T.V. Smith

Timothy "T. V." Smith (born 5 April 1956) is an English singer-songwriter who was part of punk band The Adverts in the late 1970s. Since then he has fronted other bands, as well as pursuing a solo career. 
Smith and Gaye Black (a.k.a. Gaye Advert) moved from, respectively, Okehampton in mid-Devon, and Bideford, a small coastal town in Devon, to form The Adverts in London in 1976. The Adverts are best known for their 1977 hit single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" and acclaimed 1978 debut album Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts. Following unsuccessful follow-up album Cast of Thousands, The Adverts split up in late 1979, and Smith formed a new band, T.V. Smith's Explorers. They were: Erik Russell (guitar), Colin Stoner (bass), Mel Wesson (keyboards) and David Sinclair (drums). The Explorers released their debut single "Tomahawk Cruise" (a response to the installation of BGM-109 Tomahawk Cruise missiles on UK soil) in 1980, followed by an album, The Last Words of the Great Explorer. Smith then recorded as a solo artist, releasing the album Channel Five in 1983.
Smith's next band was T.V. Smith's Cheap. Cheap were: TV Smith: Vox, Mik Heslin: Guitar, Martin 'Fuzz' Deniz: Drums, Andy 'Bean' Bennie: Bass. They toured the UK and Europe from 1986 to 1991 and recorded the politically charged single "Third Term", released in 1990. However, they failed to find commercial backing for their album RIP...Everything Must Go, which was eventually released in 1993 after the band had split up.
Smith went solo again with album March of the Giants in 1992. Albums Immortal Rich (1995), Generation Y (1999) and Not a Bad Day(2003) followed, with Smith touring constantly, aided overseas by a variety of other bands, including Germany's Die Toten Hosen, Finland's Punk Lurex OK, the United States' Midnight Creeps, and Spain's Suzy & Los Quattro.
(Read more on Wikipedia)
==Links to Peel==
Peel played many of the Adverts songs in the late 70's and kept his interest in singer's T.V. Smith's work after they split, giving airplay to his new band, T.V. Smith's Explorers in the early 80's as well as his solo material and his late 80's band, T.V. Smith's Cheap. T.V. Smith's real name, Timothy Smith, is not to be confused with another Tim Smith, who is the singer of the Sea Nymphs, a band that Peel also gave airplay in the late 90's. 
==Sessions==
;thumb|220x220pxT.V. Smith's Explorers
1. Recorded: 1981-01-05. First Broadcast: 12 January 1981. Repeated: 28 January 1981
*The Servant / Walk Away / The Last Words Of The Great Explorer
;T.V. Smith's Cheap
1. Recorded: 1988-01-05. First Broadcast: 25 January 1988. Repeated: 16 February 1988
*Third Team / Silicon Valley Holiday / Luxury In Exile / Buried By The Machine
==Other Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220pxT.V. Smith's Explorers
*09 December 1980: Tomahawk Cruise (7") Big Beat 
*09 December 1980: See Europe (7" - Tomahawk Cruise) Big Beat
*11 December 1980: See Europe (7" - Tomahawk Cruise) Big Beat
*13 December 1980 (BFBS): Tomahawk Cruise (7") Big Beat 
*27 December 1980 (BFBS): Tomahawk Cruise (7") Big Beat 
*19 January 1981: Tomahawk Cruise (7") Big Beat 
*28 April 1981: The Servant (7") Kaleidoscope 
*11 June 1981 (John Walters): I Live For Everything (album - The Last Words Of The Great Explorer) Kaleidoscope 
*John Peel June 1981: The Last Words Of The Great Explorer (album - The Last Words Of The Great Explorer) Kaleidoscope KRL 85087
*28 June 1981 (BFBS): Tomahawk Cruise (7") Big Beat 
;T.V. Smith's Cheap / Cheap
*07 September 1987: 'New Ways Are Best' (v/a LP - 'Mindless Slaughter') Anhrefn
*02 October 1987 (BFBS): 'New Ways Are Best (Compilation LP-Mindless Slaughter)' (Recordiau Anhrefn)
*11 November 1987: New Ways Are Best (v/a LP - Mindless Slaughter) Anhrefn
*30 April 1990: 3rd Time (12") Deltic
*09 May 1990: Third Term (7") Deltic
*15 May 1990: Third Term (7") Deltic
;T.V. Smith
*Peel July August 1983: On Your Video (album - Channel Five) Expulsion EXIT 4
*14 September 1987: Lies (v/a LP - Mindless Slaughter) Anhrefn
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
Category:Artists