123 - Dolly Mixture, The Jam, Captain Sensible with Debsey Wykes

2026-07-05

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Join us for a live recording with Debsey Wykes about her book Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls Who Play In A Band. Debsey’s early musical experiences were centred around Cambridge & her early interests included The Bay City Rollers, Queen & David Bowie. Punk arrived soon after & her tastes developed into The Damned, The Jam & The Stranglers. Her & a couple of friends have the idea to form an all girl band which becomes Dolly Mixture. They draw the attention of John Peel, get a mention in NME after only two months of rehearsals & i...

Join us for a live recording with Debsey Wykes about her book Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls Who Play In A Band.

Debsey’s early musical experiences were centred around Cambridge & her early interests included The Bay City Rollers, Queen & David Bowie.

Punk arrived soon after & her tastes developed into The Damned, The Jam & The Stranglers.

Her & a couple of friends have the idea to form an all girl band which becomes Dolly Mixture.

They draw the attention of John Peel, get a mention in NME after only two months of rehearsals & incredibly play the largest venue in Cambridge, The Corn Exchange on only their fourth gig.

After a couple of gigs with U2 & a tour with The Undertones, their debut single Baby Its You is released, a cover of the Bacharach & David track.

However they don’t end up signing to Chrysalis Records & their second single is released on Paul Weller’s Respond Records.

The Weller family are hugely supportive & the band want Ann Weller to manage them.

They later appear on Happy Talk by Captain Sensible which leads to an appearance on Top of the Pops.

The only Dolly Mixture album The Demonstration Tapes is released towards the end of the bands lifespan.

The band member stayed in touch & their legacy has been kept alive by a documentary by Paul Kelly & various reissues with Bob Stanley.

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