Billy Karloff & The Extremes – Let The Fingers Do The Talking

Biography
Pub-punk shouter responsible for one classic song, ‘Back Street Billy’, issued as the flip of his first single and later covered by The Business. He also co-wrote ‘Wait For The Blackout’ for The Damned.His vinyl debut was in April 1978 when he released his first single, Crazy Paving b/w Back Street Billy, as the Billy Karloff Band. ‘Relics From The Past’ then appeared on the Farewell To The Roxy album, with the band now called Billy Karloff And The Goats. ‘Crazy Paving’ and ‘Back Street Billy’ ended up on The Maniac, a woefully rare album issued in Germany, Spain and Sweden.Not much from Billy was heard until he surfaced once more in 1981 with a major label deal (Warner Bros) and a second LP, Let Your Fingers Do The Talking, which was issued in the US and several countries in Europe (the UK not amongst them). His new band, The Extremes, were originally called The Supremes but apparently there was another band with that name so they had to change it.  http://punkygibbon.co.uk/bands/k/karloffbilly.html

Album & Cover
This was the first and only album by Billy Karloff & The Extremes.

There were four different covers for this album, Black, Blue, Green, and Red. And according to Po Powell, the cover was a take on ‘Op Art’ from the 1960’s. Storm was a fan of the artist Bridget Riley and her black and white painting ‘Movement in Squares’ from 1961. It is also influence by the psychedelic drug culture of the time, which warped one’s visual perception of reality, making objects bend and curve and sometimes change colour. The model in the suits was of course Storm Thorgerson and can be seen more clearly on the 7″ singles that were released by the band.

Cover Location: Hipgnosis Studio, London, UK.
Who Did What: Photography – Aubrey Powell.
Label: Warner Bros. Records BSK3518(US), Warner Bros. WB 56894(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
for The Love Of Vinyl: The Album Art Of Hipgnosis By Storm Thorgerson & Aubrey Powell.

Tracklist

Credits
Billy Karloff – vocals
Paul Jelliman – lead guitar
Neil Hay – rhythm & acoustic guitars, vocals
Glen Buglass – bass
Dolphin Taylor – drums
Chuck Leavell – piano
Steve Nathan – synthesiser
Produced by Johnny Sandlin