The Polecats
were part of the early-'80s British
rockabilly revival scene, sporting the clothing, hairstyles, and even
makeup to play the part to the hilt. Tim Polecat and Boz Boorer
started
playing
together in 1976; they hooked up with Phil Bloomberg at the end of
1977. The band was originally
called
"The Cult Heroes" but couldn't get any gigs at rockabilly clubs with a
name that sounded "punk," so original drummer Chris Hawkes suggested
using
the surname of co-founder Polecat.
A single
released on the Nervous label, "Chicken Shack," was
strong enough to attract the attention of Mercury Records. The
first Mercury single was a cover of David Bowie's "John, I'm
Only Dancing." It peaked at # 35 on the UK singles charts in
March 1981. The
follow-up single was a re-recording of a 1979 track, "Rockabilly Guy,"
which in May 1981 also peaked at # 35. The full-length
Mercury
album, Polecats Are Go!,
also charted briefly in the UK, but the rockabilly surge was
fading. When 1983's Make
A Circuit With Me mini-album was issued, neither it nor its
title track appeared on the charts. The Polecats lost their
record deal after that, although they released a few albums for
independent labels. There is an album available called "Cult
Heroes"
which is a collection of demos from their early years.
Boz Boorer broke
up the group to work with Morrissey but led a
Polecats reunion in 1989, which
produced a live album and a new studio
set.
