The Teazers

{{Short description|British pop music group}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = The Teazers

| image = File:The Teazers Live at The Junction Cambridge May 6 2024.jpg|

| caption = The Teazers Live at 'Mods Mayday' - The Junction Cambridge May 6, 2024

| image_size =

| background = group_or_band

| alias =

| origin = Bury St. Edmunds

| instrument =

| genre = Mod revival, power pop

| occupation =

| years_active = 1978–1983, 2023-Present

| label = Hoffy Music Productions™

| associated_acts =

| website = [http://www.theteazers.com/ theteazers.com]

| current_members = Paul Hopfensperger (1978-1983 & 2023-Present)
Nigel Stemp (1978-1980)
Lee Jabobs (1978-1980 & 2023-2024)
Pete Hawtin (1981-1983)
Andrew Leong-son (1981-1983)
Simon Rutherford (2023-2024

| past_members =

}}

The Teazers are a British pop music group, commonly associated with the 1970s mod revival. They formed in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1978, with lead singer/guitarist Paul Hopfensperger, bass player/backing vocalist Lee Jacobs and Nigel Stemp on drums. They were known for their Jam inspired sound. The Teazers dis-banded in 1983 when their bass player from their second line-up, Andrew Leong-son, left to go to university.{{cite web |date= |title=The Teazers (history) |url=https://www.paulhopfensperger.com/musician |access-date=19 April 2025}}{{cite web |date= |title=The Teazers (Music from The East Zone) |url=https://www.musicfromtheeastzone.co.uk/bands_artists/TEAZERS__THE.htm |access-date=19 April 2025}} They re-formed with two of the three original band members, Paul Hopfensperger and Lee Jacobs and a new drummer, Simon Rutherford, for a Mods Mayday Concert in May 2024. The concert, which was at the Cambridge Junction in Cambridge, included 70s mod bands The Face, The Killermeters, The Chords and Squire.{{cite web |date= |title=Mods Mayday 2024 Cambridge |url=https://cambridge105.co.uk/event/mods-may-day-cambridge/|publisher=John Gannon's 60s Scene, Cambridge Radio|access-date=20 April 2025}}{{cite web |date= |title=Celebrating 45 Years of Mods Mayday in Cambridge |url=https://modsofyourgeneration.com/celebrating-45-years-of-mods-may-day-2024/|publisher=Mods of Your Generation|access-date=20 April 2025}}

Career

Following the dis-banding of Phaze II in the mid 1970s, a band formed with David "Harry" Harris, Sean Oliver, Nick Pamment, Steven Gosbee and Paul Hopfensperger, 15 year old singer/guitarist Hopfensperger formed The Teazers in 1978 with his good friend from the Bury St Edmunds Swimming Club, Nigel Stemp, (13). They were joined by Lee Jacobs (15) on bass who was a friend of Paul's.{{cite web |date= |title=The Teazers - Everything Starts with a Dream |url=https://www.paulhopfensperger.com/musician |access-date=21 April 2025}}

File:The Teazers lead a Mod revival - Article from The Citizen 1979.jpg

Inspired by the punk movement at the time, but in particular by bands including Dr. Feelgood, The Beatles, The Who and The Jam, their first gig was a 'Rock Against Racism' (RAR) gig on November 4th, 1978 at Lansbury House, in Bury St Edmunds which included their version of Pretty Vacant by The Sex Pistols.{{cite web |date=8 February 2020 |title=The Teazers - 'Rock against Racism' Live at Lansbury House 04/11/1978 |url=https://www.facebook.com/TheTeazers |access-date=21 April 2025}} RAR was chosen to support Hopfensperger's friend and former Phaze II colleague Sean Oliver who had suggested the idea to him. The young mod band played in some of the roughest pubs in Bury St Edmunds at the time, including the renowned 'Rockers' pub The Griffin.

They started to gain a large following in the town and were soon picked up by the local press who published an article on them in June 1979 stating:

{{quote|

THERE'S a Mod revival afoot in Bury and it's being led by what must be one of the youngest groups in the country.}}

Discography

=Singles=

  • The System (1981)
  • Dreaming of You (1981)
  • The Shape of Things to Come (1981)
  • Alison (1982)

=EPs=

  • Teenage Angst (1982) - Cassette only, originally released as Life in The Modern World
  • Teenage Angst (2018) - 12" Vinyl EP{{cite web|title=Mod vinyl released 36 years on to help hospice |publisher=Suffolk News |url=https://www.paulhopfensperger.com/musician|access-date=19 April 2025}}
  • Teenage Angst (2022) - Digital Download released on all major streaming platforms

References

{{Reflist}}