Soft Cell was an English electro-pop duo from Leeds, composed of singer–lyricist Marc Almond and keyboardist–programmer Dave Ball. They cut multiple singles in advance of their 1981 debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned the international hit “Tainted Love” and the club staples “Bedsitter” and “Sex Dwarf.” A visual accompaniment to the album, Non-Stop Exotic […]
Gang of Four are an English post-punk band that released four albums between 1979 and 1983 on EMI/Warner. They emerged with the 1978 indie single “Damaged Goods” on Fast Product, followed by the 1979 album Entertainment!, a strident mix of funk rhythms, dischorded riffs, taut vocals, and provocative lyrics. Notable titles include “Love Like Anthrax,” […]
The Mission are an English goth-rock band formed in Leeds in late 1985 by singer-guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams. Guitarist-keyboardist Simon Hinkler and drummer Mick Brown completed the original lineup. The quartet released three studio albums and two companion compilations on Mercury across the 1986–90 period. North American releases used the name The […]
Scritti Politti was an English art-pop band led by singer/musician Green Gartside. The original trio with bassist Nial Jinks and drummer Tom Morley cut three post-punk EPs in 1978/79, including the pioneering DIY release “Skank Bloc Bologna.” In 1981, Scritti Politti resurfaced with a new sound on the Rough Trade single “The ‘Sweetest Girl’,” followed […]
Barry and Paul Ryan were English twin singers and songwriters whose joint career split into separate recording paths by the late 1960s. The brothers placed eight singles on the UK chart as Paul & Barry Ryan before Paul withdrew from regular performance. Paul then wrote and produced material for Barry, whose 1968 recording of “Eloise” […]
Jan Dukes de Grey was an English symphonic-folk/rock combo that released the album Sorcerers on Decca in 1969, followed by the popular Mice and Rats in the Loft on Transatlantic in 1971. After five years of playing under alternate names, group leader Derek Noy recorded an album’s worth of material, later issued on the Cherry […]
Vicious Pink was an English electro-pop duo from Leeds consisting of keyboardist Brian Moss and vocalist Josie Warden. Originally dubbed the Vicious Pink Phenomena, the pair released a single apiece on the small-press labels Mobile Suit Corporation and Warehouse circa 1982/83. After shortening their name, the two released a trio of singles on Parlophone between […]
Delta 5 was an English post-punk band that released three 1979–80 Rough Trade singles and the 1981 album See the Whirl. Members: Bethan Peters (bass, vocals), Ros Allen (bass, vocals), Julz Sale (vocals, guitar, 1978-81), Kelvin Knight (drums, 1979-1981), Alan Riggs (guitar, 1979-81), Jacqui Callis (vocals, guitar, 1981-82), Graeme Haigh (drums, 1981-82) Formation Delta 5 […]
Mandy More (born Sept. 10, 1945) is an English singer/songwriter from Leeds who released the 1972 album But That Is Me, followed by three singles through 1975 on Philips and Fresh Air. Background Mandy More was born Amanda Campbell-Moore on Sept. 10, 1945, in Leeds, England. More sang with sextet the Soul Survivors and then […]
Duncan Mackay is an English keyboardist and composer, known for his stints in Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1975–77), 10cc (1978–81), and for his work on albums by the Alan Parsons Project, Camel, Cliff Richard, Elkie Brooks, and Kate Bush. As a solo artist, he debuted with the 1974 album Chimera on Vertigo. During his time […]
The Mekons were an English post-punk band from Leeds that issued two singles on small-press Fast Product in 1978, followed by the 1979 Virgin album The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen. After a pause in output, a reconstituted lineup issued a run of albums on Sin Record Company and Quarterstick during the late 1980s […]
Michael Chapman (1941–2021) was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds who released the 1969–71 Harvest albums Rainmaker, Fully Qualified Survivor, Window, and Wrecked Again. He followed with five albums through 1977 on Decca, Nova, and Gama. Over the next two decades, he issued eight albums on assorted indie labels. His songs have been covered […]
