Jesse Hector (he of the champion sideburns), Alan Butler and Gary Anderson formed the Hammersmith Gorillas, taking their name from London’s pro-Castro activist group the Hammersmith Guerillas.
Their debut single was a cover version of The Kinks‘ You Really Got Me on the Penny Farthing label before signing with Chiswick and recording two singles while building a loyal fanbase.
In 1976, they played at the Mont-de-Marsan Punk Festival in the south of France alongside The Damned and Eddie and the Hot Rods.
Their sole studio album, Message to the World, was issued in 1978. They returned to Chiswick in the early 1980s for the single, Move It.
Bassist Alan Butler died from injuries sustained in a horse-riding accident in 1981, effectively bringing the band to an end.
Jesse Hector continued to perform live in London, working with bands Jesse Hector & The Sound and The Gatecrashers.
Jesse Hector
Vocals, guitar Alan Butler
Bass Gary Anderson
Drums
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