The Diodes

In the interests of full disclosure, I have to say that the following photos are taken from various sources around the internet.  

Nonetheless, I'm posting their first two albums from Epic Records.  The songs here were included in their entirety on Tired Of Waking Up Tired: The Best of The Diodes - The Original Recordings, 1977-1979 along with outtakes from their subsequent 1980 album Action/Reaction. 

You're gonna get Action/Reaction as well as their hard to find outtakes album, Survivors.  

Cheers.  

Photo By Ralph Alfonso

 

The Diodes formed in late 1976 with an amalgam of influences from The Who, Marc Bolan, Iggy Pop and MC5.  They began touring that year in Canada and the United States.  In 1977, the band and their manager Ralph Alfonso ran Canada's first punk club, The Crash 'n' Burn.  The building that housed the club was owned by CEAC, the Centre for Experimental Art and Communication.  CEAC recruited The Diodes and Mickey Skin from The Curse, to record a double-sided single, "Raw/War" (IF ANYONE HAS A RECORDING OF THE DIODES SIDE THAT THEY'D BE WILLING TO MP3, PLEASE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY), which was a propaganda newsletter for CEAC issued under the guise of Crash And Burn Records.

That summer, The Diodes played CBGB's in New York City and had been written up in Melody Maker, NME, Creem, etc.  The group signed to CBS Records in August of 1977, making it one of the first Punk Rock/New Wave albums of the era. 

When members of the Diodes read Paul Simon saying he hated punk rock, they decided to record a punked-up version of the 60s hit he had written for The Cyrkle, "Red Rubber Ball".  "RRB" was the first New Wave single on Canadian charts (peaking at a modest Number 96 on the RPM Singles Chart).  It reached Number 5 on U.S. Record Week's New Wave Top 20 Countdown in February, 1978.  

Photo By Ralph Alfonso

November, 1977 saw The Diodes headlining New York City's notorious Max's Kansas City, with Wendy O. Williams (later of The Plasmatics) introducing them on stage.  The Diodes LP was released in France, Sweden, Germany and Holland.  It would also be a top selling CBS import in the USA and UK.  

Photo By Ralph Alfonso

It was during a 1978 U.S. tour that the group introduced the song, "Tired Of Waking Up Tired".  It created an instant sensation so strong that it was rush-released and rocketed onto US radio stations, where it climbed into the Top 20 and, in some cases, the Top 5 in many markets.  It reached No. 36 in Sounds magazine's Best of 1978 chart.  A number of years ago it was voted No. 17 on Chart magazine's Top 50 Canadian Songs Of All Time. 

The Diodes were active on the Canadian and American music scene: they toured with the likes of U2, The Ramones, Dead Boys, Talking Heads, Ultravox, Split Enz, The Cramps and Gary Numan. 

Photo By Steve Jossiter

By 1981 the group had split, with singer Paul Robinson and  guitarist John Catto moving to London, England.  The band has since reformed for occasional gigs.  They are now back on tour.  

There's more to The Continuing Story of The Diodes, but I just can't think right now. 

I guess I'm just tired of waking up tired. 

(Aw, c'mon...you KNOW I was gonna put something corny in there!)

FYI: Download Link To Action/Reaction Has Been Removed By Request.  The Album Is Now Legally Available Through Manager Ralph Alphonso's Bongo Beat Label. 

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zzinkmogtmm

The Diodes (1978):

1	Diodes	Red Rubber Ball	2:35
2	Diodes	Child Star	1:56
3	Diodes	Tennis (Again)	3:18
4	Diodes	Blonde Fever	3:04
5	Diodes	Plastic Girls	3:40
6	Diodes	Death In The Suburbs	3:05
7	Diodes	Behind Those Eyes	2:32
8	Diodes	Midnight Movie Star	2:19
9	Diodes	We're Ripped	2:16
10	Diodes	China Doll	2:40
11	Diodes	Shapes Of Things To Come	2:16
12	Diodes	Time Damage	2:18

http://www.mediafire.com/file/zzinkmogtmm/[1979] Released.zip

Released (1979):

1	Diodes	Red Rubber Ball	2:35
2	Diodes	Teenage Nation	3:52
3	Diodes	Photographs From Mars	3:49
4	Diodes	Madhouse	3:40
5	Diodes	Mercenary Flight	3:09
6	Diodes	Tired Of Waking Up Tired	2:53
7	Diodes	Jenny's In A Sleep World	2:49
8	Diodes	Weekend	3:03
9	Diodes	No Right To Make Me Bleed	3:13
10	Diodes	Terminal Rock	2:22

http://www.bongobeat.com/news_item.php?p_news_id=185

Action/Reaction (1980):

1	The Diodes	That Was The Way It Was	3:45
2	The Diodes	Catwalker	3:28
3	The Diodes	Strange Time	2:52
4	The Diodes	Polaroid	2:37
5	The Diodes	Action-Reaction	3:15
6	The Diodes	City Of The Dead	4:03
7	The Diodes	Rock It	4:18
8	The Diodes	Everything I Am	3:12
9	The Diodes	Edge Of Darkness	3:07

Survivors (1982):

1	Diodes	Survivors	2:55
2	Diodes	When I Was Young	4:15
3	Diodes	Hot Sands	4:29
4	Diodes	Heat Or The Beat	4:35
5	Diodes	Lost In The Dark	2:47
6	Diodes	Burn Down Your Daddy's House	3:13
7	Diodes	Curiosity Girl	2:47
8	Diodes	Roses and Thorns	3:19
9	Diodes	Coma	2:47
10	Diodes	Play With Fire	5:28