The Boiler

The Boiler.

Bodysnatchers songs came about with the music first . We would generally collaborate and  jam on pieces of music or someone would have a few chords, bass line , or keyboard line . Rhoda would then be inspired by our musical output and put the  lyrics to it. She would listen to us play in rehearsals and write while we played.

The Boiler - we used to jam around a 1960's sounding keyboard riff and gradually this piece of music grew . I remember coming out of Gaz Mayall's club , Gaz’ Rockin’  Blues,  one night and asking Rhoda to put lyrics to it. She came along to the next rehearsal and improvised over the music an experience of a rape.

The song title was called this because the manager of the Nips , a guy called Howard used to refer to women as ‘Boilers’  ..I think we were being ironic when we called the song that .

The audience reaction …generally stunned silence ..they didn’t used to even clap hardly after we played it , but they were always definitely transfixed by the song .

Jerry Dammers did a different treatment of the song and I re-wrote the bass line when we recorded it with Rhoda and the Special AKA .

I like both versions of the song , The Bodysnatchers version was more of a 60’s r and b thrash. It was powerful to play live , it is a challenging song for any audience , I think more powerful live than Dammer’s version which is manicured with production . 

The song itself had to be written, played and recorded  . I am glad and proud to have been part of it .

cc.  Nicky Summers