Tom Robinson Band (TRB) are a British rock band, established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson. The band's debut single "2-4-6-8 Motorway" was a top five hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1977, their début album, Power in the Darkness (1978), is regarded as a definitive late Seventies punk album.
The music and lyrics were written by Tom Robinson, and it was the first single released by the Tom Robinson Band, who had formed in January 1977 and were signed to EMI in August 1977.
Robinson wrote the song between leaving Café Society in 1976, and forming the Tom Robinson Band in 1977, when he was performing with whichever friends were available on the night, so the song had to be simple enough to learn in a few minutes.
Robinson came up with the tune "trying to work out the chords to Climax Blues Band’s "Couldn’t Get It Right"" which he could not really remember.
This led to the simple three chord repeat of 2-4-6-8. The verse came from Robinson's memories of driving back to London through the night after gigs with Café Society, "By the time our van hit the last stretch of M1 into London the motorway sun really was coming up with the morning light."The chorus was lifted from a Gay Lib chant "2,4,6,8, Gay is twice as good as straight... 3,5,7,9, Lesbians are mighty fine".
EMI initially turned the song down, but after touring the band became much tighter, and guitarist Danny Kustow expanded his riffs, which persuaded EMI to release the record.
The song is about the joys of driving a lorry through a rainy night, until dawn. Although the chorus is based upon a gay liberation chant, this is not clear to the casual listener, so the song is in contrast to their far more blatantly political later songs, covering subjects such as homophobia "Glad to Be Gay" and civil disorder "Long Hot Summer".
A - 2-4-6-8 Motorway (3:18)
Producer – Vic Maile
Written-By – Robinson
B - I Shall Be Released (For George Ince) (4:35)
Producer – Triumvirat
Written-By – Dylan
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – EMI Records Ltd.
- Published By – MCPS Ltd.
- Published By – B. Feldman & Co. Ltd.
- Pressed By – EMI Records
Credits
- Mastered By – Blair (tracks: A)
- Track B was dedicated to the 'Free George Ince Campaign'
Release: 1977
Genre: Punk Rock
Label: EMI Records
Catalog# 5C 006-06570
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISOIpmp3aeXQKRjIrxciqMoYSttv0YQD/view?usp=sharing
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