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.
Orange Juice were a Scottish jangle pop band founded in the Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976. They became Orange Juice in 1979, and became perhaps the most important band in the Scottish independent music scene that emerged in the post-punk era, inspired by contemporary punk bands including Subway Sect, Television, and Buzzcocks but also 1960s acts, most notably the Byrds and the Velvet Underground. Musically, the band brought together styles and genres that often appeared incongruous, for example, country, disco and punk.
Ambrosia is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1970. Ambrosia had five Top 40 hit singles released between 1975 and 1980, including the Top 5 hits "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part of Me", and Top 20 hits "You're the Only Woman " and "Holdin' on to Yesterday". Most of the original band members have been active with the group continuously since their 1989 reformation to the present day, with the notable exception of original guitarist and lead vocalist David Pack who left in 2000.
The Wake are a British post-punk, synth-pop and later indie pop band, formed in Glasgow in 1981 by Gerard "Caesar" McInulty, Steven Allen (drums) and Joe Donnelly (bass), the latter replaced by Bobby Gillespie. Steven's sister Carolyn Allen also joined on keyboards, and remained in the band thereafter. Gillespie left the band in 1983, replaced by Martin Cunning and then by Alexander 'Mac' Macpherson.
The Crossing is the debut album released by Scottish band Big Country in July 1983. The album reached #3 in the UK; overseas, it hit #4 in Canada on the RPM national Top Albums Chart and #18 in the US on the Billboard 200 in 1983. It went on to be certified platinum in the UK and Canada. It contains the song "In a Big Country" which is their only U.S. Top 40 hit single.
Rose McDowall is a Scottish musician who formed Strawberry Switchblade with Jill Bryson in 1981.
52nd Street was a British jazz-funk and R&B band formed in Manchester in late 1980. Throughout the 1980s the group enjoyed success not only in the UK but also on the Billboard chart in the United States. Their biggest and best-known hit single was "Tell Me ", released in 1985 by the 10 Records subsidiary of Virgin Records in the UK, and then months later on in 1986 on MCA Records in the US.
Dalek I Love You were a synthpop group from the Wirral, England. At various points in their existence, the band was also known as Dalek I. Record executives at Phonogram shortened the band's name without telling them for the "Freedom Fighters" single.
David Balfe is a musician and record company executive, most notable for playing keyboards with the Teardrop Explodes, founding the Zoo and Food independent record labels, signing Blur and for being the subject of their first number one hit, "Country House".
Eric Michael Stewart is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as a founding member of the rock groups the Mindbenders with whom he played from 1963 to 1968, and likewise of 10cc from 1972 to 1995. Stewart co-owned Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England, from 1968 to the early 1980s, where he recorded albums with 10cc and artists including Neil Sedaka and Paul McCartney. Stewart collaborated with McCartney extensively in the 1980s, playing on or co-writing songs for McCartney's solo albums Tug of War (1982), Pipes of Peace (1983), Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984), and Press to Play (1986). Since 1980, Stewart has released four solo studio albums.
Boris Peter Bransby Williams is a French musician, best known as the drummer for The Cure from 1984 until 1994, and for forming the band Babacar in the late 1990s.
Tina Root, also now known as Tina Minero, is an American classically trained female vocalist and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She was the lead singer of Switchblade Symphony during the mid- to late-1990s. Her latest work included a solo performance and recording project, Tre Lux, and a partnership project, called Small Halo, with guitarist and fellow songwriter George Earth.
Timothy Michael Pope is a film director most known for his music videos, for having directed feature films, and for a brief pop career.
"Jolene" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Dolly Parton. It was produced by Bob Ferguson and recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee on May 22, 1973, then released on October 15, 1973 by RCA Victor as the first single and title track from her album of the same name.
Into a Circle were an English new wave duo, formed in April 1985 by Paul "Bee" Hampshire and Barry Jepson, two former members of the band Getting the Fear. Jepson had also previously been the bassist for Southern Death Cult from 1981 to 1983.
The Hits Album 2 or Hits 2 as it is often called, is a compilation album that was released in April 1985 in the UK. The spine of the album as well as the inside cover lists the title as HITS 2 THE ALBUM. It was released by CBS and WEA. It reached #1 in the UK Top 100 Album Chart for 6 weeks. Selected tracks from this and the first album were released on VHS and Betamax by CBS/FOX Video, under the title The Hits Video.
Suck on the Pastels is a compilation album by The Pastels, released in 1988. It consists of a number of singles and B-sides released by the band between 1983 and 1985, as well as three tracks from a BBC session recorded in 1984. Tracks 4, 6 and 7 come from this session. The Rough Guide to Rock writes that it "served to maintain the band's profile during a largely unproductive 1988."
"Lover Come Back to Me" is a 1985 single by the English pop band Dead or Alive, produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. It was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, Youthquake. The single peaked at No. 11 in the UK, No. 3 in South Africa, No. 5 in Switzerland, No. 2 in Germany, No. 13 in Australia and No. 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Strawberry Switchblade is the only studio album released by the Scottish new wave duo Strawberry Switchblade.
"Since Yesterday" is a song performed by Scottish synth-pop duo Strawberry Switchblade, the lead single from their self-titled album. It became their only major hit.
