Where Are They Now?
James Alan
This was returned by a Google search for Girls At Our Best!, so I hope Jez doesn't mind me posting it.
Jez Pritchatt is Course Leader for the Foundation Degrees and BA
Sound Design, and teaches modules in the music industry, business, music
theory and synthesis on all the College’s HE courses. His areas of
specialism are 1970s Punk Rock and ‘bubblegum’ pop.
Jez studied for a BSc (Hons) in Music Technology. Before joining
Leeds College of Music he held posts as a Music Technology & Popular
Music lecturer in London & Doncaster.
Jez has been a guitarist and songwriter in various rock & pop bands
since the 1970s. He has released various recordings by ‘Girls At
Our Best!’ & ‘The Tall Boys’ and has performed extensively, including in
USA and Europe. Career highlights include a No.1 single in UK
Indie chart with ‘Girls At Our Best!’, ‘The Tall Boys’ contributing to
the soundtrack of George Romero's 'Return of The Living Dead', and ‘Sadodada!’
with Jonny Slut of ‘Nag Nag Nag’. He was also booking manager at
the Marquee Club.
As a composer, Jez was commissioned to write a musical, ‘Alice’, for
Settle Youth Theatre in 2002. Three of his compositions reached
the finals and semi-finals of the 'UK National Songwriters Contest' in
2005. He is also a member of PRS
Paul Simon
An update from Paul Simon via email
I was recommended to Girls At Our Best by my friend Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols. I joined them briefly to produce and play on the single Politics!/It's Fashion. I played drums and synth on the record, and produced and arranged it initially at Cargo Studios in Rochdale and then at Matrix Studios, London, for Jeff Travers at Rough Trade records. I later signed them to my record label, Happy Birthday Records.
I am now a member of Ajanta Music, along with my brother Robin Simon - read more at: www.ajantamusic.com
Judy Evans
A blog has hinted that it may reveal Judy's involvement with Girls At Our Best but this could be light-hearted work place banter.
We won't reveal any personal information without permission.
Write Said Fred
From the NME circa 1994
Girls At our Best! split in 1982 after the joint departure of bassist Terry (Gerard Swift) and drummer Titch (Carl Harper). Their last release was the 'Pleasure' album, which came out in October 1982 [Wrong Fred, 1981], but they've since been remembered by 'Peel Sessions (17.2.81)' which was released on the Strange Fruit label during 1987.
Gerard Swift, now a heating engineer back in his hometown of Leeds reckons:
"It wasn't really the fact that Carl and I left broke the band. It was falling apart anyway. there were plans for Jo and Jez to carry on, perhaps under a different name, but that all came to nothing.
"I haven't done anything musical for years; just settled down with a wife and two kids, while Carl has also opted out of music and now has a job mending computers.
"I haven't seen Jo for a long time but I know she got married and had one, maybe two, kids and I believe she's living in Holland .
"As for Jez I still see him from time to time. He's living in London and still in music. In fact I saw him playing a gig in Leeds a short while ago, though I can't remember the name of the band." [Jez was guitarist with The Tall Boys - a Meteors offshoot].
Fred Dellar