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Formed in London in 1977, the first-generation punk outfit the Lurkers originally comprised vocalist Howard Wall, guitarist Pete Stride, bassist Arturo Bassick (born Arthur Billingsley) and drummer Manic Esso (a.k.a. Pete Haynes). Trumpteted as Britain's answer to the Ramones, the group debuted with the single "Shadow," released on the fledgling Beggars Banquet label; Bassick soon exited, and with ex-Saints bassist Kim Bradshaw, the Lurkers reached the U.K. Top Ten with the follow-ups "Ain't Got a Clue' and "I Don't Need to Tell Her." Their debut LP Fulham Fallout appeared in 1978, with God's Lonely Men arriving the next year. By the early 1980s, the Lurkers had dissolved, reuniting intermittently during the course of the decade to yield LPs including 1989's Edge of the Mountain and the live Wild Times Again. ~ Jason Ankeny