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Punk band from Dunfermline, in Scotland founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson (1958-2001, ON guitar, vocals), [[Richard Jobson (1960- vocals), Tom Kellichan (drums) and Willie Simpson (bass). Their biggest success was the single Into the Valley in 1978.
After issuing Reasons on their own No Bad label, the band was signed by Virgin Records. Sweet Suburbia and The Saints Are Coming both made commercial inroads, before Into The Valley reached the UK Top 10 in early 1979. Following the release of the band's debut album Scared to Dance, Kellichan was replaced by Rusty Egan (ex-Rich Kids). Of uneven quality, the album showcases Stuart Adamson's unique guitar style which was to come to prominence in Big Country
Despite criticism of Jobson's lyrics as pretentious, the Skids enjoyed a further year of chart success as Masquerade and Working For The Yankee Dollar reached the Top 20. Both came from the second album, Days in Europa, which was produced by Bill Nelson of Be-Bop Deluxe. The album cover created a great deal of controversy, since it showed an 'Olympian' being crowned with laurels, by an 'Aryan' looking woman, and the lettering was in Gothic script. Some felt that this had Nazi undertones, and so the cover was replaced with a more sedate one. The album was also remixed on re-release, and the two editions are quite different.
Further change ensued when Simpson and Egan were replaced by Russell Webb and Mike Baillie respectively. More crucially, the SkidsÂ’ songwriting team was split when Adamson left after the release of the third album, The Absolute Game, which proved to be the band's most commercial, reaching the Top 10 and containing the minor hit Circus Games. Adamson went on to launch the career of his new band, Big Country, leaving Jobson and Webb to record the band's final set Joy, which was virtually a folk music album, and which alienated some sections of fans. The Skids dissolved in 1982, with Fanfare issued by Virgin as a mixture of greatest hits and unreleased tracks. Richard Jobson recorded one album with a new band, the Armoury Show before pursuing a solo career as poet, songwriter and broadcaster. He released albums on Belgian label Les Disques Du Crepuscule and Parlophone Records.
Some of its members would go on to form Big Country, and lead singer Richard Jobson would go on to work in television and an unsuccessful solo career.
Albums
- Scared to Dance (1979)
- Days in Europa (1979 - issued twice)
- The Absolute Game (1981)
- Joy (1981)
- BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert (1991)
Various compilations have been released. Some are included on Big Country compilations.
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