The Teardrop Explodes were an English new wave band that released three 1979–80 singles on Liverpool indie Zoo, followed by the 1980–81 Mercury albums Kilimanjaro and Wilder. They gained US airplay with the neo-psych evergreen “When I Dream” and scored UK hits with the 1981 singles “Reward,” “Treason (It’s Just a Story),” and “Passionate Friend.”

Julian Cope led the band through multiple iterations that successively featured Paul Simpson (Wild Swans, Care), Alan Gill (Dalek I), and Alfie Agius (Interview, The Fixx).

Members: Julian Cope (vocals, bass), Gary Dwyer (drums), Michael Finkler (guitar, 1978-80), Paul Simpson (keyboards, 1978-79), Ged Quinn (keyboards, 1979), David Balfe (keyboards, 1979-80, 1981-82), Alan Gill (guitar, 1980), Troy Tate (guitar, 1980-81), Jeff Hammer (keyboards, 1981), Alfie Agius (bass, 1981), Ron François (bass, 1981), Ted Emmett (trumpet, 1981)

Background

The Teardrop Explodes sprung from A Shallow Madness, the fourth in a sequence of unrecorded bands that bassist/singer Julian Cope formed with fresh talent on the Liverpool new wave scene.

Cope (b. October 21, 1957; Deri, Caerphilly) spent his childhood in Aberfan, Wales, and his adolescence in Tamworth, Staffordshire. In 1976, he moved to Liverpool to attend college and swiftly immersed in the local music scene.

On May 7, 1977, he attended the first Northwest show by The Clash at Eric’s Club (Liverpool’s new wave hotspot) on their White Riot Tour, a package blitz with The Jam, The Slits, and Subway Sect. During the show, Cope met fellow music-goer Pete Wylie, who introduced Julian to Ian McCulloch, a third aspiring musician who celebrated his 18th birthday that night. They formed The Crucial Three, named on the premise of their predestined fame.

For the next month, the Crucial Three rehearsed in the garage of a fourth member (drummer Steve Spence) and conceived three songs: the Cope/McCulloch numbers “Read It in Books” (a subsequent Teardrop/Bunnymen song), “Robert Mitchum,” and “Spacehopper” (both resurrected as Cope solo numbers). Within weeks, McCulloch’s ego clashes with Cope triggered the band’s collapse.

In December 1977, Cope and Wylie formed The Nova Mob with bassist Pete Griffiths and drummer Peter Clarke (aka Budgie), the rhythm section of local punks The Spitfire Boys, whose single “British Refugee” (b/w “Mein Kampf”) appeared that fall on RKO. The Nova Mob collapsed after one show. Wylie joined the unrecorded Crash Course and found fame as the mastermind of Wah! Heat.

In mid-1978, Cope reteamed with McCulloch in Uh!, an acoustic trio with drummer Dave Pickett. After two performances, they morphed into A Shallow Madness, a quintet with organist Paul Simpson and guitarist Michael Finker. By September, they collapsed amid renewed ego clashes between Cope and McCulloch, who broke off and formed Echo & The Bunnymen.

Cope retained Simpson and Finkler for The Teardrop Explodes, named after a panel caption in issue No. 77 of the Marvel Comics series Daredevil. He first uttered the name to a bemused Gary “Rocky” Dwyer, a Liverpool clubgoer who took up drums for Cope’s new band, which quickly built a live following.

The Teardrop Explodes signed with Zoo Records, the indie venture of Liverpool music entrepreneurs David Balfe and Bill Drummond, both recently of the shambolic proto-supergroup Big In Japan.

1979

“Sleeping Gas”

On February 16, 1979, Teardrop Explodes debuted with the “Sleeping Gas,” released as a Zoo maxi-single with “Camera Camera” and “Kirkby Workers Dream Fades,” all group-credited originals produced by Balfe and Drummed under their joint moniker ‘Chameleons.’

A1. “Sleeping Gas”
B1. “Camera Camera”
B2. “Kirkby Workers Dream Fades”

The Teardrops recorded all three songs on December 1, 1978, on 4-track at MCVU (Merseyside Visual Communications Unit). Zoo pressed “Sleeping Gas” in a red-flamed sleeve with striped labels and monochrome member pics (back). In May, Zoo repressed the single in a blue-framed sleeve.

“Sleeping Gas” appeared as Zoo’s third release between singles by Those Naughty Lumps (“Iggy Pop’s Jacket,” CAGE 002) and the debut of Echo & The Bunnymen (“The Pictures On My Wall,” CAGE 004). Bunnymen’s first b-side was the first-recorded version of the Crucial Three song “Read It In Books.”

The Teardrops performed “Camera Camera” on What’s On, a Granada TV music program hosted by Passage mastermind Dick Witts with BBC Radio Manchester presenter Mike Riddoch and future Coronation Street actress Margi “Margox” Clarke.

“Bouncing Babies”

On March 15, 1979, the Teardrop Explodes played a double-bill with The Cure at the Fan Club in Leeds. By now, Simpson (whose organ dominated the first single) rivaled Cope in stage presence. The two decided that each needed his own band, hence Simpson’s departure. The Teardrops cut their second single as a trio at Amazon Studios, Liverpool, with producer Mike Burson, a soundman for Welsh priest and folkster Father Francis. Meanwhile, the Teardrops hired aspiring painter Ged Quinn (then 16) as their second keyboardist.

On June 22, 1979, Zoo released the second Teardrop Explodes single: “Bouncing Babies” and “All I Am Is Loving You,” both group-written numbers from Paul Simpson’s tenure but recorded by the trio of Cope, Finkler, and Dwyer.

A. “Bouncing Babies”
B. “All I Am Is Loving You”

“Bouncing Babies” appeared in a yellow/monochrome sleeve with abstraction and complementary labels. In Manchester, the single’s fleeting availability inspired a song by punk parodists The Freshies: “I Can’t Get Bouncing Babies by the Teardrop Explodes.”

The Teardrops embarked on a brief UK tour with Quinn, whose membership ended in July when co-manager David Balfe edged his way into the band as keyboardist. Quinn joined Simpson’s new band, The Wild Swans.

1979 Live Shows

On August 2, the Teardrops and Echo & the Bunnymen performed in London on a multi-bill with Joy Division and Essential Logic at the Prince of Wales Conference Centre on Tottenham Court Road.

On Monday August 27, the Teardrops, Bunnymen, and Joy Division played the Leigh Rock and Music Festival, which also featured sets by A Certain Ratio, Crawling Chaos, and fellow Mersey newcomers Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark and Lori & the Chameleons, a Zoo Records minimal-wave trio with singer Lori Lartey and the Balfe/Drummond team, who organized the event with Factory Records boss Tony Wilson. Despite the festival’s equidistance between the post-punk hubs of Liverpool and Manchester, Leigh proved too obscure and inaccessible for such an event, which only drew around 300 attendees.

On Sunday, September 9, the Teardrop Explodes played Day Two of Futurama, a weekend festival event at Queens Hall in Leeds with Cabaret Voltaire, The Edge, The Fall, Fischer-Z, Monochrome Set, The Only Ones, Punishment of Luxury, and Scritti Politti. The following Saturday, the Teardrops and Bunnymen did a conquering heroes double-bill at Eric’s Club, supported by Zoo signees The Expelaires.

On October 10, the Teardrop Explodes cut a session for BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, whose 10/15 broadcast aired four songs: one exclusive (“Chance”) and three earmarked for their debut album (“Brave Boys Keep Their Promises,” “Ha Ha I’m Drowning,” “Went Crazy”).

On November 11, the Teardrop Explodes played London’s Lyceum Theatre as part of a multi-act bill with The Beat, Flowers, and headliners The Human League. On December 21, the Teardrops and Bunnymen played Camden’s Electric Ballroom with Scritti Politti, Expelaires, and A Flock of Seagulls, a recent offshoot of Liverpool post-punks Tontrix.

1980

On Mar 23, 1980, the Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen returned to the Lyceum for another multi-act bill, this time with A Certain Ratio, Eric Random, Manicured Noise, and The Psychedelic Furs.

“Treason (It’s Just a Story)”

On March 28, 1980, the Teardrop Explodes released their third single: “Treason (It’s Just a Story),” written during the trio phase (Cope, Dwyer, Finkler) and backed with “Read It In Books,” a Crucial Three song (Cope/McCulloch) released as a recent b-side by Echo & the Bunnymen.

A. “Treason (It’s Just a Story)”
B. “Read It In Books”

The Teardrops recorded the single at Fullham’s T.W. Studios with Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, the production team behind Madness. Langer hailed from Liverpool legends Deaf School (a forerunner in the Northwest musical resurgence) and currently led The Boxes.

“Treason (It’s Just a Story)” appeared in a plain blue sleeve as the eighth and final consecutive release on Zoo, which preceded with the Expelaires’ “To See You” (CAGE 007) and resurrected two years later for the Wild Swans’ one-off “The Revolutionary Spirit” (CAGE 009).

On April 24, the Teardrop Explodes cut their second Peel session for the DJ’s 4/24 broadcast, which aired rough cuts of three songs slated for their debut album: “Thief of Baghdad,” “When I Dream,” and “The Poppies In the Field.”

As sessions progressed on their album, Cope and Balfe replaced Mick Finkler with guitarist Alan Gill, an ongoing member of Balfe’s earlier band Dalek I Love You. Gill introduced Cope to psychedelic drugs, which affected the singer’s manner and outlook.

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes released their first album, Kilimanjaro, on October 10, 1980, on Mercury.

Kilimanjaro contains re-recorded versions of the first three Teardrops a-sides (“Sleeping Gas,” “Bouncing Babies,” “Treason”) and seven new originals, including the fan favorites “Thief of Baghdad,” “Ha Ha I’m Drowning,” and “When I Dream,” their fourth single.

All post-Simpson songs are co-credited to Julian Cope, drummer Gary Dwyer, and guitarist Michael Finkler apart from “Went Crazy,” a Cope/Finkler number. Side Two contains “Books,” a title-abridged second version of the Cope/McCulloch song that Echo & the Bunnymen also re-recorded for their concurrent debut album, Crocodiles.

Midway through the Kilimanjaro sessions, Finkler cleared for Alan Gill, who plays guitar on “Poppies in the Field,” “Books,” and “When I Dream.”

1. “Ha Ha I’m Drowning” (2.53)
2. “Sleeping Gas” (3.45)
3. “Treason” (3.05)
4. “Second Head” (3.10)
5. “Poppies in the Field” (5.03)
6. “Went Crazy” (2.38)
7. “Brave Boys Keep Their Promises” (2.30)
8. “Bouncing Babies” (2.28)
9. “Books” (2.37)
10. “Thief of Baghdad” (3.09)
11. “When I Dream” (5.10)

The Teardrops foreshadowed the album with “When I Dream,” released on September 5 as their fourth single, backed with the exclusive “Kilimanjaro,” the namesake album’s missing title track.

B. “Kilimanjaro” (4:30)

Sessions took place at Rockfield Studios, a lavish countryside facility in the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, in Cope’s native Wales, where sessions ran concurrently for Compass Kum’pas, Gill’s debut album with Dalek 1.

The Teardrops cut “When I Dream” and the re-recorded “Books” with ex-Gong bassist Mike Howlett, whose growing list of production credits included 1979/80 albums by Fischer-Z (Word Salad), Punilux, The Revillos, Martha + The Muffins, and the second OMD album, Organisation.

They re-cut “Treason” with the team of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who also produced “Poppies In the Field” in sequence with titles by Langer’s Boxes (Splash), Yachts, ex-Deaf School singer Bette Bright, and the second Madness album, Absolutely.

Balfe and Bill Drummond produced the balance of Kilimanjaro in sequence with Crocodiles and the second Lori & The Chameleons single, “The Lonely Spy.” Rockfield staffer Hugh Jones engineered the two albums amid 1980 projects with Adam & The Ants (Kings of the Wild Frontier) and The Damned (The Black Album).

Kilimanjaro shows the Teardrop Explodes in a shadowy, half-lit, haphazard pose (with Gill, far left) by photographer Brian Griffin, whose imagery also appears on Crocodiles and 1978–80 sleeves for Bill Nelson, Dire Straits, Gloria Mundi, Joe Jackson (Look Sharp), Lene Lovich, and Peter Hammill (The Future Now).

In 1981, Mercury reissued Kilimanjaro as a twelve-song album with their subsequent hit “Reward.” The cover for this version shows Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro with zebras in the foreground. Meanwhile, the Teardrop Explodes performed an October 27, 1980, session for BBC DJ Mike Read, whose broadcast aired rough takes of “Reward” and three additional new songs: “Suffocate,” “For Years,” “The Great Dominions,” the last of those reworked for their second album. All four tracks appear with their Peel cuts on BBC Sessions, disc three of the 2010 Kilimanjaro deluxe edition.

Kilimanjaro reached No. 24 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 25 in New Zealand. The Teardrops embarked on an autumn 1980 UK tour that included dates with the Thompson Twins in Norwich (10/29: University of East Anglia) and Leeds (11/6: The Fan Club).

1981

As 1980 wrapped, a road-weary Alan Gill refocused his attention on Dalek I. The Teardrop Explodes hired guitarist Troy Tate, a Liverpool native who cut the 1978 single “Index” with Cheltenham punk rockers Index and two recent singles with Shake, a Rezillos spinoff. Meanwhile, Balfe returned to management amid creative conflicts with Cope.

“Reward”

On January 23, 1981, the Teardrop Explodes released their fifth single: “Reward,” a song developed by Cope from melodies that Alan Gill conceived just before his departure. The b-side, “Strange House In the Snow,” is a Cope/Balfe co-write.

A. “Reward” (2:44)
B. “Strange House In the Snow” (4:44)

The Teardrops recorded “Reward” at London’s Trident Studios with Langer/Winstanley and co-produced “Strange House In the Snow” with Hugh Jones.

The “Reward” video takes places in a run-down industrial setting where the band and their entourage roll in on a vintage jeep clad in Depression-era pauper attire. As Dwyer and Tate blast trumpets on a watchtower, Cope (scarf, fur-trimmed leather) walks about the aged brick grounds and sings to the lone squatters. As night takes hold, they gather around a campfire then ride off.

The Teardrop Explodes mimed “Reward” on the Top of the Pops for the BBC music program’s February 19 broadcast, which also featured in-studios by the Stray Cats (“Rock This Town”), Toyah (“It’s a Mystery”), and Headgirl, the union of Motorhead and Girlschool (“Please Don’t Touch”). The Teardrops appeared as a six-piece with Cope, Dwyer, Tate, a guesting Balfe (trumpet), and two new members: keyboardist Jeff Hammer and bassist Alfie Agius, both London musicians hired for live work. Agius played on Snakes and Lovers, the 1980 second album by Bath pop-rockers Interview.

“Reward” reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 11 in Ireland. Meanwhile, The Teardrop Explodes embarked on their first tour of the US, where Mercury issued Kilimanjaro, with “Reward” and another Langer/Winstanley track, “Suffocate,” in lieu of “Second Head” and “Bouncing Babies.”

Meanwhile, Hugh Jones remixed “Treason (It’s Just a Story)” for re-release as an April 1981 single, backed with the non-album “Use Me,” a Cope solo composition.

B. “Use Me” (5:49)

Cope plays dual roles of himself and a mime in the “Treason” video, which takes place in an unfurnished country home where (inside) he lip-syncs in semi-fashionable attire (headband, suspenders, baggies braced with slouch socks) while his alter ego (outside) gesticulates shirtless in face paint.

The Teardrops mimed “Treason” for the April 30 TotP broadcast, which also featured in-studios of The Beat (“All Out to Get You”), Department S (“Is Vic There?”), The Human League (“The Sound of the Crowd”), Sheena Easton (“When He Shines”), Spandau Ballet (“Musclebound”), and Thin Lizzy (“Are You Ready?”). The Teardrops appeared on a dark crimson-lit stage where a black-clad cope lip-synced straight to the camera while Agius bobbed about from behind.

“Treason” reached No. 18 on the UK Singles Chart. Julian Cope appeared on the cover of the April 30 issue of the UK music fortnightly Smash Hits, in which he reflected on his newfound fame and professed his admiration of Scott Walker, whose Sixties-era material Cope compiled for the 1981 Zoo compilation Fire Escape in the Sky: The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker, which introduced the American singer to new wave listeners.

On May 29, the Teardrops opened for U2 at New York’s Palladium. “When I Dream” gained airplay on US alternative radio stations.

In June, Tate made his solo debut with “Thomas” (b/w “London’s Swinging”) on Why Fi, a UK RCA subsidiary that handled Sparks‘ recent singles.

“Passionate Friend”

In September 1981, the Teardrop Explodes released their sixth unique single: “Passionate Friend” backed with “Christ Versus Warhol,” both written solo by Julian Cope. This was their

A. “Passionate Friend” concerns Cope’s purported affair with Ian McCulloch’s sister.
B. “Christ Versus Warhol”

Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley produced “Passionate Friend” amid 1981 titles by Bette Bright (Rhythm Breaks the Ice), The Belle Stars, and the Original Mirrors, a Liverpool supergroup with ex-Deaf School singer Steve Allen and Balfe’s onetime Big In Japan bandmate, guitarist Ian Broudie, who later teamed with early Teardrop Paul Simpson in Care.

“Passionate Friend” is the only proper Teardrops studio recording by the mid-1981 quintet lineup with Alfie Agius and Jeff Hammer. They mimed the song amid green plexiglass zigzag columns for the September 3 TotP broadcast, which also featured in-studios by John Foxx (“Europe (After The Rain)”), OMD (“Souvenir”), Soft Cell (“Tainted Love”), and UB40 (“Tainted Love”). Cope donned baggie floods and an orange top for the appearance, which also featured Luke Tunney and Ted Emmett (of 64 Spoons), their formally attired trumpet section.

The Teardrops dismissed Agius and Hammer before the October 1 TotP broadcast, where they plugged “Passionate Friend” as a four-piece: Cope, Dwyer, Tate, and a returning David Balfe. The episode was also notable for in-studio appearances by Altered Images (“Happy Birthday”) and Godley & Creme (“Under Your Thumb”).

“Passionate Friend” reached No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart. Agius joined The Fixx for their 1983 second album Reach the Beach.

Wilder

The Teardrop Explodes released their second album, Wilder, on November 23, 1981, on Mercury.

Wilder contains “Passionate Friend” and “The Great Dominions,” previewed long beforehand on the BBC. Julian Cope claimed sole authorship of the album’s nine new originals, including “Bent Out of Shape,” “The Culture Bunker,” “Falling Down Around Me,” and the singles “Colours Fly Away” and “Tiny Children.”

Cope plays guitar, bass, piano, and organ on Wilder, which features a revised four-piece lineup with Gary Dwyer, Troy Tate, and returning keyboardist David Balfe, plus auxiliary bassist James Eller and trumpeters Luke Tunney and Ted Emmett.

1. “Bent Out of Shape” (3:27)
2. “Colours Fly Away” (2:54)
3. “Seven Views of Jerusalem” (3:47)
4. “Pure Joy” (1:42)
5. “Falling Down Around Me” (3:08)
6. “The Culture Bunker” (5:29)

7. “Passionate Friend” (3:29)
8. “Tiny Children” (3:50)
9. “Like Leila Khaled Said” (3:48) features backing vocals by one Garrish Mashindi.
10. “…And The Fighting Takes Over” (3:53)
11. “The Great Dominions” (4:26)

The Teardrops lifted “Colours Fly Away” as a second advance single, backed with “Window Shopping For a New Crown of Thorns,” an exclusive Cope b-side.

B. “Window Shopping For a New Crown of Thorns”

Clive Langer produced Wilder alone apart from the earlier Balfe-free “Passionate Friend,” a Winstanley co-production with ex-members Alfie Agius and Jeff Hammer. The Langer/Winstanley team subsequently produced Too-Rye-Ay, the international breakthrough by Dexys Midnight Runners.

Wilder was engineered by Japan soundman Colin Fairley, whose Seventies credits included Beggars Opera, Judie Tzuke (Welcome to the Cruise), Split Enz (Dizrythmia), and String Driven Thing.

Cope and Tate would each retain the services of James Eller, a prior bassist for Langer’s Boxes and Better Bright’s Illuminations. Emmett played on subsequent titles by Jakko and National Health (D.S. al Coda).

In the UK and Ireland, Mercury issued Wilder with a carnation cover. Abroad, it featured a monochrome cover with an obscured closeup of Cope making hand signs. Wilder reached No. 19 in New Zealand and No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart.

On November 16, 1981, the Teardrop Explodes cut a Peel session for the DJ’s 12/22 broadcast, which aired three songs intended for a third album: “Soft Enough For You,” “Sex,” and “The Challenger.”

Final Activity

As 1981 folded, the Teardrop Explodes took a twice-daily residency at Club Zoo, aka the Pyramid Club, where they played as a quintet with Sinceros bassist Ronnie François. In early 1982, they toured Europe, Australia, and the US with Ted Emmett as a sixth member. As road tensions swelled, Cope withdrew from the process and retained only Dwyer and Balfe for further activity. Tate went solo and later worked as a Smiths soundman.

In June 1982, Mercury lifted “Tiny Children” as a third Wilder single, backed with the Balfe/Cope exclusive “Rachael Built a Steamboat.”

B. “Rachael Built a Steamboat”

The Teardrops performed “Tiny Children” as part of a 34-minute set on the April 1 broadcast of The Old Grey Whistle Test. Their nine-song set for the BBC program featured four additional Wilder numbers (“Colours Fly Away,” “Falling Down Around Me,” “Seven Views of Jerusalem,” “The Culture Bunker”), one rarity (“Suffocate”), two exclusives (“Log Cabin,” “Screaming Secrets”), and one track earmarked for a future album (“You Disappear from View”).

In September, the Teardrops regrouped as a trio at Rockfield, where Balfe’s electronic material clashed with Cope’s ballads. As Balfe overtook the project, Cope and Dwyer vented with dangerous cross-country games. In one alleged incident, Dwyer chased Balfe with a shotgun through the Monmouth valley. Cope abandoned the album with the vocals half-finished.

Eager to quit, Cope learned of their pre-booked UK trio tour, which he performed in a passive/aggressive state. The Teardrops exploded after the final date.

Everybody Wants to Shag… The Teardrop Explodes

In March 1983, Mercury issued part of the abandoned album (plus “Suffocate”) on a double single. It features four songs from the late 1982 Rockfield sessions: “You Disappear From View,” “Ouch Monkeys,” “Soft Enough for You,” and the group-written “The In-Psychopedia.”

In 1990, Fontana gathered the four tracks with seven additional songs from the 1982 sessions (plus the 1981 b-side “Strange House in the Snow”) on Everybody Wants to Shag… The Teardrop Explodes, the excavated third and final Teardrop Explodes album.

The album features Balfe’s “Terrorist” and six Balfe/Cope numbers, plus the Cope solo compositions “Metranil Vavin,” “You Disappear from View,” “Not My Only Friend,” and “Sex (Pussyface).”

1. “Ouch Monkeys” (5:31)
2. “Serious Danger” (3:33)
3. “Metranil Vavin” (3:09)
4. “Count to Ten and Run for Cover” (3:23)
5. “In-Psychlopaedia” (4:03)
6. “Soft Enough for You” (3:32)
7. “You Disappear from View” (2:57)
8. “The Challenger” (3:00)
9. “Not My Only Friend” (2:57)
10. “Sex (Pussyface)” (4:12)
11. “Terrorist” (3:34)
12. “Strange House in the Snow” (4:43)