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Awesome surf-pop Peel faves The Samurai Seven have split.
The Oxfordshire four-piece, who had been suspiciously quiet for the best part of two years, were picked up by John Peel when Radio 1 visited Oxford for Sound City in 1997, and subsequently featured in his Channel 4 show The Sound of the Suburbs. With a penchant for Beach Boys-esque three-part harmonies, they looked destined for some small-time hits until frontman Simon Williams was shot in the eye by a passing car after leaving a pub one night in 1999, shortly before the Seven were due to start recording their debut album for Shifty Disco.
Simon was left with an air gun pellet lodged in his eye and everything was put on hold. Debut album Le Sport was eventually released by local label Rotator in 2002. They probably also still hold the record for the most number of Peel sessions for an unsigned band, recording five in total.
For anyone interested, Simon, Matt and Jimmy are still working together under the guise of The Dirty Royals, you can check out their Myspace by clicking here. An EP, Obsessed America, is due to be released shortly, the title track being a carbon copy of the Samurai Seven's 'Flaming Hell Blake', with some words changed around.
Sigh.
