Description
The Teazers - Teenage Angst - 12" Vinyl E.P. (With FREE Digital Download) Autographed by International Amazon #1 Music Artist Paul Hopfensperger
On a hot July day, Saturday August 7th 1982 to be precise, a three-piece mod band from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, The Teazers (16 year old Pete Hawtin, 17 year old Andy Leong-son and 19 year old Paul Hopfensperger), arrived in the city to record four songs written by lead singer and songwriter Paul Hopfensperger. Arriving at The Elephant Recording Studio, Metropolitan Wharf, Wapping Wall in the heart of London's East End, The Teazers descended the metal staircase into the unknown. It was their first visit to a recording studio, and had no idea what was in store that day, or exactly which four songs from their ever expanding repetoir they would record.
The Teazers were greeted by the sound Engineer Chris M. and his pet cat, whose name can't be recalled after so many years, then set up the equipment and started to play. Paul had plugged his Rickenbacker 480 guitar into the studio Vox AC30 Amplifier, and made a mental note that one day he wanted this guitar/amp combination on a permanent basis. The sound was just awesome! Over the next 8 hours, The Teazers set about recording four of their favourite live tracks.
The Songs - Angst Side
- The System - Paul wrote this song in his lunch break at work in 1980 after having read "Brave New World" by the English author Aldous Huxley. It details the confusion in Paul's mind, working for a firm that was going bankrupt, when all he really wanted was to be "different from the crowd", and make it big with his band The Teazers. Ronald Reagan had become the U.S. President, Leonid Brezhnev was the Soviet Union President and all anyone spoke of was World War 3. This song details the angst Paul felt as he came towards the end of his teenage years not knowing exactly what future, if any, he was heading into.
- The Shape of Things to Come - This song continues on the theme of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and the fear of World War 3, while all around, people were losing their jobs due to the new emerging silicon chips and computers replacing people and their jobs "making thousands of lives miserable". The song details the worry and angst Paul felt "because there's nothing I can do" [to help].
The Songs - Love Side
- Alison - 1982 was a tough year for love for Paul. Having met his girlfriend Alison in 1979, he fell for another girl Nicola, and wrote the song Dreaming of You about her in 1981. Paul and Alison split. Feeling sad and missing her terribly, Paul wrote "Alison" in June 1982 to say sorry and they got back together again. This was a massively popular song live because of the catchy opening riff Paul wrote when composing this song.
- Dreaming of You - In 1981, Paul fell head over heels for a girl called Nicola who was four years his junior and was also was also liked by his best friend and original drummer in The Teazers - Nigel. Nigel drew a beautiful pencil portrait of Nicola and so Paul decided to write her a song. Dreaming of You was the result. Dreaming of You details Paul's frustration and angst about being in love with one girl, while constantly thinking about about another.
Message from Paul Hopfensperger
"The Teazers never officially split up. Andy went off to University in 1983 and we waited and waited and waited. We still wait! I have not seen him once since 1983 but have heard that he has done very well for himself in the corporate world. He was always a very bright lad. Pete I saw once in the bank for about 2 minutes in about 2006? Although I have spoken to him via social media, he keeps himself very much to himself.
The album is for sale on this website for one simple reason, it shows that you should NEVER Negotiate With Your Dream! I always wanted to make a record, and here it is - 36 years after we recorded it.
I hope you enjoy these songs, and it catalogues the memories, emotions and teenage angst felt at the time when we all wondered if nuclear war would wipe us out at any time, while struggling with girls, love and the exuberance of youth. Has anything actually changed?".
Bury St Edmunds, England, September 30, 2018.
This product will be autographed for the purchaser personally and therefore is 100% Non-Refundable. Please be aware when purchasing.
Additional Details
- SKU:
- TEAZERS1982EP
- Weight:
- 0.20 KGS
- Width:
- 31.00 (cm)
- Height:
- 0.75 (cm)
- Depth:
- 31.00 (cm)