I’m So Hollow was an English coldwave/post-punk band from Sheffield that issued a single on self-press Hollogram in 1980, followed by the album Emotion / Sound / Motion on small-press Illuminated in 1981. Members: Jane Wilson (vocals, synthesizer), Rod Leigh (guitar, vocals), Dayton Marsden (bass), Josef Sawicki (percussion) Inception, Early Tracks I’m So Hollow emerged […]
The Human League are an English synthpop band best known for the 1981 global No. 1 hit “Don’t You Want Me.” They emerged on the Sheffield post-punk scene with the 1978 DIY release “Being Boiled” / “Circus of Death,” a pioneering electro-pop single. The original lineup of singer Philip Oakey, slide-projectionist Adrian Wright, and keyboardists […]
The Comsat Angels were an English ethereal-rock/psych band from Sheffield that debuted with a single on self-press Junta Records in 1979, followed by three albums and assorted shortplayers on Polydor between 1980 and 1982. A switch to upstart Jive Records yielded two albums between 1983 and 1985, followed by a sixth studio longplayer on Island […]
Vitamin Z were an English modern-pop trio from Sheffield that released the album Rites of Passage on Mercury in 1985, followed by Sharp Stone Rain on Phonogram in 1989. Vocalist Geoff Barradale appeared on the Alan Parson Project‘s 1987 release Gaudi. Members: Geoff Barradale (vocals), Nick Lockwood (bass, keyboards), David Rhodes (guitar) Discography: Rites of […]
Heaven 17 are an English synthpop/sophisti-pop trio from Sheffield that released five albums on Virgin between 1981 and 1988. The band was formed by the instrumental half of the original Human League, musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, who concurrently recorded as the British Electric Foundation. The trio was completed by vocalist Glenn Gregory, […]
Warm Dust were an English jazz-rock/psych band from Sheffield that released the double-album And It Came to Pass on Philips-subsidiary Trend in 1970, followed by Peace for Our Time in 1971. A third, self-titled album appeared on German jazz label BASF in 1972. Despite the presence of future singing journeyman Paul Carrack on all three […]
Vice Versa were an English coldwave combo from Sheffield that released a four-song EP and a cassette-demo album on Neutron Records circa 1979/80, followed by a standalone single on Backstreet Backlash Records. The band’s core membership of Martin Fry, Mark White, and Stephen Singleton subsequently formed the nucleus of 1980s sophisti-pop sensation ABC. Members: David […]
” () The Thompson Twins were an English New Wave band from Sheffield that premiered as an art-funk sextet with the album A Product Of… on T Records in 1981. After a lineup shuffle that brought percussionist Alannah Currie into the fold, the now-seven-piece released Set in 1982. The following year, the band trimmed to […]
Def Leppard are an English hard rock/heavy metal band that has been active since the late 1970s. Thanks to a string of fist-pumping epics (“Bringing On the Heartache,” “Rock of Ages,” “Stagefright”) and singalong ditties (“Rocket,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me”), the band became one of the top-selling concert draws and radio/MTV fixtures during the […]
ABC are an English new wave/soul-pop band that burst onto the scene with the 1982 Mercury album The Lexicon of Love, scoring hits with “The Look of Love” and “Poison Arrow.” In 1983, they took an edgier turn with Beauty Stab and the songs “That Was Then But This Is Now” and “Unzip.” Their third […]
Ramases was the performance moniker of English folk-psych musician Kimberley Barrington Frost, who cut three singles and two albums with his wife Selket (aka Dorothy Frost.) The singles appeared on CBS and Major Minor between 1968 and 1970 under the name Ramases and Selket. Their album, Space Hymns, was recorded at Strawberry Studios with backing […]
Joe Cocker (May 20, 1944 — Dec. 22, 2014) was an English soul-rock singer from Sheffield who released back-to-back albums on A&M in 1969. That summer, he floored Woodstock attendees with his full-throated rendition of the Beatles‘ “With a Little Help From My Friends.” His 1970 live set Mad Dogs & Englishmen and third studio […]
Cabaret Voltaire were an English electro/experimental band from Sheffield that released seven singles, four studio albums, and three live discs on Rough Trade between 1978 and 1982, followed by a trio of 1983–85 albums on Virgin/Some Bizzare. Members: Richard H. Kirk (guitar, synthesizer), Stephen Mallinder (vocals, bass, 1973-95), Chris Watson (tapes, 1973-81) Discography: Extended Play […]
2.3 were an English post-punk trio from Sheffield that released the single “All Time Low” / “Where to Now?” on small-press Fast Product in 1978. The band initially called itself 2.3 Children, based on the average number of children beared per U.S. household. Both their songs were included with early sides by labelmates The Human […]
