Screemer is the first band by singer and actor Zaine Griff, signed to Arista Records. The band was formed while Lindsay Kempe, with whom Griff was studying dance, was on tour in Australia. It was a highly original vocal harmoney group that was initially styled by the now defunct Bell records as a glamrock band, which, however, failed to have commercial success as its members were busy doing other things. However they initially evolved from a proper glam rock band, Ice Cream.
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Screemer is the first band by singer and actor Zaine Griff, signed to Arista Records. The band was formed while Lindsay Kempe, with whom Griff was studying dance, was on tour in Australia. It was a highly original vocal harmoney group that was initially styled by the now defunct Bell records as a glamrock band, which, however, failed to have commercial success as its members were busy doing other things. However they initially evolved from a proper glam rock band, Ice Cream. Lead singer of Ice Cream was Gary Dene, who's cousin Gary Springate was in the Glitterband ( solo artists but firstly Gary Glitters original backing band ) and who wrote their first and only sigle - ' Shout It Out' . It was a fast song by Glitterband standards and sounded a lot like them. It deserved sucess but bombed. Dene was dumped and Glen Mikkelson - a New Zealander - was added on vocals and the' Interplanetary Twist' single was released. Screemer appeared on a couple of Saturday morning kids tv shows and Eddie Kidd ( Britains Evil Kenevil - remember him ? ) did a photoshot in one of Screemers promotional cap sleeve t-shirts which appeared in various teenage girls mags but it all came to nothing. At about this time and on a new years eve a mildly unusual event happened : Screemer were playing the Three Rabbits pub in Romford, East London , when they let a new local band use their instruments to play in the break. The local band was 'Iron Maiden', who played some original stuff and I seem to remember a cover of Rush's 'Priests of Osiris', but I could be wrong. They recorded a second single - 'In The City' - which was good vocal harmony stuff but it was released at the same time as The Jam's single of the same name. Its light pop sensibilities jarrred with punk and it sank without trace. Incidentally the b sides of both Screemer singles ( 'Billy' on 'Twist' and 'Joey Corella' on 'In the City' ) were from an aborted rock opera that band members were writing. What happened next was either Glen ( now Zaine Griff ) dumped the rest of the band to go solo or Arista forced a split. Either way the rock based Zaine Griff were formed ( including Davey Flett on guitar, who was then with Manfred Mann's Earth Band and is the the Davey of 'Davey's on the Road Again' fame ), who contrasted greatly with the synth band version of Zaine Griff that finally emerged. Finally as a foot-note to Screemer, the band reformed with Gary Dene back on vocals as Sprinkler - a light allusion to the name of Dennis Waterman, who's backing band they initially were. They were spotted for talent show 'New Faces' and I remember them talking openly about having been guaranteed to win it. Whether or not that was true, they did indeed win and released a single ( 'Face to Face ? ) which bombed. After that I have no idea what happened to them, other tha guitarist Alan joining Olivia Newton John's backing band. Anyone else know more ..... ?
