So you think New Jersey, US is an unlikely launch pad for a music star? How about Bromley, UK, then?
William Michael Albert Broad, a.k.a. Billy Idol, was born 1955 in Stanmore, England, deriving his stage name Idol from a schoolteacher's description of him as 'idle'.
Billy went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans. He first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. But him and bandmate Tony James soon quit and co-founded Generation X, with Billy switching from guitarist to lead singer. Generation X signed to Chrysalis Records, released three albums and performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A., before disbanding.
The year after Billy moved to New York to start his solo career, which began with the EP titled Don't Stop. This included the Generation X song 'Dancing with Myself', originally recorded for their last album Kiss Me Deadly, and a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells' song 'Mony Mony'. In 1982 Idol instantly became an MTV staple with 'White Wedding'. In an effort to introduce himself to American audiences not yet as familiar with him as those in England, Billy's label re-released 'Dancing with Myself' in the US in conjunction with a music video (directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and conceptualised by Keith Williams) that played in heavy rotation on MTV for six months. That video sparked a new era of feature film directors trying their hand at music videos, which helped make Idol a household name.
My favourite Billy Idol tracks are 'Eyes Without A Face' and 'Flesh For Fantasy'.
Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself (1981 & 1983)
1981 - UK#62, US#102
1983 - NZ#9, AUS#42
Iva Davies and Keith Welsh met in Sydney in 1977 to form the band Flowers, predecessors of what became known worldwide as Icehouse. They met as Iva was cleaner at a squash court managed by Keith's mother. The band built up a strong following as a live act around the pub circuit, providing distinctive cover versions of songs by Roxy Music (this is, where I think 'Hey Little Girl' get it's distinctive Bryan Ferry feeling), David Bowie, Lou Reed, T-Rex, Ultravox and Brian Eno. After signing to the independent Regular Records label, Flowers released their debut single in 'Can't Help Myself' in May 1980, which hit the Australian Top 10. This was followed by their debut album Icehouse, which reached AUS#4 on the National albums chart and became one of the year's biggest selling albums in Australia. Two other single releases ('We Can Get Together' and 'Walls') from the album also hit the Top 20.
In early 1981, Flowers signed to Chrysalis Records for European, Japanese, UK and US releases; and changed their name due to legal restrictions and to prevent confusion with a Scottish group The Flowers. Their last performance under the name Flowers was on 27 June 1981 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, they chose the name of their album to become known as Icehouse.
As Icehouse, the band spent the second half of 1981 touring the UK, Canada and the US; whilst Chrysalis released most of their Flowers material under the name Icehouse.
The single 'Icehouse' was released in Europe and created some interest in the UK. It had been written by Iva when he lived at 18 Tryon Road, Lindfield, in an old, cold flat of a two-storey mansion - across the street was a dishevelled house which had its lights on all night peopled by short-term residents. Iva later learned it was a half-way house for psychiatric and drug rehab patients. Icehouse split up late in 1981, Keith Welsh later becoming manager of Australian bands Do-Ré-Mi and Boom Crash Opera.
In January the following year Iva recorded Primitive Man as a solo project, it was co-produced with Keith Forsey, who had worked with Giorgio Moroder and later worked with Simple Minds. Released in August 1982 as an Icehouse album, Primitive Man reached AUS#3 and provided their international breakthrough single Hey Little Girl.
The track was re-released in 1997 to much success on the dancefloors in Europe.
So you think New Jersey, US is an unlikely launch pad for a music star? How about Bromley, UK, then?
William Michael Albert Broad, a.k.a. Billy Idol, was born 1955 in Stanmore, England, deriving his stage name Idol from a schoolteacher's description of him as 'idle'.
Billy went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans. He first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. But him and bandmate Tony James soon quit and co-founded Generation X, with Billy switching from guitarist to lead singer. Generation X signed to Chrysalis Records, released three albums and performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A., before disbanding.
The year after Billy moved to New York to start his solo career, which began with the EP titled Don't Stop. This included the Generation X song 'Dancing with Myself', originally recorded for their last album Kiss Me Deadly, and a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells' song 'Mony Mony'. In 1982 Idol instantly became an MTV staple with 'White Wedding'. In an effort to introduce himself to American audiences not yet as familiar with him as those in England, Billy's label re-released 'Dancing with Myself' in the US in conjunction with a music video (directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and conceptualised by Keith Williams) that played in heavy rotation on MTV for six months. That video sparked a new era of feature film directors trying their hand at music videos, which helped make Idol a household name.
My favourite Billy Idol tracks are 'Eyes Without A Face' and 'Flesh For Fantasy'.
Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself (1981 & 1983)
1981 - UK#62, US#102
1983 - NZ#9, AUS#42
Depeche Mode formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, England - although their origins date back to 1977, when schoolmates Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China, with Vince on vocals and guitar and Andrew on bass.
Vince then played guitar in 'Ultravox rip-off band' The Plan in 1979 with friends Robert Marlow and Paul Langwith, while Martin Gore played guitar in acoustic duo Norman & The Worms with school friend Philip Burdett on vocals. Marlow, Gore, and Paul Redmond formed a band called The French Look.
In March 1980, Vince, Martin and Andrew formed a band called Composition of Sound. Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Vince and Andrew switched to synthesizers. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Vince heard him perform at a local scout hut jam session, singing to a rendition of David Bowie's 'Heroes' - and Depeche Mode were born.
When explaining the choice for the new name, taken from a French fashion magazine, Dépêche Mode, Martin Gore said: 'It means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch. I like the sound of that.'
Martin recollects that the first time the band played as Depeche Mode was a school gig in May 1980. The band made their recording debut in 1980 on the Some Bizzare Album with the song 'Photographic', which was later re-recorded for their debut album Speak & Spell.
While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town, London, Depeche Mode were approached by Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records, who was interested in them recording a single for his label. The result of this verbal contract was their first single, recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981:
Dreaming of Me (1981) - US#47, UK#57 - non album single release (no video)
Encouraged by this, the band recorded their second single:
New Life (1981) - UK#11, IRL#22, US#29 - Speak & Spell
The next single was a relentlessly upbeat piece of synthpop, which became the band's first UK Top10 hit and it remains one of their best known songs. It was also the first Depeche Mode song to get a music video and is the only one of the band's videos to feature Vince Clarke. Depeche Mode's debut album, Speak & Spell, was released in November 1981 and peaked at number ten on the UK album charts:
Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (1981) - Speak & Spell
AUS#4, UK#8, SWE#14, IRL#16, US#26
During the touring and promotion for Speak & Spell, Vince began to voice his discomfort at the direction Depeche Mode were taking and, in November 1981, he was leaving the band. He joined up with blues singer Alison Moyet to form Yazoo and, later, the duo Erasure with Andy Bell. Initial talk of continuing to write material for Depeche Mode amounted to nothing. Vince offered them the track 'Only You, but they declined. It went on to become a UK Top3 hit for Yazoo.
In late 1981, they placed an anonymous advertisement in British music mag Melody Maker looking for another musician. Alan Wilder from Hammersmith, West London was hired in early 1982 initially on a trial basis as a touring member. In January 1982, the band released:
Depeche Mode - See You (1982) - A Broken Frame
UK#6, IRL#9, DE#44
The tour that followed the release of the single saw the band playing their first shows in North America. Two more singles were released ahead of the band's second studio album:
Depeche Mode - The Meaning of Love (1982) -A Broken Frame
UK#12, IRL#17, SWE#16, DE#64
Depeche Mode - Leave in Silence (1982) - A Broken Frame
IRL#13, SWE#17, UK#18, DE58
Depeche Mode began work on their second album in July 1982. Daniel Miller informed Alan that he was not needed for the recording of the album, as the band wanted to prove that they could succeed without Vince Clarke.
A Broken Frame was released that September and the following month the band set off on their second tour of 1982. A non-album single was released in January 1983, and was the first Depeche Mode track to be recorded with Alan:
Depeche Mode - Get the Balance Right! (1983) - non album single release
UK#13, IRL#16, US#31, DE#38
For their third album, Construction Time Again, Depeche Mode worked with producer Gareth Jones, at John Foxx's Garden Studios and at Hansa Studios in West Berlin. The album saw a dramatic shift in the group's sound: by sampling the noises of everyday objects, the band created an industrial sound.
Along with the music, Martin's songwriting was also rapidly evolving, focusing increasingly on political and social issues. An example of the new sound was on the first single, a commentary on the perceived greed of multinational corporations:
Depeche Mode Everything Counts (1983) - Construction Time Again
UK#6, CH#8, IRL#15, SWE#18, DE#23, AT#26, IT#32
In September 1983, to promote Construction Time Again the band launched a concert tour all over Europe.
Depeche Mode - Love in Itself (1983) - Construction Time Again
UK#21, IRL#27, DE#28
In their early years, Depeche Mode had only really attained success in Europe and Australia, however this changed in March 1984 when they released:
Depeche Mode- People are People (1984) - Some Great Reward
DE#1, IRL#2, UK#4, CH#4, US#13, SWE#15, IT#20, AUS#25
The song was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Olympics and also charted in the US charts in mid-1985. The song had then become an anthem for the LGBT community. In September 1984, Some Great Reward was released.
In contrast to the political and environmental subjects addressed on the previous album, the songs on Some Great Reward were mostly concerned with more personal themes such as sexual politics...
Depeche Mode - Master and Servant (1984) - Some Great Reward
DE#2, SWE#7, CH#8, UK#9, IT#27, FR#34, US#49, AUS#89
... adulterous relationships...
Depeche Mode - Lie To Me (1984)
...and arbitrary divine justice...
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1984) - Some Great Reward
IRL#8, UK#16, CH#19, DE#22, AUS#87
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1984)
********** RARE 8 min version! *********
Also included was the first Martin Gore ballad. 'Somebody' was released as a double a-side with 'Blasphemous Rumours' and was the first single with Martin on lead vocals:
Depeche Mode - Somebody (1984) - Some Great Reward
was the flip-side of Blasphemous Rumours
In October 1985, Mute Records released a compilation, The Singles 81>85, which included the two non-album singles 'Shake the Disease' (one of my personal favourites of Depeche Mode) and 'It's Called a Heart'.
Depeche Mode - Shake the Disease (1985) - Singles 81->85
DE#4, SWE#5, CH#6, IRL#9, FR#13, UK#18, IT#29
Depeche Mode's musical style shifted again in 1986 with the release of 'Stripped', and its accompanying album Black Celebration. Retaining their sampling and the industrial sound, the band introduced an ominous, highly atmospheric and textured sound. Martin's lyrics also took on darker tone and became more pessimistic. 'New Dress' would mark the last time he attempted the kind of overt social commentary.
Depeche Mode - Stripped (1986) - Black Celebration
DE#4, CH#8, CH#9, IT#14, UK#15
The music video for 'A Question of Time' was the first to be directed by Anton Corbijn, beginning a working relationship that continues to the present day. He has directed a further 19 videos (the latest being 2006's 'Suffer Well') and has also filmed some of their live performances and designed stage sets and album and single covers.
Depeche Mode - A Question of Time (1986)
Music for the Masses saw further alterations in the band's sound. David Bascombe was called to assist with the recording sessions. In making the album the band largely eschewed sampling in favour of more synth experimentation. While the chart performance of the singles the next three singles 'Strangelove', 'Never Let Me Down Again' and 'Behind the Wheel' were somewhat disappointing in the UK, they scored high in Canada, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. The album also achieved the long awaited breakthrough in the US, which would be eternally manifested by the final concert of the their promotional tour at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena - see my previous post - a concert I would do or give anything for to attend again in time travel. The '101' live album and documenary was the result. I could watch it over - and over - and over - and over, again. Orgasmic!
Depeche Mode - Strangelove (1987)
Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again (1987)
Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel (1987)
Depeche Mode - Pimpf (1987)
Depeche Mode - Little 15 (1988)
In mid-1989, the band began recording in Milan with producer Flood and engineer François Kevorkian. The initial result of this session was the single:
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (1989)
Released in January 1990, 'Enjoy the Silence' became one of Depeche Mode's most successful singles to date, reaching number six in the UK. A few months later it became Depeche Mode's biggest hit in the US, reaching number eight and earning the band a second gold single. It won 'Best British single' at the 1991 Brit Awards.
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (1990)
To promote their album Violator, the band held an in-store autograph signing at Wherehouse Entertainment in Los Angeles. The event attracted approximately 20,000 fans and turned into a near riot.
Some of those who attended were injured by being pressed against the store's glass by the crowd. As an apology to the fans who were injured, the band released a limited edition cassette tape to fans living in Los Angeles.
If, when you hear Talk Talk, the first thing you think of a certain British telecommunications company typically associated with the X Factor and dire and abysmal broadband connections - shame on you.
Talk Talk began as a quartet consisting of Mark Hollis on the vocals, Simon Brenner, Lee Harris and Paul Webb. They were generally associated with the New Romantic movement; more specifically, in their early years, they were often compared with Duran Duran, as both bands not only featured a double-barrelled name and a Roxy Music-inspired musical direction, but also shared the same record label (EMI) and producer (Colin Thurston).
Talk Talk's first album in 1982 entitled The Party's Over. The band charted with 'Talk Talk' (a remake of the The Reaction's 1977 song and 'Today', both produced by Thurston (whose other production credits include The Human League, Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo).
They were introduced to a much wider live audience in October that year when they supported a Genesis reunion concert in Milton Keynes. But the reaction of the audience to their New Romantic style that day was one more of hostility than mild acceptance, as Mark Hollis spent a lot of time on stage avoiding missiles directed at him. The irony of the situation was that it would only be a matter of three years before the band would be making music that an average Genesis audience would find acceptable.
Talk Talk achieved considerable international success in 1984/85, particularly in continental Europe, with the album It's My Life. The single release 'Such a Shame', a song inspired by the book The Dice Man, went on to become one of their most successful, charting high in Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. The title track of the album was also a Top10 hit in Italy, and made it in the US, Canadian, French, German, New Zealand and Dutch Top 40, although the album and its singles were largely ignored in their native UK.
They eventually abandoned the New Wave style completely with The Colour of Spring in 1986. This became their biggest studio album success in the UK.
Talk Talk split after their album Laughing Stock, with Mark Hollis briefly trying to embark on a solo career, however, he did call it a day soon after.
It's My Life was successfully covered by No Doubt.
Talk Talk - Talk Talk (1982)
UK#52
Talk Talk - Today (1982)
NZ#10, UK#14, IRL#16
Talk Talk - My Foolish Friend (1983)
UK#57
Talk Talk - It's My Life (1984)
IT#7, FR#25, NL#30, CAN#30, US#31, NZ#32, UK#46
Talk Talk - Such A Shame (1984)
CH#1, DE#2, IT#4, FR#7, NL#9, NZ#39, UK#49, US#89
Talk Talk - Dum Dum Girl (1984)
DE#20, CH#24, NL#31, NZ#34, UK#74
Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It (1986)
NZ#11, NL#11, IT#14, UK#16, IRL#17, CH#17, DE#24, CAN#48, FR#49, US#90
Talk Talk - Living In Another World (1986)
NL#22, CH#23, IT#26, DE#34, FR#44, UK#48
I first heard of Kim at the tender age of 9, when my twelve year older sister blasted Kids in America through our flat, jumping up and down. It was fun bouncing around the house with her. More aware I became of Kim at the release of her 1988 album 'Close' - having just proudly invested all the money I received from family and relatives for the 'Jugendweihe' (the 'Coming of Age' celebrations as a youngster in East Germany) - in my first Stereo Cassette Recorder.
Back then western media (music and TV) was prohibited from consuming, being classified as 'capitalist smut' - seriously... - but a brave Radio Station in Berlin called 'DT64' which was aimed at the younger generation was testing the communist gouvernment's limits by airing a complete album of a popular artist each weekend. One of them was Kim Wilde's 'Close'.
Kim Smith, a.k.a, Kim Wilde, daughter of 1950s Rock'n'Roller Reginald Smith, a.k.a. Marty Wilde, and Joyce Baker of The Vernons Girls, is a London girl, being born on 18 Nov 1960 in Chiswick. She attended Oakfield Prep School in Dulwich (woo-hoo, she's a neighbour! :-) before moving with her family to Hertfordshire, and completing a foundation course at St. Albans College of Art & Design in 1980. That year Kim was signed to RAK Records. She burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the New Wave classic 'Kids in America', which her brother, Ricky Smith, a.k.a Ricky Wilde, wrote for her in his bedroom. Kim shot to instant fame, particulary in continental Europe, while success in the US was largely subdued. Several successful single releases followed.
Failure of her 1983 Album Catch As Catch Can led to her leaving RAK Records and her being signed to MCA Records, where her career re-ignited with the 1984 album Teases and Dares.
Kim Wilde holds the record for being the most-charted British solo female act of the 1980s, with seventeen UK Top 40 singles. In France, she was known as the 'Brigitte Bardot of Rock' and her song 'Cambodia' sold over a million copies. A number of artists have performed covers of Kim Wilde songs, ranging from pop and rock to dance and death metal versions.
Having married and giving birth to children, Kim switched down a gear in her life, becoming a reconised Landscape Gardener. While her brother also choe the same route, her sister Roxanne is currently background singer for Kylie Minogue.
In 2010, Kim signed a new record deal with another label called Starwatch who released her eleventh studio album, 'Come Out and Play'.
Kim Wilde - Kids In America (1981)
DK#1, IRL#1, RSA#1, UK#2, SWE#2, FR3, BE#4, DE#5, CH#5, AUS#5, NL#8, NOR#9, AT#12, US#25, CAN#34
Kim Wilde - Chequered Love (1981)
RSA#1, DK#2, DE#2, CH#2, NL#2, BE#2, UK#4, SWE#6, AUS#6, FR#64
