Monday, January 28, 2013
King
The 1980s saw another band gain great success from the city of Coventry. The Specials and the Selector earned rave reviews in the start up of the Ska music and the set up of the infamous 2 Tone label. Another band that came from Coventry was new wave band King.
King formed in 1984 and the band consisted of Paul King, Mick Roberts, Tony Wall and Jim Lantsbery. There early influences was Ska music which was prevalent around that time in Coventry and the midlands and they carried on in that vain.
The Ska movement came to a natural end so the band had to adapt to the changing scene of Britain and the band changed image and there genre of music.
Paul King went for a radical look with long hair and spiky on top wearing sprayed Doc Marten's and the band followed suit with a large array of hair and bright colours. The band existence was only 2 years but they made a significant impact on the album and single charts.
Initially the single 'Love and Pride' was released in 1984 but failed to make any impact on the chart but following an appearance on Saturday Morning TV programme performing the song, the song was re-released and hit the heights of number 2 in the UK singles chart. The band released 2 albums debuting with 'steps in time' in 1984 and the album reached number 6 in the UK album charts. The follow up was 'bitter sweet' which peaked at number 16 and soon after the band disbanded.
In terms of singles the band enjoyed 5 top 30 hits, begiining with the most successful 'love and pride' at number 2. The follow up 'won't you hold my hand now' reached 24, towards the end of 1985 'alone without you' hit the top 10 and reached number 8 and 'the taste of your tears' reached number 11. Early 1986 saw the last single release 'torture' reach number 23.
Soon after that Paul King disbanded King and pursued a solo career but unfortunately was not as successful. He went on famously to be a VJ (video Jockey) for MTV and latterly VH1 working mainly on the charts and vintage music. Although there existence was short it had successes with there music, style and the videos they produced. Paul King also helped revolutionise the VJ role and gave TV and music a whole new dimention.
To listen to more King
Happy Mondays
Although the band made huge cultural music influences in the 1990s, the band origins began in the 1980s and they were soon to revolutionise the music and dance scene with there own brand of music that would see Madchester born.
The band consisted of 6 mates who were Shaun and Paul Ryder, Mark Day, Gary Whelan, Paul Davis and Bez. The band hailed from Salford, Greater Manchester and they came to prominence when local man by the name of Tony Wilson liked the look of them at a battle of the bands contest held at the Hacienda Club in Manchester.
There music consisted of a fused style of indie guitar, northern soul and house music. There music would encourage many DJ's to mix there music which would sound better in a club environment.
The Madchester scene had exploded and the clothes and style were equally important as the music, the Mondays style was more of a hippy and psychedlic look with baggy jeans and tops and the hairstyles were long hair. Suddenly long hair and flared jeans were cool again.
There popularity saw them as the face of the rave scene in the UK and also numerous tours saw them as one of the must bands to see where they played all over the world and also took part in the infamous Glastonbury festival.
The first album they released was the long titled 'Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile' (White Out), the title was the main theme for the 2002 film '24 hour party people' which documented the story of Factory Records and the whole Madchester scene. The album was released in 1987 but didn't make any impression on the charts but in 1988 they released 'bummed' which was produced by Martin Hannett of Joy Division fame. The album reached number 59 in the UK album charts and was seen as a positive moment in the Happy Mondays musical development.
They released 3 EP's in the 1980s and one of them was the key to there breakthrough. They released the '45' ep in 1985 but in 1989 they released the infamous 'Madchester Rave on' EP which broke through into the top 20 and featured 'Hallelujah' and 'Rave on' the EP was very influenced by Acid house and rave music which appealed to the clubbers.
Later on in the year they released 'Hallelujah' EP a 7 track EP which featured the title track as well as 'clap your hands' and 'WFL'. The 1980s saw Happy Mondays release 6 singles but only one reach the top 70 with 'WFL'peak at number 68. They also released 'tart tart' and '24 hour party people' but sadly they didn't make an impression on the charts.
They were soon to enjoy bigger success as the 1990s started and there influence could be seen as the whole club and rave scene developed.
For further listening
Monday, January 21, 2013
Dark side of the 1980s
Sisters of Mercy and The Mission
When looking at the dark side of the 1980s it really features the genres of Goth rock, Alternative rock and Indie Guitar rock. Two of the biggest players were Sisters of Mercy and The Mission who made major impact on the UK charts.
The sisters of mercy were formed in 1980 and began as a quartet Doktor,Eldritch,Marx and Adams. Andrew Eldritch was see as the main singer and the single 'temple of love' helped the band achieve major success and Wayne Hussey joined the band to help cement there upcoming success. However, the band started to fragment and Adams and Hussey left the band to form Sisterhood but Andrew Eldritch protested about the similar name and they decided to change it to The Mission.
With Andrew Eldritch left to his own self devices he went on to produce the new 'floodland' album with Jim Steinmann. The album featured the classic song 'this corrosion' which peaked at number 7 in the UK charts and this was followed up by 'dominion' and 'lucretia my reflection' also hitting the top 20 UK singles chart. When the album was released he essentially wotked with a drum machine and Patricia Morrison on bass, who was to feature heavilly on the marketing of the album as the gothic lady. As the eighties drew to a close, the band saw several line up changes but essentially Andrew Hildritch has remained the regular in the band.
The Mission were formed from Sisters of Mercy with Adams and Hussey joining forces with Mick brown and Simon Hinckler as a four piece Gothic rock band in 1986.
They released 3 albums in the 1980s with debut 'Gods own medicine' in 1986 and was followed up by 'The first chapter' in 1987 and 'children' in 1988. The album 'gods own medicine' reached number 14 in the UK album charts and the 'Children' reached a healthy number 2 in the charts and was widely regarded as there best album.
In terms of single success, they enjoyed plenty of releases and hits but only 2 went into the top 20 UK singles charts during the 1980s. The first was 'wasteland' that peaked at number 11 in 1987 and this was followed in 1988 by 'tower of strength' which reached the heights of number 12 in the charts.
The late 1980s saw a real power struggle in the sales between the two and on the evidence, the Mission were more productive in terms of albums and live dates where they often headlined festivals. Quite often groups form out of others by musical differences and usually end up playing the same type of music like the Human league/heaven 17 scenario but there is no doubt these two bands had plenty of ideas to satisfy there legion of fans.
Recommended purchasing or further listening
The Jesus and Mary Chain and Spear of Destiny
Jesus and Mary Chain were a alternative rock band from Scotland formed in 1983 with the brothers Reid at the helm.
The band relocated to London and courted controversey with there live sets where violence would occur and a lot of councils banned them fearing they were the new Sex Pistols. However, on the single front they released 'upside down' which was one of the best selling indie singles of the 80s and stayed in the indie charts for over a year.
This led to a new record deal and the release of the iconic album 'psychocandy' and from that 2 singles were released that hit the top 50 'never understand' and 'just like honey'. The album peaked just outside the top 30. The band continued touring but beset with problems such as playing later than planned and more violence occurred at the venues.
They did some work on radio 1 for the John Peel show and released a stripped down version of 'some candy talking' which went to number 13 in the charts. However, the song was banned by radio 1 as there was in there opinion a song that championed drugs.
A second album 'Darklands'followed in 1987 and the title track was released as a single, the album reached number 5 in the UK album charts. Also the album saw a top 10 single 'April Skies' and towards the end of the 1980s a third album was released 'Automatic' the album was not a great success but the singles 'head on' and 'blues from a gun were released. Despite what went on in the 1980s, the band split in 1999 but reformed in 2007 and still rocking.
Spear of destiny were another alternative rock band that formed in 1983 and the founding members Kirk Brandon, Stan Stammers, Chris Bell and Lascelle James.
During the 1980s the band released 5 albums Grapes of wrath, one eyed jacks, world service, Outland and the price you pay. World Service and Outland albums both hit the top 20 UK album charts.
The singles chart success was limited but in 1987 'never take me alive' from the outland album was a top 15 hit in the UK single charts and this led to more exposure to the public. On the back of that there live shows were selling out and also a support tour with rock giants U2.
The band has gone through various personnel changes but Kirk still remains despite his illness in the 1980s which saw the band put everything on hold whilst he recovered and the band are still touring and releasing material as late as 2010.
Recommended listening or purchasing
New Model Army v Fields of Nephilim
New Model Army (NMA) were a punk/alternative rock band which formed in Bradford in the 1980s. They took the name from Oliver Cromwell army.
The band was led by Justin Sullivan and the band worked closely with punk poet Joolz Denby who was there first manager and wrote some lyrics to help the band. The band released 4 studio albums in the 1980s starting with the debut 'Vengeance' in 1984 followed by 'No rest for the wicked' on the heels of this they released 'The ghost of cain' and finished the decade with 'Thunder and consolation'.
The last album 'Thunder and consolation' reached number 20 in the UK album chart which represented there best effort on the charts.
The band released 10 singles in the UK during the 1980s starting with the debut 'Bittersweet' in 1983 and ending the decade with 'Green and Grey'. There best effort on the UK singles chart was in 1985 when the single 'No rest' peaked at number 28.
The band will be best remembered for the logo and artwork on there records and merchandise, also in some quarters they will also be remembered for some of there lyrics which were very powerfully politically motivated with humanitarian messages. One famous song '51st state'was about American Imperialism which gained them popularity at the time but basically any hope of cracking America dissapeared. The band are still active under justin and released a studio album as late as 2009 with
'Today a good day'.
The Fields of Nephilim are a true hard core gothic band who hailed from Stevenage in the early 1980s.
The band consisted of lead singer Carl McCoy, Gary Wisker, Tony Pettit, Paul Wright and Alex Wright. Although commercially they have not hit the heights but they have influenced many other bands with there hard hitting sound.
They had an unusual look wearing cowboy western clothes with big hats and dusters to give that rough look. They released two albums in the 1980s with the debut 'dawnrazor' in 1987 and a year later followed with 'nephilim'. The latter peaked at number 14 in the UK album charts to critical acclaim.
During the 1980s they released 6 singles debuting with 'power' in 1987. There last 2 singles of the decade reached the top 40, with the iconic 'moonchild' peaking at 28 and the follow up 'psychonaut' reaching number 35.
The band went into a split in the early nineties when lead singer McCoy left the band to pursue other music and the rest carried on but in a different name. The original band did get back together for a tour and have released new material, the name and the look still remains iconic and one of those bands that has mystique about them. The music was loud and produced to the maximum to concentrate on the guitar and bass with a lot of there work produced by Pink Floyd producer Andy Jackson.
Recommended listening or purchasing
All about Eve v Cocteau Twins
All about Eve consisted of Julianne Regan on vocals backed with Andy Cousins and Tim Briceno. There type of sound was associated to alternative rock with a hint of Goth rock.
The band released a number of independent singles ranging from with 'D for Desire' and 'In the clouds' amongst others.
The band did have links with The Mission where Julianne sang on there album 'Gods own medicine' The band enjoyed mainstream success and released 2 albums in the 1980s.
They debuted with 'All about eve' and 'Scarlet and other stories'. The 2 albums hit the top 10 in the UK album charts. The debut album peaked at number 7.
In terms of singles released, the band released 11 singles in the UK and enjoyed 2 top 30 singles in the UK, where 'Martha's harbour' reached number 10 and the follow up single 'What kind of fool' peaked at number 30.
Martha's harbour was unusual song as it just featured an acoustic guitar and the sound of the sea. However, the band featured on BBC Top of the Pops where they had to mime the song but when they were due to go, the sound was not transmitted to the band so they sat there quiet whilst the audience could hear everything! as a result of that the band were invited back next week to perform and the surge of interest in the song saw sales rise.
A band that formed in late 1979 as a alternative rock band from Scotland.
The original band consisted of Elizabeth Fraser on vocals and supported by Rob Guthrie, Will Heggie and Simon Raymonde.
The main focal point of the band was Fraser soprano vocals which made words hard to decipher but was incredibly enchanting and went with the mood of the music they offered.
The band released 6 albums in the 1980s debuting with 'Garlands' in 1982 and ending the decade in 1988 with 'Blue bell knoll'.
In terms of UK album chart success, two of the albums went top 20 with 1986 'Victoria land' peaking at number 10 and in 1988 'blue bell knoll' reaching a credible 15 in the charts.
In terms of UK charts single success the band released 10 singles mainly EP's and debuted in 1982 with Lullabies EP and ending the decade with 'Carolyns fingers' which did not chart.
Only 1 single broke the top 40 which was 'Pearly-dewdrops drops' which peaked at 29 in 1984. The success duly arrived in the nineties when after the house and madchester scene, there was a market for there more ambient sound and some of there earlier material was used.
The band eventually split in 1996 due to personal issues for Fraser and Guthrie but the sound they made still holds relevance and the vocals of Fraser and the sound they produced was quite unique. Recommended listening or purchasing
When looking at the dark side of the 1980s it really features the genres of Goth rock, Alternative rock and Indie Guitar rock. Two of the biggest players were Sisters of Mercy and The Mission who made major impact on the UK charts.
The sisters of mercy were formed in 1980 and began as a quartet Doktor,Eldritch,Marx and Adams. Andrew Eldritch was see as the main singer and the single 'temple of love' helped the band achieve major success and Wayne Hussey joined the band to help cement there upcoming success. However, the band started to fragment and Adams and Hussey left the band to form Sisterhood but Andrew Eldritch protested about the similar name and they decided to change it to The Mission.
With Andrew Eldritch left to his own self devices he went on to produce the new 'floodland' album with Jim Steinmann. The album featured the classic song 'this corrosion' which peaked at number 7 in the UK charts and this was followed up by 'dominion' and 'lucretia my reflection' also hitting the top 20 UK singles chart. When the album was released he essentially wotked with a drum machine and Patricia Morrison on bass, who was to feature heavilly on the marketing of the album as the gothic lady. As the eighties drew to a close, the band saw several line up changes but essentially Andrew Hildritch has remained the regular in the band.
The Mission were formed from Sisters of Mercy with Adams and Hussey joining forces with Mick brown and Simon Hinckler as a four piece Gothic rock band in 1986.
They released 3 albums in the 1980s with debut 'Gods own medicine' in 1986 and was followed up by 'The first chapter' in 1987 and 'children' in 1988. The album 'gods own medicine' reached number 14 in the UK album charts and the 'Children' reached a healthy number 2 in the charts and was widely regarded as there best album.
In terms of single success, they enjoyed plenty of releases and hits but only 2 went into the top 20 UK singles charts during the 1980s. The first was 'wasteland' that peaked at number 11 in 1987 and this was followed in 1988 by 'tower of strength' which reached the heights of number 12 in the charts.
The late 1980s saw a real power struggle in the sales between the two and on the evidence, the Mission were more productive in terms of albums and live dates where they often headlined festivals. Quite often groups form out of others by musical differences and usually end up playing the same type of music like the Human league/heaven 17 scenario but there is no doubt these two bands had plenty of ideas to satisfy there legion of fans.
Recommended purchasing or further listening
The Jesus and Mary Chain and Spear of Destiny
Jesus and Mary Chain were a alternative rock band from Scotland formed in 1983 with the brothers Reid at the helm.
The band relocated to London and courted controversey with there live sets where violence would occur and a lot of councils banned them fearing they were the new Sex Pistols. However, on the single front they released 'upside down' which was one of the best selling indie singles of the 80s and stayed in the indie charts for over a year.
This led to a new record deal and the release of the iconic album 'psychocandy' and from that 2 singles were released that hit the top 50 'never understand' and 'just like honey'. The album peaked just outside the top 30. The band continued touring but beset with problems such as playing later than planned and more violence occurred at the venues.
They did some work on radio 1 for the John Peel show and released a stripped down version of 'some candy talking' which went to number 13 in the charts. However, the song was banned by radio 1 as there was in there opinion a song that championed drugs.
A second album 'Darklands'followed in 1987 and the title track was released as a single, the album reached number 5 in the UK album charts. Also the album saw a top 10 single 'April Skies' and towards the end of the 1980s a third album was released 'Automatic' the album was not a great success but the singles 'head on' and 'blues from a gun were released. Despite what went on in the 1980s, the band split in 1999 but reformed in 2007 and still rocking.
Spear of destiny were another alternative rock band that formed in 1983 and the founding members Kirk Brandon, Stan Stammers, Chris Bell and Lascelle James.
During the 1980s the band released 5 albums Grapes of wrath, one eyed jacks, world service, Outland and the price you pay. World Service and Outland albums both hit the top 20 UK album charts.
The singles chart success was limited but in 1987 'never take me alive' from the outland album was a top 15 hit in the UK single charts and this led to more exposure to the public. On the back of that there live shows were selling out and also a support tour with rock giants U2.
The band has gone through various personnel changes but Kirk still remains despite his illness in the 1980s which saw the band put everything on hold whilst he recovered and the band are still touring and releasing material as late as 2010.
Recommended listening or purchasing
New Model Army v Fields of Nephilim
New Model Army (NMA) were a punk/alternative rock band which formed in Bradford in the 1980s. They took the name from Oliver Cromwell army.
The band was led by Justin Sullivan and the band worked closely with punk poet Joolz Denby who was there first manager and wrote some lyrics to help the band. The band released 4 studio albums in the 1980s starting with the debut 'Vengeance' in 1984 followed by 'No rest for the wicked' on the heels of this they released 'The ghost of cain' and finished the decade with 'Thunder and consolation'.
The last album 'Thunder and consolation' reached number 20 in the UK album chart which represented there best effort on the charts.
The band released 10 singles in the UK during the 1980s starting with the debut 'Bittersweet' in 1983 and ending the decade with 'Green and Grey'. There best effort on the UK singles chart was in 1985 when the single 'No rest' peaked at number 28.
The band will be best remembered for the logo and artwork on there records and merchandise, also in some quarters they will also be remembered for some of there lyrics which were very powerfully politically motivated with humanitarian messages. One famous song '51st state'was about American Imperialism which gained them popularity at the time but basically any hope of cracking America dissapeared. The band are still active under justin and released a studio album as late as 2009 with
'Today a good day'.
The Fields of Nephilim are a true hard core gothic band who hailed from Stevenage in the early 1980s.
The band consisted of lead singer Carl McCoy, Gary Wisker, Tony Pettit, Paul Wright and Alex Wright. Although commercially they have not hit the heights but they have influenced many other bands with there hard hitting sound.
They had an unusual look wearing cowboy western clothes with big hats and dusters to give that rough look. They released two albums in the 1980s with the debut 'dawnrazor' in 1987 and a year later followed with 'nephilim'. The latter peaked at number 14 in the UK album charts to critical acclaim.
During the 1980s they released 6 singles debuting with 'power' in 1987. There last 2 singles of the decade reached the top 40, with the iconic 'moonchild' peaking at 28 and the follow up 'psychonaut' reaching number 35.
The band went into a split in the early nineties when lead singer McCoy left the band to pursue other music and the rest carried on but in a different name. The original band did get back together for a tour and have released new material, the name and the look still remains iconic and one of those bands that has mystique about them. The music was loud and produced to the maximum to concentrate on the guitar and bass with a lot of there work produced by Pink Floyd producer Andy Jackson.
Recommended listening or purchasing
All about Eve v Cocteau Twins
All about Eve consisted of Julianne Regan on vocals backed with Andy Cousins and Tim Briceno. There type of sound was associated to alternative rock with a hint of Goth rock.
The band released a number of independent singles ranging from with 'D for Desire' and 'In the clouds' amongst others.
The band did have links with The Mission where Julianne sang on there album 'Gods own medicine' The band enjoyed mainstream success and released 2 albums in the 1980s.
They debuted with 'All about eve' and 'Scarlet and other stories'. The 2 albums hit the top 10 in the UK album charts. The debut album peaked at number 7.
In terms of singles released, the band released 11 singles in the UK and enjoyed 2 top 30 singles in the UK, where 'Martha's harbour' reached number 10 and the follow up single 'What kind of fool' peaked at number 30.
Martha's harbour was unusual song as it just featured an acoustic guitar and the sound of the sea. However, the band featured on BBC Top of the Pops where they had to mime the song but when they were due to go, the sound was not transmitted to the band so they sat there quiet whilst the audience could hear everything! as a result of that the band were invited back next week to perform and the surge of interest in the song saw sales rise.
A band that formed in late 1979 as a alternative rock band from Scotland.
The original band consisted of Elizabeth Fraser on vocals and supported by Rob Guthrie, Will Heggie and Simon Raymonde.
The main focal point of the band was Fraser soprano vocals which made words hard to decipher but was incredibly enchanting and went with the mood of the music they offered.
The band released 6 albums in the 1980s debuting with 'Garlands' in 1982 and ending the decade in 1988 with 'Blue bell knoll'.
In terms of UK album chart success, two of the albums went top 20 with 1986 'Victoria land' peaking at number 10 and in 1988 'blue bell knoll' reaching a credible 15 in the charts.
In terms of UK charts single success the band released 10 singles mainly EP's and debuted in 1982 with Lullabies EP and ending the decade with 'Carolyns fingers' which did not chart.
Only 1 single broke the top 40 which was 'Pearly-dewdrops drops' which peaked at 29 in 1984. The success duly arrived in the nineties when after the house and madchester scene, there was a market for there more ambient sound and some of there earlier material was used.
The band eventually split in 1996 due to personal issues for Fraser and Guthrie but the sound they made still holds relevance and the vocals of Fraser and the sound they produced was quite unique. Recommended listening or purchasing
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Queen in the 1980s
Although the band started in the 1970s, they were just as prolific in the 1980s. The band consisted of John Deacon, Brian May, Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury and they enjoyed some huge success with albums such as Sheer Heart attack, a Night at the Opera and news of the world.
The 1980s saw the success continue and they went on to become one of the biggest rock acts in the world, culminating in the performances at Wembley for Live Aid and there magic tour. The 1980s saw the release of the album 'The Game' which saw the release of 'crazy little thing called love' and 'another one bites the dust'. Both songs went on to top the charts in America and this maintained there growing success in America.
There live tours bought huge success particularly in South America where they regularly played to crowds of over 100,000 at various stadia in Argentina and Brazil. Following the tour they did a collaboration with David Bowie and the result was 'Under pressure' which went to number one in the UK charts. Later that year in 1981 they released there first greatest hits album 1974-81 which went to number one but also became the greatest selling album ever in the UK. The album spent over 8 years in the chart.
In 1982 they released a new album 'Hot Space' the album was a mix of pop, funk and disco which was a break away from the norm of rock. However,a break away from touring and a new label 1984 saw the release of a new album 'The Works' and this saw three huge hits in the UK 'radio ga ga', 'hammer to fall' and 'I want to break free'. The album did well in the UK and stayed in the charts for over a 100 weeks but the album did not do well in America.
A tour followed with dates in Sun City, South Africa but they did insist it was played before integrated audiences. In 1985 Queen played at Live Aid concert at Wembley. Queen and in particular Freddie gave one of the most mesmeric performances ever seen at a concert. Where 80,000 people were unison in clapping and singing to all the Queen classic Radio gaga. On the back of that success they released a one off single 'One Vision' and after a rest the band went back to work on a new album for a new Hollywood blockbuster Highlander.
They released the album 'Its a kind of magic'. The title track was released as well as 'who wants to live forever'. The band was to go back on the road and a huge tour saw a live album recorded at Wembley which featured all there classic hits. In total over 1 million saw Queen on what was there final tour with freddie.
Queen remained inactive for a few years as Freddie worked on solo projects with Montserrat Caballe but they got back together in 1989 to work on 'The Miracle' in 1989. The album featured huge hits such as 'I want it all', 'breakthru' and 'the miracle'. The 1980s saw a busy period for Queen and also the band worked on solo projects in between. Live Aid saw the very best of Queen and rock music was the winner.
Recommended listening
The Cult
A band that formed in the 1980s as primarily as a punk band then went onto a more heavier sound as the decade progressed.
The band formed in 1983 in Bradford and currently consists of Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy, Chris Wyse and John Tempesta. There have been many changes in the band but Ian and Billy have remained throughout the various guises.
The band went through various name changes and eventually settled on The Cult at the height of Goth Rock. The original band toured with Goth Legends Bauhaus. The new band released a single 'Gods zoo' in 1983 and following this a tv appearance on Channel 4 The Tube help gain more recognition.
The first album that went to press was 'Dreamtime' and the single 'spiritwalker' was released and this was quickly followed by the single 'go west (crazy spinning circles)' the album was released and went to number 21 in the UK charts. The success of this album opened up more doors and there was recording seession done on BBC radio Richard Skinner show to display there talents.
They released another single 'resseurection joe' and this was followed up with more UK tours supporting bands such as Big Country and The Mission. In May 1985 The Cult made there mainstream breakthrough when they released there iconic hit 'she sells sanctuary' which went to number 15 in the charts and the single remained in the top 100 for almost 6 months.
The band then went to work and released a new album called 'Love' the album reflected a more psychedelic sound and the album reached number 4. Two more singles followed 'rain' and 'revolution' both hit the top 20 in the UK charts and the success was starting to gather.
The next piece of work to appear was the album 'peace' which was recorded in the UK but unhappy with the sound they went to America to work with the famous producer Rick Rubin. The first release was 'love removal machine' and 'lil devil and 'wildflower' soon followed, the new album was renamed as 'electric' following the rework by the band and Rick Rubin and the album went on to become there best selling album to date.
The success of this was helping there status in America and they went on to tour with a fresh band called Guns n Roses supporting them! The next album saw a few personnel changes and another famous prodcuer Bob Rock went to work on the album 'sonic temple' which went top 10 in the UK and across the pond in the USA and this produced 2 further singles 'firewomen' and 'edie (ciao baby) also had success. The band had a lot to endure with various changes but the perserverance of Ian and Billy ensured the band gained the success they deserved in the UK and Amercia.
Recommended listening
Adam and the Ants
The 1980s was full of colourful characters but one of them was Adam Ant and his merry band of Ants. The band started in 1977 as a punk band then shifted through various changes during the new wave era and towards the new romantic period
.
The band made several personnel changes from the original band where three went on to form Bow wow Wow. However, one that remained was Adam Ant. The original band had limited success with the album Dirk wears white sox.
During 1980 the band welcomed new members Marco Pirroni, Kevin Mooney, Terry Lee and Chris Hughes. The band started a tour without any record deal and soon they were snapped up by CBS and they got to work on Kings of the Wild Frontier.
The album was a huge success and it hit the top of the charts and spawned three singles Kings of the Wild Frontier, Antmusic and Dog eat Dog which all hit the top 10. Antmusic was at number 2 and was kept of the top by John Lennon. Further personnel changes occured when Mooney left the band and was replaced by Gary Tibbs.
Late 1981 they released a new album Prince Charming which saw Adam Ant alter-ego change from a pirate to a dashing young prince. Again the album was a huge success and soon the band were hot property appearing on every programme and magazine. The album saw 2 number one singles, the first was 'stand and deliver' and this was followed by 'prince charming' both went number one for a total of 9 weeks. They released a third single named 'ant rap' which went to number 3 in early 1982.
The band were at the top of there peak and then it all ended suddenly. Adam Ant decided to dissolve the band before a nationwide tour and he embarked on a solo project. He enlisted the help of Marco Pirroni as he helped write most of the Ants biggest hits.
His solo career kicked off in fine style when he went to number one with 'goody two shoes'. As the decade wore on and styles changed unfortunately he took a decline in sales.
The band will be remembered not just for its music but also it's videos that accompanied them. The success of these videos made an impact in America and in particular on MTV. There videos were seen as fun and often camp and theatrical but they did enlist some big names from music and film.
Actress Diana Dors starred in the Prince Charming video and 1960s pop star Lulu starred in Stand and Deliver video. For all the fun and campiness they did play some good music and inspired many artistes to put the glam back in rock and pop.
Recommended listening
One in Ten UB40
In terms of single chart success only Madness could match UB40 in terms of weeks in the charts during the 1980s. The boys from Birmingham started out in the late seventies but came to prominence in the 1980s on the back of the ska revival which saw a taste for reggae and dub rise.
A multi cultural band consisted of the Campbell brothers Ali and Robin, Brian Travers, Astro, Earl Falconer, Jim Brown, Norman Hassan, Mickey Virtue. The name of the band was derived from the infamous DHSS form for the unemployed UB40 to which most of the band were when they formed the group.
The band began playing locally around the Birmingham area and got a good following mainly due to cultural backgrounds with a mix of English, Scottish, Irish, Jamaican and Yemeni. Birmingham was quite a mixed place so the appeal of the band spread far and wide. Following quickly they supported The Pretenders and released there first single in 1979 called King which hit the top 10 on a local independent record label and released an album called 'signing off' in recognition of them no longer claiming unemployment benefit.
The 1980s then saw the band at it's prolific best, The band set up it's own record label DEP International and in 1982 enjoyed a top 10 hit with 'one in ten' but 1983 saw the band hit commercial over drive when they released the album 'labour of love' which featured copies of old reggae songs from the 1960's and 70's. The album went number 1 and the first single release 'red red wine' also went number in the UK and USA. They then released 'many rivers to cross', 'please don't make me cry' and 'cherry oh baby' which all went top 20.
The band were enjoying success in the UK and America. The band went to work to capitalise on this new found success and the next album 'geffrey morgan' saw moderate success and the single 'if it happens again' went top 10 but a couple of more releases including 'riddle me' failed to make the top 40.
1985 saw a better return and a number one single in the UK. They released the Sonny and Cher classic 'I got you babe' with Chrissie Hynde who gave them there first support tour all the way back in 1979. On the back of this 'don't break my heart' went top 3 and they were back on form again. In 1986 they released the album 'rat in the kitchen' and the first release was the Jamaican/African song 'sing our own song' hit number 5 and the toasting classic 'rat in mi kitchen' hit the top 20 but 2 further releases struggled to hit the top 40 'all i want to do' and 'watchdogs'.
1987 saw another top 10 hit with 'breakfast in bed' featuring Chrissie Hynde and a release of there greatest hits also gave the next generation a reminder of what material UB40 had amassed. Towards the end of the 1980s saw several single releases but none hit the top 10, the band were still producing good material but the sales were now starting to reduce. They saw possible redemption when they released a new album 'labour of love II' and the single releases of 'homely girl' and 'kingston town' both hit the top 10 and this was a welcome return to form by the Birmingham gang. The band were very influential in bringing and maintaining reggae into the mainstream and thoroughly enjoy there status as the most successful non Jamaican reggae stars.
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