The Adverts

The Adverts are an English punk rock band formed in 1976 by T. V. Smith on vocals and Gaye Advert on bass, along with guitarist Howard Pickup and drummer Laurie Driver. The band relocated to London from Okehampton and Bideford in Devon. Their early career was boosted by performances at the Roxy, London's first live punk venue. In February 1977, after impressing Michael Dempsey, who became their manager, the Adverts signed with Stiff Records. Their debut single "One Chord Wonders" was released on April 29, 1977. The band's breakthrough came with the release of "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" in August 1977, which reached number 18 on the UK singles chart and was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time. Their debut album Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts was released by Bright Records in February 1978 and is considered one of the most highly regarded albums of the punk era. After switching to RCA Records, the band released additional singles including "Television's Over" and "Cast of Thousands", but their career stalled after the release of their second album Cast of Thousands in October 1979. The band disbanded shortly after the death of their manager, performing for the last time on October 27, 1979.