Track listing
- A1 Hollywood 2:50
- A2 Inside Out 2:01
- A3 Trouble 2:30
- A4 So Long 2:46
- A5 Fun Thing 3:36
- A6 The Biggest Prize in Sport 2:53
- B1 Boys in the Gang 2:43
- B2 Found Out Too Late 3:30
- B3 Stranger 3:11
- B4 Stop! Stop! 2:05
- B5 English Wipeout 3:23
- B6 Boiler 3:46
- Total length: 35:14
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9 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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The Biggest Prize in Sport [p] 33 rpm
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The Biggest Prize in Sport Bonus Tracks
6 Reviews
My Wife Left Me #287
999 were firmly in the middle-class of the UK’s original punk movement—early live favs, but indifferently reviewed compared to the scene’s titans; charted a handful singles, but all in the lower reaches; managed to record six LPs between ’78 and ’85, some very good, but none that anyone outside of punk nerd circles has heard of today. But a funny thing often happens to the middle-class as the years go on, where their lack of an X factor (be it originality, star power, message) or carpetbagging aura begins to matter less than how perfectly their sound embodies a moment that cannot be recaptured. It’s the power of “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” in action, when having been the eighteenth best English punk band in 1979 means you’re now a minor legend. Credit finally where it’s due: 999 just sound right.
I’m a modestly enthusiastic fan of 999, a sturdy example of punk’s pubby power poppy side, somewhat of a meeting place between the Buzzcocks, Cock Sparrer, and, like, Status Quo. (Probably mostly Status Quo really.) At their best, they totally rip. I once called their sole top 40 hit “Homicide / Soldier” a perfect pop single, and they’ve got about a dozen songs in the same ballpark, a few of them on The Biggest Prize in Sport. The LP is a ball throughout—the cute “Stop! Stop!” would be among Wreckless Eric’s best album tracks if he’d cut it; “Inside Out” has a hint of disco to its step that sets off the same pleasure centres as good dance punk; “So Long” sounds like the major label version of the Clash’s “Janie Jones” (in a good way). The record feels like driving on a sunny, traffic-free day, and if occasionally you dimly realize you’re not really going anywhere (see “English Wipe-Out”), it doesn’t really ruin the mood.
287/365
Published
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THE BIGGEST PRIZE IN SPORT: North American Version
PD-1-6256 ✰ Polydor (1980)
Lobbing a completely unprovoked and absolutely needless knee to the gut of a somewhat feeble album, the North American branch of Polydor Records decided the playlist of 999’s third LP, The Biggest Prize In Sport, called for a modification, then escalated the worst song on the album, ‘Hollywood’, to the front of the set. Who wants to hear a bunch of Londoners prattling on romantically about the Sunset Strip? They also traded a decent track titled ‘Shake’ with the incredibly forgettable single ‘Found Out Too Late’. That American record labels continued to reconstruct British albums into eighties is just embarrassing.
PD-1-6256 ✰ Polydor (1980)
Lobbing a completely unprovoked and absolutely needless knee to the gut of a somewhat feeble album, the North American branch of Polydor Records decided the playlist of 999’s third LP, The Biggest Prize In Sport, called for a modification, then escalated the worst song on the album, ‘Hollywood’, to the front of the set. Who wants to hear a bunch of Londoners prattling on romantically about the Sunset Strip? They also traded a decent track titled ‘Shake’ with the incredibly forgettable single ‘Found Out Too Late’. That American record labels continued to reconstruct British albums into eighties is just embarrassing.
Published
PD-1-6256 Vinyl LP (1980)
Timeless classic...
This album released in 1980 was a spot more commercial than 999's first two albums. It continues in the tradition of great musicianship and offers some really good 'power pop' tracks. It also features some really duff tracks as the band, I believe, were struggling to find a new sound to suit the new decade. It still stands the test of the time, although you might feel tempted to skip some of the weaker tracks, which I will not itemise here! Check it out for yourself.
Still a timeless classic release in my humble opinion however!
Key Track: Fun Thing
Published
I would like to write a review (as i'm doing so for all my albums that have 4 or less reviews) but "Corkie" has done that (in my opinion already)
Just one thing .......... the band member jumping from the bars, did he break anything on landing? I ask myself !!
Just one thing .......... the band member jumping from the bars, did he break anything on landing? I ask myself !!
Published
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Catalog
4 Apr 2024
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A1
Hollywood
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A2
Inside Out
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A3
Trouble
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A4
So Long
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A5
Fun Thing
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A6
The Biggest Prize in Sport
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B1
Boys in the Gang
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B2
Found Out Too Late
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B3
Stranger
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B4
Stop! Stop!
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B5
English Wipeout
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B6
Boiler
27 Feb 2024
21 Feb 2024
20 Feb 2024
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A1
Hollywood
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A2
Inside Out
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A3
Trouble
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A4
So Long
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A5
Fun Thing
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A6
The Biggest Prize in Sport
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B1
Boys in the Gang
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B2
Found Out Too Late
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B3
Stranger
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B4
Stop! Stop!
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B5
English Wipeout
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B6
Boiler
7 Feb 2024
26 Jan 2024
17 Jan 2024
9 Nov 2023
9 Nov 2023
25 Oct 2023
31 Aug 2023
26 Aug 2023
2 Aug 2023
21 Jun 2023
9 Jun 2023
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A1
Hollywood
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A2
Inside Out
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A3
Trouble
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A4
So Long
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A5
Fun Thing
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A6
The Biggest Prize in Sport
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B1
Boys in the Gang
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B2
Found Out Too Late
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B3
Stranger
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B4
Stop! Stop!
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B5
English Wipeout
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B6
Boiler