Strapps: Bound For Glory - Complete Recordings 1976-1979, 4CD Box Set

• For fans of: Deep Purple, Gillan.

• Four studio albums and a live set from Mick Underwood’s Strapps.

Mick Underwood had already enjoyed a lengthy career, building up an impressive musical resume since joining Ritchie Blackmore in The Outlaws in 1964, before forming Strapps in 1975. With Underwood’s impressive rock pedigree, including Quatermass, Harvest Records, home of Deep Purple and Pink Floyd, was a perfect fit for the new band. Joined by Australian singer and guitarist Ross Stagg, Joe Reed on bass and Noel Scott on keyboards.

Strapps set out their stall with their self-titled debut in 1976. The album was produced by Deep Purple’s Roger Glover at Kingsway Recorders studio, which was owned by Ian Gillan. With LP jackets enough to make Spinal Tap blush, and lyrics to match, despite the permissive era, Strapps found themselves on the wrong end of the feminists, primarily down to an-judged marketing campaign. Regardless, the band turned in four studio albums of solid, bluesy raunch and roll.

Their second album for Harvest Records, ‘Secret Damage’, was released in 1977. Produced by Chris Kinsey (Rolling Stones, Marillion), the album featured the single ‘Child Of The City’. Produced by Pip Williams (Status Quo), their third album ‘Prisoner Of Your Love' was released by Harvest in Japan, where the band had built a loyal following. Strapps’ fourth and final record was 1979’s ‘Ball Of Fire’. Strapps were a solid live proposition, so it makes sense that this set is completed by their 1977 live set at the Rainbow Theatre in London’s Finsbury Park. Strapps called it a day in 1979 when Underwood accepted an offer from Ian Gillan to join the newly formed band Gillan.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

Strapps / Secret Damage

Strapps

1  School Girl Funk

2  Dreaming

3  Rock Critic

4  Oh! The Night

5  Sanctuary

6  I Long To Tell You Too

7  In Your Ear

8  Suicide

Secret Damage

9  Down To You

10  The Pain Of Love

11  Child Of The City

12  In Your Ear

13  I Wanna Know

14  Soft Touch

15  Violent Love / Secret Damage

DISC TWO

Prisoner Of Your Love

1  Bound For Glory

2  Prisoner Of Your Love

3  Let The Music Play

4  Rock 'n Roll Sensation

5 All Through The Night

6  It's Your Dream

7  Be Strong

8  Might Or Maybe

9  Look To The East

10  Need Your Love (To Break My Fall)

DISC THREE

Ball Of Fire

1  Bring On The Thunder

2  Silent Slaughter

3  One Way Love

4  Evil

5  Power In Her Soul

6  Angry

7  Storm Of Love

8  Ball Of Fire

9  The Heat's On

DISC FOUR

Live At The Rainbow 1977

1  The Pain Of Love

2  Understand It

3  Soft Touch

4  Child Of The City

5  Violent Love / Secret Damage

6  Down To You

7  I Wanna Know

8  School Girl Funk

BONUS TRACKS

9  Rikki (Alternative Mix)

10  Suffer (Alternative Mix)

11  Rita B (Alternative Mix)