Namesakes #177: The Tramps

There's a voice that keeps on calling me
Down the road, that's where I'll always be
Every stop I take, I make a new friend
Can't stay for long, just turn around and I'm gone again

Time to take to the road with a bunch of itinerants... but can you tell the Tramps from the bums?

THE TRAMPS #1

Who’d have thought they’d let Tramps join the US Air Force? But that’s where these Tramps were gainfully employed when they recorded the song below. When they got out of the services, they changed their name to Bill Harris & The Continentals.

The Tramps – You’re A Square

 

THE TRAMPS #2

Surfer bum Tramps from Belgium in 1961… when you could get away with murder.

The Tramps - Murder

 

THE TRAMPS #3

Top deck Schlager-Tramps from 1961, also known as Das Roland Trio, with extra Knut Kiesewetter on trombone.

Die Tramps – Am Missouri

THE TRAMPS #4

Wa-wa instrumental Tramps from Austria in 1963…

The Tramps – Gran Chaco

 

THE TRAMPS #5

Half-German, half-English Tramps from 1966, doing their best with an old Everly Brothers tune.

The Tramps – Gone, Gone, Gone

 

TRAMP #6

Singular Tramp (although there's more than one of them) from Michigan, doing a “Heavy psych protest song” in 1970.

Tramp – Ghetto Dog

 

TRAMP #7

Followed by a singular British Tramp (ditto the above) from the late 60s and early 70s, including future Fleetwood Mackers (Mick was on drums). Iffypedia tells me they’re “not to be confused with Supertramp”. Well, d’oh.

Tramp – Put A Record On

 

TRAMP #8

One-off collaboration between Harry Vanda of the Easybeats, George Young of Flash & The Pan and Scottish guitarist Alexander Young. Given that, it sounds a lot more funky than you’d expect.

Tramp – Vietnam Rose

 

THE TRAMPS #9

Dutch Tramps from 1971 with a song title that google translates as “Dear Bill, You Are Too Tall”.

The Tramps - Beste Bill, Je Bent Te Lang

 

THE TRAMMPS #10

Starting out in Philadelphia back in the 60s, the Trammps everyone knows – but maybe aren’t quite sure how to spell – made it big in the 70s with a series of classic soul tunes before turning up the heat in the disco.

The Trammps – Hold Back The Night

 

THE TRAMPS #11

Our next bunch of Tramps came from Gozo in Malta in 1975, scoring a big hit with this song which was later used as the theme tune to the TV show Għawdex Illum. 1 million plus viewers on the tube of you cannot be wrong.

The Tramps - Xemx

 

TRAMP #12

Hard-rockin’ Californians from 1984 who clearly weren’t able to fulfil the promise of their song title.

Tramp – Goin’ To The Top

 

THE TRAMPS #13

San Francisco punk Tramps, hoboing around in 2002…

The Tramps – Gonna Get It

 

THE TRAMPS #14

Norwegian Tramps, from the “Oil Capital” of Norway (I’m sure a certain Orange Psychopath has it on his list), Stavanger. I will confess that I’ve only heard of this city before because it features in a Half Man Half Biscuit tune. However, the Norwegian Tramps are clearly far more cosmopolitan than I am, since they specialise in Irish-inspired folk music. Here they are in 2009…

The Tramps – Silver & Gold

 

THE TRAMPS #15

From Chicago in 2012 come some Tramps described thus on the camp of bands… “"We call it American-gypsy. Its wooden electric. It wanders but isn't lost, because it’s a tramp, a gypsy, you can't get lost when you're in love with where you are."

Antony & The Tramps – Nina’s Dream

 

THE TRAMPS #16

Penultimately, some Aussie tramps from 2013, supporting Cal Peck. Maybe tomorrow, they’ll want to settle down.

Cal Peck & The Tramps – Kill For You

 

THE TRAMPS #16

Last but not least, some hard-rocking French Tramps from 2015…

The Tramps – La Religion

Which is your Top of the Tramps… and which is your Donald Tramp?