2006) * ''Mean Time'' LP Closer CL001 Limited Edition PIC-DISC (2014)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=barracudas The Barracudas] at [[Trouser Press|TrouserPress.com]]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barracudas, The}} [[Category:English new wave musical groups]] [[Category:English pop music groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1979]] [[Category:Rock music groups from London]] [[Category:British surf music groups]] [[Category:English garage punk groups]] [[Category:British jangle pop groups]] [[Category:English garage rock groups]]