Ever Fallen in Love: The Lost Buzzcocks Tapes

by Pete Shelley, Louie Shelley, Henry Rollins (Foreword)

Newly discovered recordings of a music legend in his own remarkable punk, Buzzcocks and the inspiration behind some of greatest songs ever written

"Lots of great stories... A fascinating insight."
- JOHN MAHER, Buzzcocks

"Pete and Buzzcocks were there right from the beginning."
- BERNARD SUMNER, Joy Division & New Order

"A true gentleman and a great artist and songwriter."
- PETER HOOK, Joy Division & New Order

When Pete Shelley, lead singer of legendary punk band Buzzcocks, passed away in 2018 we lost the chance to hear one of music's brightest stars tell his story.

Or so it seemed.

Now,  recordings have surfaced of a series of remarkable interviews  in which Pete tells the story of his life, his band and his place at the beating heart of the punk explosion in fascinating detail.

Recorded over a series of late-night calls with a close friend, the tapes hear Pete talk song-by-song through Buzzcocks releases to reveal  the personal memories behind the music  and the inspiration for masterpieces such as 'Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)' and 'What Do I Get?'.

Published for the first time and with the blessing of Pete's estate,  Ever Fallen In The Lost Buzzcocks Tapes  is a tribute to a founding member of punk and a chance to hear  one of music's true visionaries tell his own story at last.

"Shot through with self-doubt and mild regret, Pete Shelley's lovesick pop classics have a bittersweet charm that will forever speak to the young romantic"
- JOHN COOPER CLARKE

"Buzzcocks were the blue touchpaper for my love of music. Pure pop met punk and the result was perfection."
-TIM BURGESS, The Charlatans

Genres: Music, Punk, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, 21st Century

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2021

Reviews

[Daniel Blok · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sure, an interesting book if you’re a Buzzcocks fan, but you really have to be a big fan, otherwise this is, at times, rather tiresome. We learn that Pete Shelley was a very nice guy indeed, polite, patient and articulate. And that he was blessed with an excellent memory of the genesis of all his songs and album sleeves, and was able to recall endless details about other people and bands and shows and rehearsals, etc. Interesting, sure.

But the interviews he did with friend/journalist Louie Shelley (no relation) – which is the body of this book – often do not transcend the level of an article in a school paper. Pete Shelley politely and tirelessly answers all her questions, and everytime you think ‘Yes, now here’s something, now ask more, dig deeper,’ reporter Shelley moves on to the next question on her list. Therefore, the person Pete Shelly remains somewhat aloof, half-hidden between his stories and memories.

This could have been better.

[Alvin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Voltaire once said that the surest way to be a bore is to tell everything, and this book bears that out. Though I love the Buzzcocks and Pete Shelley without measure, I gave up halfway through because the interesting bits were drowned in a sea of tedious, inconsequential minutiae. Sad, because a competent editor could have taken this as raw material, thrown out two thirds of it, ordered the rest into some sort of narrative, and created a good book.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You cannot help but read Pete Shelley's responses and hear his dulcet tones in your head. I never got around to seeing the Buzzcocks first time around, the closest being when I had the choice of seeing them or the Only Ones one night in Edinburgh. I chose the Only Ones, not expecting the Buzzcocks to split up. Fortunately I saw them a number of times after they reformed.

Back to the book. This is a must have for fans of the Buzzcocks. Naturally Pete concentrates on the songs he wrote/co-wrote but Steve Diggle's tunes are not ignored. Tinged with sadness that he is no longer with us, however so grateful for Louie Shelley still having the recorded conversations she had with Pete.

Highly recommended.

[DJ Yossarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a Buzzcocks fan, read this. Today, if you can.

Pete Shelley gives the behind the scenes story to every Buzzcocks song from the band's original incarnation, some in greater detail than others. It's great to hear these tales in his own words --he comes off as the lovable and relatable person you'd imagine him to be.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insight into all the songs buzzcocks have done .. good background detail on Shelley etc

[Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was on its way to a three star rating until I read the final chapter. *Spoiler warning* the last chapter features some boring muso chatter about guitars and whatnot before making claims, mostly unsubstantiated, that everyone and everything was influenced by Buzzcocks. Whilst I’m not disputing the huge influence they had on the independent music scene, Manchester, bands and culture; some of the claims are so tenuous and ridiculous that finishing the book then became a real chore. Shame.

[Nestor Rychtyckyj · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Buzzcocks were always the unsung heroes of the British punk rock world. They weren’t notorious like the Pistols or political like the Clash; they were never sensationalized in the music press and their music was never banned. They couldn’t even get arrested, but they put together a string of sensational records that matched anything that came out anywhere or anytime in the world. The fact that they then reunited and recorded new music was a bonus that never stopped giving. Pete Shelley’s tragic passing in 2018 seemingly put a stop to this band, but Steve Diggle has carried on and the latest Buzzcocks album carries on that tradition.

The Buzzcocks don’t even have too much written by or about them. Finally, we have something on this great band. This book really focuses on the songwriting of Pete Shelley; it is based on a set of interviews done with the him covering their original burst of creativity after they had signed to United Artists. Unfortunately, “Spiral Scratch” is not discussed here, but all of the other songs that we had played and sang along to are here. There are also sorts of interesting tidbits here with memories of Manchester interspersed with recording adventures and tour stories. You are immediately impressed by his memory as he brings up all sorts of crazy details about each song as well as discussing the artwork that went on the covers. Many of the great “Buzzcock” songs were written before the band ever existed and even before that famous show where the Pistols played Manchester and helped put that city on the music map. Pete Shelley could write a brilliant song faster than most of us could put “Orgasm Addict” on our turntable. The “lost tapes” end with Pete’s solo career after the initial breakup of the band. I saw the Buzzcocks many times and every single performance would take you to a place where life is absolutely perfect. It’s sad that he’s gone but their music will live forever….

[Tim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever Fallen in Love: The Lost Buzzcocks Tapes is a raw, revelatory dive into the heart of punk's poetic soul, seen through the eyes of one of its most enigmatic voices. Compiled and contextualized by Louie Shelley, this collection of interviews, reflections, and unpublished musings from Pete Shelley offers a rare backstage pass into the formative years and artistic mindset of the Buzzcocks frontman. What sets this book apart isn’t just its archival treasure trove of previously unheard audio transcriptions, but the intimate sense of honesty and vulnerability that emerges from Pete's own words—funny, tender, incisive, and often beautifully self-aware. It captures not just the rise of a band, but the evolution of a thinker, a lover, and an accidental icon.

More than a mere nostalgia trip, the book repositions Shelley as a thinker ahead of his time—his thoughts on gender, politics, identity, and artistry feel urgent and contemporary even decades later. Louie Shelley’s careful curation and commentary provide just enough structure without overshadowing Pete’s unique voice, allowing readers to feel like they’re eavesdropping on late-night pub conversations or studio-side chats. For fans of punk, music history, or simply good writing with soul, this is a deeply affecting and essential read. A must-have for those who want to hear what others missed—and what Pete was always trying to say.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plan was to read this at a leisurely pace but instead - similar to a three minute punk song - I couldn't help but race through it. The book is a fascinating insight to the formation of Buzzcocks, with comments from interviews with Pete Shelley on the writing of their songs up until they first disbanded, and finally an essay that explains their legacy. This last section, whilst predominantly true, does gush a bit (there's almost an intimation that Pete's early love of the internet is pivotal in creating the internet we have today), but that's simply indicative of the affection towards him. Other than this minor quibble, this is an excellent book that captures the excitement of their records and a wistful nostalgia of a time where everything seemed possible.

My favourite Buzzcocks songs (at time of writing): Everybody's Happy Nowadays / What Do I Get? / Promises / Harmony In My Head / I Believe / You Say You Don't Love Me.

Ever Fallen In Love is essential reading for anyone who has ever fallen in love with Buzzcocks and knows that they were right to do so.

[Christopher Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, Pete was a total genius a wonderful man and produced work that will stand forever. But this book is dire. Full of tiresome waffle and the old "it's grim up North" "not like that their London" trope. It had me tearing my hair out at the dumb stereotypes. This book is so dumb.

I met Pete and Howard and Steve many times in town (Manchester). It was a lot of fun. Peter Mc deserves better than this tripe.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful book based on interviews carried out with Pete in the years before his untimely passing.

The interviews cover all Buzzcocks songs up to their split in 1981. It's topped and tailed with narrative about how Buzzcocks came to be, and a review of Shelley/Buzzcocks impact on their times.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of Buzzcocks, this is essential reading. For people interested in the history of the punk movement and the Manchester scene, this is well worth reading. For people with no interest in the development of alternative music, this will not appeal.

[Andy Holdcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fascinating read: enjoyed it thoroughly. What a loss. Witty, insightful & detailed & beautifully put together/edited/narrated. Really recommend it to Buzzcocks fans and all lovers of authentic music by authentic musicians.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful memories & fascinating insights - the soundtrack to my youth.

[John Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hotchpotch of a book. The title itself is misleading. A good chunk of it is a series of interviews given by Pete Shelley with close friend and one time journalist on the Manchester music scene, Louie Shelley (no relation).For me, this was the most interesting part - Pete talking about the writing of the songs, their recording, art work of record sleeves etc and biographical background, led by L.S. But the writing as such is not by Pete Shelley; nor the “wrapping up” of the book which seeks to put forward the influence of Buzzcocks on other artistes, bands and life in general.

It rather skirts around Pete’s untimely death 4 years ago. I now feel the need to get to know Pete the person better. I’ve always liked their stuff, have many of their albums, seen them live but now need more ...