Forty years after splitting up, Perth’s punk prodigies The Trendies, have released their first album, all to help the band’s former singer now living with the degenerative brain condition Huntington’s disease (HD).

The band were a regular feature on the Scottish punk scene in the late seventies before moving to London in search of record deal that never came, until now.

The 14 track CD ‘The Trendies’ is based on sessions the band played with Capitol Radio and Radio Forth and some unreleased material previously recorded at REL Studios in Edinburgh in 1978.

All proceeds from the CD will go to help the work of the Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) the only charity in the country supporting people like former Trendy, Colin ‘Peece’ Thomson, now living with the condition.

The CD was the idea of the band’s former manager Ron Whytock, and bass player Steve Sweeney.

‘With Colin’s diagnosis there was no chance of a live comeback so we felt it would be fitting to help him out as best we could. So, pulling together existing material onto a CD seemed an obvious way of raising money, said Ron.

‘We had a pretty loyal following when the band was on the go, so we’re hoping for a few nostalgia sales.’

HD is an incurable genetic brain disorder that usually starts between the ages of 30 and 50 years. It causes three main groups of symptoms: changes to thinking processes – a type of early onset dementia, loss of muscle control and involuntary movements which lead to loss of speech and swallow and mental illness. As it progresses those affected will need 24 hour care. It is also hereditary with each child of those diagnosed at 50% risk developing the disease. There is no cure.

It is estimated there are around 1100 people living with HD in Scotland and about 5000 potentially at risk.

‘We know the difference the SHA make to the quality of Colin’s life so we would urge anyone who maybe followed us in their younger days to make a purchase and take trip down memory lane, all for a great cause,’ added Ron.

The CD is on sale with Concorde Music, Scott St, Perth and directly from Ron at rwhytock7@gmail.com

Image: Steve (front) and Ron show the The Trendies latest, and only, CD release.