Started off as a folk outfit but turned their hands to straight ahead pop/rock with driving songs (including one about a car), clever lyrics and general pizzazz (spell-check that for “style”).
Lol Mason (Lead vocal/Percussion), Steve Broughton (Lead vocal/acoustic guitar/mandolin/percussion), Max Thomas (Vocals/Keyboards/Acoustic guitar/Percussion), Mike (The Duke) Slamer (Lead Guitar/Vocal), Chris (The Duck) Dunn (Bass Guitar/Vocal), Roger Kent (Drums/Percussion) – later replaced by Roy Ward (who remarkably sounded like Steve on vocals after Steve left).
Albums: City Boy/Dinner at the Ritz/Book Early/Young Men Gone West/Heads are Rolling/The Day the Earth Caught Fire/It’s Personal (latter allegedly to be re-released in Oct 2009? – not their strongest one but hey, opinions are like…mouths…everyone has one!).
Meanstreetdealer
I’m writing this listening to Mike Slamer’s 2006 Nowhere Land album, which is great and reminicent of his distinctive lead guitar sound which he provided to City Boy. I only got to see City Boy a few times but none better than when they played at the Town Hall in Brum in ’76. Steve Broughton was climbing all over the place while singing his heart out with Lol. Quality music all through and needlesstosay, I now have everything they’ve ever recorded (unless they’re keeping some more in their archives for later..ha ha). If you haven’t heard anything other than 5705, then you’re missing out (assuming that you liked 5705 in the first place, I guess though!)
probably one of the best bands that ‘Never made it’. Clever catchy song writing, great harmonies between Steve and Lol and awesome guitar playing by Mike Slamer.
Saw them multiple times at barbarellas and once supporting Sutherland Brothers and quiver at the New street Odeon. Which I think had more City Boy fans in the audience than SB&Q fans.
There are a few videos on Youtube knocking around but they do not show how tight and clever these guys were. Likened at the time to 10CC….but not getting the same break !!!
mmmm, never saw them play – too young, but remember City Boy as a kid – Lol Masonand who went on to form Masonettes later – , never saw him play but we became good friends drinking in the Kings Arms and the the one next door-ish to the Royalty Bingo club (where Bill Haley played I was once told) – got knocked down and rebuilt as a red-brick mostrosity – Harbourne. Last time I saw him he told me about how weird an interview with Jools Holland had been on the tube; and that he was producing a Sam Fox album – is he still going?
Did you ever find out any more? annelouise1970@hotmail.com
I wondered where Steve Broughton is today, and how old he is. I like him a lot.
Regards blood fan from Norway (1965)
I believe Steve is still in America as he married Rhona from his record company. I’m pretty sure he was 5 years older than me so he will 65 in July.
In 1983, I directed a new play called “Fallacies” at the Triangle, written by Birmingham playwright, Jacqueline Holborough. It was about an all-girl band called Toxic Shock. Max Thomas was Composer/MD and wrote some great music for it.
If you watch the credits at the end of The Goonies film you will see Steve is mentioned as a songwriter (probably Cyndi Lauper singing). His real name is Stephen Broughton Lunt and the last I heard he goes under the name of Steve Lunt not Steve Broughton as he did in City Boy. Lol Mason’s dad (Edward J Mason) wrote the famous Dick Barton spy stories which were broadcast on BBC and Lol wrote some follow up episodes to commemorate the anniversary (poss 50 years) which were broadcast. I believe he also wrote some comedies for the BBC.
I knew the band very well in the 70’s but especially Steve. I still keep in touch with Lol’s first wife Sheila but have lost contact with the band. All good things come to an end. I had all the albums but after a catastrophe had to part with everything I owned but I insisted on keeping the first album as I remember it being made. I have the reel to reel studio tapes of the 2nd or 3rd album in the attic along with Lord Lichfield’s photographs of the band.
I watched them perform all over the place and Sheila and I turned up in Amsterdam to surprise them when they were on tour supporting The Boomtown Rats. Other tours included supporting Thin Lizzy and Hall & Oates.
I was 60 in January and was given a download of lots of City Boy songs as a present so I have been thinking about them a lot since then. Unfortunately some of my favourites are missing – Tallulah, Deadly Delicious, The Violin, 5000 years, 1 after 2 and The Greatest Story Ever Told especially but I live in hope.
re; the post above by member ‘nicky’; i would be interested to get in direct contact with you – i have an acetate album of hippie folky tracks with a hand made cover which i beleive to be by mason and lunt, possibly the 1st things they recorded, and maybe the only copy in existence unless you have masters? last track is a hippie epic with the repeated line ‘Everyone must get stoned…’ although at the end they add ‘…because everyone here is stoned’. (did cindy lauper do a version?) email ‘magnu@email.com’
Nicky, I don’t know if you still frequent this page but I’m curious, does/did your surname begin with a C?
Ah! Kitchener Road! I remember it so well and still look down it whenever I pass.
Yes my surname was Carter.
If anyone is interested, on cityboy.org in the forum section there is a ‘vault’ with rare concerts from America and Sweden and a recording of a concert from Barbarellas including a never released track called Street Corner Love. Also on the same site over the years there have been contributions from Mike, Max, Chris, Roy, and Steve’s son. They were a great band live and the song writing was brilliant.
I, James B. Have,always,considered…CITY BOY TO…BE 1976–1982
HUMBLE PIE,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,REPLACEMENT BAND 1968-1975
I,CAN HEAR,STEVE MARRIOTT;S VOICE,IN ,A,LOT,OF CITY BOY,SONGS!!!!!
DO WHAT YOU DO DO WELL,IS,INCREDIBLE, THIS,POP AND R&B # IS A
SOUND,HUMBLE PIE,COULD NOT ENDURE!!!!!! this song could,,,tell ..mikhel Jackson to go,beat it!!!!!! CITY BOY,,SHOULD,HAVE,MORE ROCK STAR,STATIS
THAN HUMBLE PIE-,,,!!!!!
JAMES B.
CHECK THIS OUT, COMMENTS COUNT……
CITY BOY—TURN ON TO JESUS POP &R&B
HUMBLE PIE—GROOVIN WITH JESUS ROCK & R&B
BOTH BANDS HAVE SAME VOICE!!!!!
The first 4 City Boy albums have just been re-released on 2 double cd’s with extras including a live BBC in concert from 1975
I recently discovered the existence of It’s Personal and was worried about the quality since I had never heard about it. Glad to discover I couldn’t be more wrong. I always felt the band wouldn’t be able to make up for Steve’s departure, as his vocals and songwriting were so key to City Boy’s overall sound. Obviously, Mike’s amazing guitar is still omnipresent and Lol and Roy more than make up for Steve’s loss. Heads are Rolling and It’s Personal stand with the rest of the oeuvre in excellence (apart from Dinner at the Ritz, which, being one of the finest pop/rock albums of all time, has its own tier). One question, though. Why is Roy credited only with drums on It’s Personal when he clearly sings lead vocals on 6 of the 9 tracks. It’s a little like the bizarre 5705 video where Steve lip-synchs Roy’s vocal.
Hey, where did you get that cool picture of me? I mean, it’s not actually me, but I was just curious.
Ha ha, it’s me but there is a glitch in the site that I can’t work out how to fix. Namely, if I add comments for people that they have sent in, my picture gets attached to it…
In the early ’70s Max and others lived just across the road from the WELD community project in Handsworth – and from me; see my site ‘Handsworth Music’ at http://geoffwilkins.net/HandsworthMusic/videos1.htm
This is Chris Dunn, ex bass-player for City Boy. For those of you who might be interested there is a City Boy Facebook page to which Steve and I regularly contribute. Lol Mason passed away in July 2019.
Chris so honored to see you on this site. Sitting with my family in Washington DC recovering from yesterday’s nightmare by listening to City Boy – my fave band from college days. Question: who plays drums on the Live on BBC tracks on the Dinner at the Ritz rerelease? Was Roger Kent still with the band at that time? Struck this morning on how sharp the drum part on “Greatest Story Ever Told” is. Is he still with us?
Thanks for the music.
Walter
For those interested in keeping up with other City Boy fans you should consider applying to become a member of the City Boy Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2408151547
There was a series on BBC many years ago about people who said were going to be millionaires or make a million, back in the 60’s there was a similar program about “They sold a million” but this prog was about individuals.
One was Lol but l am not sure if it was Lol Mason or Lol Creme who was in the program.
Anyone know?