Strange Cruise

Last updated

Strange Cruise
Genres Pop rock
Years active1985–1986
Labels EMI
Past members Steve Strange
Wendy Cruise
Steve New
Pete Barnacle
Gary Barnacle
Steve Barnacle
Pete Murray
Frankie Hepburn

Strange Cruise was a short-lived 1980s British pop rock group, fronted by former Visage singer Steve Strange and Wendy Cruise (aka Wendy Wu, the former singer of the Photos). [1] The band released only one, self-titled album in 1986.

Contents

History

After the flop of the third Visage album, Beat Boy , and while temporarily staying off heroin after rehab, [2] Steve Strange formed a new band. Strange Cruise, contrarily to Visage, was expected to be a live touring band, initially involving Pete, Gary and Steve Barnacle (all of whom had worked with Visage), as well as Steve New. In a 1985 interview for the West German TV show Musikladen , Steve Strange stated that model Leza Cruz [3] [4] was also a singer and member of the band and that their first single would be a cover of Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On". [4] Cruz, a model and muse for Jean-Paul Gaultier at the time, [3] did not end up recording with the band, and Wendy Cruise (aka Wendy Wu) sang the vocals with Strange. [5] [6] [7]

The band went to Germany to record an album with Mike Hedges. The lead single, "Rebel Blue Rocker", was released in February 1986, but Strange claimed that their record company EMI failed to promote it, [2] and it was commercially unsuccessful. The group's album, Strange Cruise , as well as the second single, "The Beat Goes On", were also unsuccessful, and the group disbanded.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronski Beat</span> British synthpop band

Bronski Beat were a British synth-pop band formed in 1983 in London, England. The initial lineup, which recorded the majority of their hits, consisted of Jimmy Somerville (vocals), Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek. Simon Davolls contributed backing vocals to many songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Currie</span> British multi-instrumentalist

William Lee Currie is a British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Huddersfield, England. He is best known as the keyboard and strings player with new wave band Ultravox, who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visage (band)</span> British synthpop band

Visage were a British synth-pop band formed in London in 1978. The band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s, and are best known for their hit "Fade to Grey" which was released in late 1980. In the UK, the band achieved two Top 20 albums and five Top 30 singles before the commercial failure of their third album led to their breakup in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pablo Cruise</span> American pop/rock music band

Pablo Cruise is an American pop/rock band from San Francisco currently composed of David Jenkins, Cory Lerios, Sergio Gonzalez (drums), Larry Antonino, and Robbie Wyckoff. Formed in 1973, the band released eight studio albums over the next decade, during which time five singles reached the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. The group underwent several personnel changes and split up in 1986. The original lineup—Jenkins, Lerios, Price and Bud Cockrell—reunited briefly in 2004, and the group continues to tour today with two out of the original four members present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propaganda (band)</span> German synthpop group

Propaganda is a German synth-pop band formed in Düsseldorf in 1982. They signed a recording contract with ZTT Records as early as 1983 and released their first single "Dr Mabuse" in 1984. Followed by their debut studio album, the critically acclaimed A Secret Wish, in 1985. Two of the album's singles, "Dr. Mabuse" and "Duel", were UK Top 30 hits. A second studio album, 1234 (1990), was recorded with a markedly different line-up and released by Virgin Records to less success. There have been several partial reformations of the group in the 21st century, with the original vocalists currently active as xPropaganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastway (band)</span> English hard rock band

Fastway were an English hard rock band formed in 1982 by former Motörhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke and former UFO bassist Pete Way. The band went through various membership changes and Way left the band after receiving an opportunity to perform with Ozzy Osbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Revolution (band)</span> American rock band

The Revolution is an American band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979 by Prince, serving as his live band and later as his studio band. The band's sound incorporated rock, pop, R&B, funk, new wave and psychedelic elements. Along with Prince's other projects, the Revolution helped create the Minneapolis sound. By the time of their 1986 breakup, the Revolution had backed Prince on two studio albums, two soundtracks and two videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Damned Don't Cry (song)</span> 1982 single by Visage

"The Damned Don't Cry" is a song by British synth-pop group Visage, released as a single by Polydor Records in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. V. Smith</span> English musician

Timothy "T. V." Smith is an English singer-songwriter who was part of punk band The Adverts in the late 1970s. Since then he has fronted other bands, as well as pursuing a solo career.

Rusty Egan is a British-Irish pop musician and DJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Photos</span> English new wave band

The Photos were an English new wave band fronted by Wendy Wu, who had a top 5 album on the UK Albums Chart in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Strange</span> Welsh singer and pop icon (1959–2015)

Stephen John Harrington, known professionally as Steve Strange, was a Welsh singer and nightclub host and promoter. Strange began his career in several short-lived punk bands of the late 1970s. Quickly becoming disaffected by the British punk scene, he became one of the most influential figures behind the New Romantic subcultural movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which spawned the Blitz Kids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fade to Grey (Visage song)</span> 1980 single by Visage

"Fade to Grey" is a song by British synth-pop band Visage, released in November 1980 as the second single from their debut album, Visage (1980), on Polydor Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visage (song)</span> 1981 single by Visage

"Visage" is the fourth single by the British synth-pop group Visage, released by Polydor Records in July 1981. It is the title track from Visage's eponymous debut album. The single peaked at no.21 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Glove</span> 1984 single by Visage

"Love Glove" is a song by the British synth-pop group Visage, released as a single on Polydor Records in August 1984. It was the first single to be released from Visage's third album, Beat Boy, and peaked at #54 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beat Boy (song)</span> 1984 single by Visage

"Beat Boy" is a 1984 song by the British synth-pop band Visage, released as a single in November 1984.

The discography of the British new wave band Visage consists of five studio albums, eight compilation albums, one EP and nineteen singles. Formed in 1978, the band released their first single "Tar" on the short-lived Radar Records label in 1979, before signing to Polydor Records in 1980. Their second single, "Fade To Grey", was released soon afterwards and became an international hit. After three studio albums and several personnel changes, the group disbanded in 1985 though a new line-up emerged in the 2000s, again led by vocalist Steve Strange. In 2013, the band released a new album, Hearts and Knives, the first new Visage album for 29 years. The following year, the band released Orchestral, a partly live album featuring various classic Visage songs remade with a symphony orchestra. The band's final studio album, Demons to Diamonds, was released in November 2015.

<i>Strange Cruise</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Strange Cruise

Strange Cruise is the eponymously titled album by the short-lived British band Strange Cruise released on EMI. Released in 1986, it was the band's only album.

<i>Visage</i> (video) 1985 video by Visage

Visage is a compilation video by the British band Visage, released in August 1985.

<i>Hearts and Knives</i> 2013 studio album by Visage

Hearts and Knives is the fourth studio album by the British synth-pop band Visage. It was released on 20 May 2013 and was the band's first album of new material in 29 years.

References

  1. "Strange Cruise Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  2. 1 2 Strange, Steve (2002). Blitzed! The Autobiography of Steve Strange. London: Orion Publishing Group. pp. 117–119. ISBN   0-75284-936-0.
  3. 1 2 "LEZA CRUZ LOVES KATY RODRIGUEZ". www.resurrectionvintage.com. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 "YouTube title: steve strange interview 1985 part 1 (02:00)". Germany: Musikladen TV, 1985. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  5. Strong, Michael Charles. The Great Indie Discography, Edinburgh: Canongate, 2003 ISBN   1-841953-350
  6. "Cherry Red Records - Strange Cruise". Cherryred.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  7. "The Photos/Wendy Wu". Fade2grey.com. Retrieved 13 August 2014.