Synth Futurism

Two of the main innovators of the synth generation in the UK was John Foxx and a later contributor Gary Numan. Both came out of the Punk rock scene where they embraced the fledgling futurism scene where noise and images were important backed with the domination of machines.

Most synth bands in the UK emerged from the late 1970s where the electronic sound had been pioneered by Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire. However, the workings of John Foxx and Gary Numan went a long way to producing mainstream success in the UK.

The early influences could be seen in the 1970s in Germany where Kraftwerk relied solely on digital equipment and David Bowie recorded in Berlin a number of albums that would have inspired the late 1970s acts.

John Foxx had experimented with many bands but was the original lead singer of Ultravox! where the group fused new wave, reggae and electro. The band signed to Island records and the band released 3 albums between 1977-78, they debuted with the self titled album and was quickly followed by HaHa! both were produced by Steve Lillywhite and Brian Eno.

Both albums were commercial failures but the third album systems of Romance did gain more sales and achieved more exposure particularly in America. the album was produced by Conny Plank who played a major part in the Kraut rock scene mixed with electronic music. The band was dropped by Island but they went on a self financed tour and he then decided to leave the band and was replaced by Midge Ure.

He then embarked on a solo career and signed to Virgin Records in 1980 and achieved relative success with two top 40 singles in the UK with 'Underpass' and 'No-one Driving'. His debut album 'Metamatic' fared well and broke into the top 20 in the UK album charts, one of the songs featured was 'Metal Beat' which was based on the Roland CR78 drum machine sound.

In 1981 he released the follow up album 'the garden' and peaked at number 24 in the UK album charts. Around this time he set up his own recording studio in London called The Garden. As well as recording his own material other bands used the studio such as Depeche Mode, Bronski Beat, The Cure, Brian Eno, Trevor Horn amongst very many acts.

In 1983 he released material for a film soundtrack Identification of A Woman and released his third album The Golden Section which peaked at number 27 in the UK album charts. In 1985 he released 'In Mysterious Ways' which was a commercial flop stalling at 85 in the charts, although critically many felt it was his best work, he fell out of love with music and sold up his studio and returned to his early career as a graphic artist.

He did make a return in the early 1990s at the height of the Acid Rave scene and worked with Tim Simenon (Bomb the Bass and producer for Depeche Mode) and Rave group LFO.

As for Gary Numan he rose to fame in the late 1970s with new wave/synth band Tubeway Army and the band was signed by Beggars Banquet Label and quickly released singles but to no chart success.

Gary Numan interest in the fictional Dystopian science fiction world went hand in hand with his Cold Wave style and wasn't long before the public warmed to this cold style. They hit the top of the charts with the classic 'Are Friends Electric' and the album 'Replicas' also attained the same feat.

The next offering went even bigger with the release of 'Cars' which went number one in the UK and top 10 in the UK and Top 10 in America and the album 'Pleasure Principle' also went number one in the UK. Essentially the album was a rock offering but with no guitars! instead he fed the sound through pedals to achieve the metallic sound he wanted.

He topped the album charts once again with 'telekon' which saw some hits such as 'we are glass' and I die:you die' going top 10 in the UK. After that he gradually departed form the electro scene as other acts such as Duran Duran, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode and Human League were the new guard.

He started to look at other influences such as ambient styles of Jazz, he produced the Album 'Dance' which went top 10 in the UK but after that there was a sharp decline in sales despite a very productive output of material of all different experimentations.

His influence did inspire others and many acts such as Foo Fighters, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails have cited Numan as a major influence over in the USA.

Both Numan and Foxx were big influences with the futuristic sound and beats which opened the doors for many to imitate and some even better.

Heaven 17

Heaven 17 formed in the early 1980s as a synth pop band and originated in Sheffield where there was a real hotbed of synth bands.

The band members were Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory. Ware and Marsh were previously in another Sheffield based band Human League which they formed but left the band and formed Heaven 17 With Glenn who was to be the lead singer but was not available.

Human League struck the first blow in getting mainstream success and Heaven 17 were lagging behind, they released the single 'this Fascist Groove thang' but the lyrics had a left wing style political feel and the song was banned by Radio 1 DJ Mike Reed. Subsequent single releases were not making any dent on the UK singles chart but the album 'Penthouse and Pavement' did break the top 20 in the UK.

During this period the band had set up a production company British Electric Foundation (BEF) and worked and produced for the likes of Tina Turner, Hank Marvin, Bernie Nolan and Paul Jones amongst others. The band still persevered with there own targets and they released a single in late 1982 called 'let me go' which failed by one place in hitting the coveted top 40.

However, success was only around the corner when they released 'Temptation' with guest vocalist Carol Kenyon and the song reached number 2 in the UK singles chart. The song was taken from the new album Luxury Gap which broke into the top 5 in the UK album charts. The album spawned two more singles with 'come live with me' a top 10 hit and 'crushed by the wheels of industry' which was a top 20 entrant.

The success of this album was gaining more airplay in America and the debut album was repackaged for the American audience plus the MTV generation were now seeing there video promos. They also provided under there BEF guise the backing vocals for Tina Turner comeback single 'Let's stay together'.

They released there third album 'How men are' which peaked at 12 in the UK album charts and featured the singles 'sunset now' and 'this is mine' which both made the top 40. The band also contributed to the Band Aid single at the tail end of 1984 but the band did not appear at Live Aid in 1985 it wasn't until 1986 that they played live and that was on the Channel 4 programme The Tube.

As the 1980s progressed the success declined and although albums and singles were produced they did not match the relative success of the early 1980s material. They released albums 'Pleasure One' and 'Teddy Bear, duke and Psycho' but the commercial popularity meant the band would not release any new material until the mid 1990s.

The band still go on today and made a huge comeback on ITV when they celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the First NOW album (Heaven 17 did appear on the first album with Temptation). During the 1980s the band released 5 Studio albums with a sole top 10 appearance with Luxury Gap in 1983. They also released 19 UK singles with two top 10 entries in 1983 with Temptation and Come live with me.

Hacienda Nights

During the 1980s there were plenty of venues that became iconic and none more than the Hacienda Club in Manchester.

It became the place to be during the Madchester years where the introduction of Acid House tunes from Ibiza and the whole rave scene exploded like a movement and the Hacienda was the place to be.

The club opened for business in 1982 and was owned by Factory Records and the group New Order after being sparked into action by Rob Gretton who was the manager of Joy division and New Order. The club was given it's own Factory Records number FAC51 and the idea was to have a all in one entertainment venue with live music, bars, cafe's and DJ booth.

The club slowly started to gather momentum and featured many live bands such as Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Smiths and the club also saw Madonna make her first TV appearance on The Tube where she performed Holiday at the club for TV live.

However, it wasn't till the introduction of the House music nights that the club was put on the map. Mike Pickering (later to be with M People) and Little Martin hosted Nude nights and the venue started to fill up quickly and turned the club into a operating profit. Coupled with the Madchester growth the Ibiza Hot nights were proving successful hosted again by Mike Pickering and his Co DJ Jon Da Silva.

However, the rave scene was seeing the introduction of drugs and one incident had an impact on the club when a 16 year old girl died after taking ecstacy, following a clampdown by the Police and authorities the club did close for a while until security was much more rigorous. This was to be a thorn in the club side and many issues mainly with guns inside and outside was a constant problem.

The club closed in 1997 mainly due to financial issues. The club struggled to break even as alcohol sales were so low due to the high drug taking. It was estimated by Peter Hook from New Order that it lost £18 million. The club was bought by Crosby Homes and was eventually knocked down and converted into flats. The club was a success in terms of numbers but perhaps not run by natural businessmen as Peter Hook alluded to in his book.

Whitesnake

Were a hard rock band formed in the North East of England by Lead singer David Coverdale following his exit from Deep Purple. They formed in the 1970s and went onto huge success in the 1980s in the UK and America.

They released an album in 1979 called 'Lovehunter' which broke into the top 30 and a single 'Long way from Home' barely dented the top 60 in the UK singles chart.

It wasn't until the 1980s that success started to arrive, they released the album 'Ready an willing' reaching number 6 in the UK album charts and the lead single 'Fool for your loving' peaked at number 13 in the UK. More importantly the album and single was starting to get success in America and on particular the rock radio stations were starting to plug the band.

They were starting to get noticed on there live shows particularly at Reading in 1980 which got huge feedback and opened for the likes of Jethro Tull and AC/DC. They did release a live album showcasing all there work on 'In the heart of the city' and the album also broke into the top 10 in the UK. 1981 saw the release of the next album 'Come an' get it' and this was there best to date where the UK album charts saw this piece of work reach number 2 and produced two top 40 singles including 'Don't break my heart again' gaining top 20 success.

The following saw a few personnel changes but an album was released called 'Saints and Sinners' and this spawned the classic hit 'Here I go Again', the album reached top 10 status and the new line up found time to headline the Monsters of Rock concert at Donnington Castle that same year.

1984 saw the long awaited release of 'slide it in' reaching number 9 in the UK, it was then at this point the band signed a deal with American record label Geffen and the album was remixed for the American audience and this culminated in huge hit singles 'Slow and Easy' and 'Love ain't no stranger'. The American audiences were warming to Whitesnake and this led to a more musical direction change to please that sector of audience. Coverdale set to work on the new direction and album and the result was in 1987 the release of the self titled album Whitesnake.

This proved to be there most commercial album to date and shot the band into one of the most played bands in the world. The album was a top 10 in the UK and in America it reached number 2. The album also produced some successful singles with the classic power ballad 'Is this Love' top 10 both sides of the pond and a remake of 'Here I go again' top 10 in UK and number 1 in America. Further singles were released 'Still of the night' and 'Crying in the rain' proved huge success. However the success may have come partly to the heavy rotation play of the video promos which featured Tawny Kitaen who Coverdale would later marry.

The album wasn't without it's critics as many felt the band sold out for commercial gain but pleasing everyone is a hard job.

During the 1980s the band suffered various personnel changes but they managed to come together for the 1989 release 'Slip of the Tongue' the album again proved a worthy successor and produced 3 quality singles 'fool for your loving', 'the deeper the love' and now your gone', not as successful as the previous album singles but they were a hard act to follow.

A tour ensued including headlining Monsters of rock festival but by 1990 Coverdale decided the band should stop and a Hiatus for Coverdale was the result for a few years until he went back to work with Jimmy Page. During the 1980s the band released 6 studio albums all going top 10 in the UK and they released 18 singles in the UK with two top 10 hits 'Is this Love' and 'Here I go again' both stalling at number 9 in 1987.

Echo & the Bunnymen

Were a post punk rock band that formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line up consisted of Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant, Les Pattinson and a drum machine who was consequently replaced by Pete De Freitas on the drums.

The seedlings were formed in 1977 when McCulloch was in a 3 piece band called The Crucial three with Julian Cope (Later Teardrop Explodes) and Pete Wylie (Later Mighty Wah!), Wylie then left and the band continued with new members called Shallow Madness but Cope then sacked McCulloch and the band became Teardrop Explodes. McCulloch formed Echo and the Bunnymen and the band made there debut in Liverpool supporting Teardrop Explodes!

They released some early material in 1979 but it was 1980 they would make there mark on the mainstream market. They released there debut album Crocodiles and the album broke into the  top 20 in the UK album charts and the debut single Rescue reached a credible 62 in the UK singles chart. The album was produced by amongst others Ian Broudie who would go on to bigger fame with Lightning Seeds and that England collaboration with Baddiel and Skinner, he would produce a lot of the bands material. The album was greeted with great acclaim by the critics where many compared to the American group The Doors.

On the back of that opener they released a follow up in 1981 Heaven up Here and this received even bigger acclaim and commercial success with the album breaking the Top 10 and the single 'A Promise' peaking at 49 in the UK singles chart. The success on the singles chart was only around the corner and the 'Back of Love' broke into the top 20 and this was followed up by a top 10 single 'the Cutter' which peaked at number 8. The album that followed 'Porcupine' hit the dizzy heights of number 2 in the UK albums charts and the band had well and truly arrived into the consciousness of the public. A further top 10 followed with the release of the classic 'The Killing Moon' which was a prelude to the classic eighties album 'Ocean Rain', two more singles followed which hit the top 20 'silver' and 'Seven Seas'.

But with every great album, the follow up is always a difficult one and this proved to be the point with the band. They released the single 'Bring on the dancing horses' which again hit the top 20 and they released a compilation album songs to learn and sing and although it reached number 6 all was not good in the band. The drummer De Freitas left the band, then returned for the self titled album in 1987. Success in America was elusive but they did get some success with the recording of the Doors classic 'People are strange' for the Lost Boys film soundtrack.

In 1988 McCulloch left the band to pursue a solo career and the drummer De Freitas was killed in a motorbike crash in 1989 whilst travelling home.

The band were very productive in the 1980s releasing 5 studio albums with 3 going top 10, and in terms of singles they released 16 singles with 2 going top 10.

Old Grey Whistle Test

The old grey whistle test initially started in the early seventies and ran until it's demise in 1987. The programme was on BBC2 and was on late to attract the attention of the more serious rockers in the country.

The setting was in a small room to give that more ambient feel. The programme was presented by DJ Bob Harris or Whispering Bob due to his quiet voice and laid back style. He left the programme in 1978 as the programme was falling behind the times and relying on nostalgia and possibly it's lack of recognition of Punk and New Wave.

Annie Nightingale took over the anchor role to make the programme contemporary, she was the first female DJ on Radio 1 and is currently the longest serving DJ with over 40 years service. She helped the programme embrace new styles such as Punk and New Wave. She was also famed for the first DJ on Radio to play music from CD's.

Also other presenters came on the scene with Andy Kershaw, Dave Ellen, Dave Hepworth and Richard Skinner joining the ranks, All of them had connections with Radio 1 and Hepworth and Ellen were noted writers for music magazines such as NME, Sounds and Smash Hits. Those four also took the helm for the 1985 Live Aid concert shown on BBC for the greatest live show ever.

The programme moved to a mid evening slot in 1983 and the title was shortened to whistle Test and the programme finished on a live broadcast on New Years Eve 1987 with live sets by The Eagles and Meatloaf.

The programme did introduce a lot of acts to the UK audience where other programmes didn't go. We saw the first appearances of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Judas Priest, Billy Joel, Heart and also US punk Band New York Dolls who Bob Harris panned as 'mock rock'.

Following the Dolls appearance we then were introduced to the likes of the Adverts, Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Ramones, The Jam and the Clash. The alternative scene was also blossoming and the whistle test introduced from America REM and also Manchester's The Smiths. It also introduced the UK audience to the Glam Metal scene but by the time that was running the programme was pulled by the BBC and the Whistle Test was no more.

The show did become the blueprint for many other shows that followed with the live music feel but old father time called on the Whistle test and all we have now is memories.