Norman Killon's top ten tracks from Eric's

1. Deaf School – Taxi

This was the biggest and fastest selling single in Probe Records. It’s taken from their second LP, Don’t Stop the World, and preceded their sell-out concert at the Liverpool Empire. I was co-signature on the contract for the concert and wrote some notes in the programme.

2. The Only Ones – Another Girl, Another Planet

What can you say about this record? It must have the greatest intro and emotional release of any record. Time hasn’t dimmed its glory.

3. Joe Gibbs  - No Bones For The Dogs

Every week at Probe Records we would have a delivery of pre-release Jamaican 45 singles. It became an instant favourite of mine and then the Eric’s crowd, in fact in many ways it was the ultimate Eric’s record.

4. Althea and Donna – Uptown Top Ranking

As above. I was playing this for several months before it received a British release. So you could say we paved the way for their only UK chart hit!

5. Flamin’ Groovies – Shake Some Action

Apart from being a magnificent song and performance, my memories of the Groovies are they helped to varnish the counter in Probe the night prior to opening the branch in Button Street. Plus the group coming back to mine after the gig at Eric’s and playing loads of great singles 'til the early hours. Deaf School have had the song in their set for more than thirty years.

6. The Clash – Complete Control

The greatest of the punk bands. They played Eric’s twice. The great thing about the Clash is they evolved and had two good songwriters in Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. This a stunning performance and reminds me of their high energy live performances. The Clash were the last great band – controversial!

7. Talking Heads – Psycho Killer

This reminds me of them appearing at Eric’s as support to The Ramones. At this time Love Goes was the only import single by them available, so everything apart from that was new to us. This became an instant classic.

8. The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

The Undertones had a run of absolutely fab singles beginning with this. Still have my original Irish Good Vibrations copy. I remember the Saturday afternoon of the day they played Eric’s, I was having a drink in The Grapes in Mathew Street when the door opened and I turned to my companion and said "Look, Fergal Sharkey!" He was immediately followed by the rest of the Undertones.

9. Junior Murvin – Police and Thieves

Another great reggae record produced by Lee Perry and a UK hit. It was also covered by The Clash on their first LP. It always brings back fond memories of my ex-wife Penny.

10. Iggy Pop – The Passenger

Iggy of course had a previous history with the Stooges which influenced the British punk groups. This came from an LP that was more user friendly. It was then and still is a classic. He appeared at Eric’s and his first number was a 60s cover of Benny Spellman's Fortune Teller, a number that a lot of the Merseybeat groups performed, particularly The Merseybeats.