Bucks Fizz (band)
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Bucks Fizz is an English pop group, formed in 1981 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest that year. They won with "Making Your Mind Up" and went on to have a successful pop career.
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[edit] Career
The initial group members were Jay Aston, Cheryl Baker, Bobby G (or Gee, actually Gubby) and Mike Nolan, the classic 'two male — two female' Eurovision line-up established by ABBA. Already experienced singers they were gathered together by producer/writing combo Nicola Martin and Andy Hill. The group were quick to build on their Eurovision success, "Making Your Mind Up" was their first Number One in March 1981 and they followed up with two Top Twenty singles and a further Number One in November 1981 with "Land Of Make Believe" and also an eponymously-titled album. In 1982 the group had their final Number One in March with "My Camera Never Lies" and their output of singles slowed as they concentrated on touring. Their last Top 10 hit came in 1986, "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)", with a few more minor hits up until 1988.
In December 1984 the group's tour bus crashed and Nolan was badly injured. In 1985 Aston left and was replaced by Shelley Preston. She left in 1989 and the group decided to continue as a trio. Baker, with some successful television work, left in 1993 and the 'female space' was filled by Heidi Manton and Amanda Szwarc. Nolan left in 1996 and David Van Day, ex-Dollar, succeeded him for a while before being replaced by Graham Crisp and then Wayne Chinnery. Gee married Heidi Manton in 1999. Amanda Szwarc was replaced by Louise Hart and she by Nikki Winters.
Nolan then teamed up with Van Day and two new female recruits to form a new version of Bucks Fizz. Confusion was averted when Nolan agreed to call his band "Bucks Fizz starring Mike Nolan", whilst the Nolan version of the band had a website which said the new band was an amalgation of Bucks Fizz and Dollar (the slogan of the website being Bucks Fizz plus Dollar equals Lots of Cents). This version of the band released two singles including a Rick Astley cover and several compilations which featured new vocal versions of old hits. Particularly noted was a dance remix of Making Your Mind Up released in 1998.
Sometime thereafter, Nolan left his version of Bucks Fizz. Van Day continued to tour under the moniker "Bucks Fizz". As Heidi Manton, now owner of the name "Bucks Fizz", still continued to play with Bobby G in the official version of Bucks Fizz, much confusion was caused and Bobby G brought a case in the High Court against Van Day.
The feud and legal battles between Bobby G and David Van Day as to who owned the name "Bucks Fizz" was the subject of a BBC television documentary. The case was subsequently settled out of court when David Van Day agreed to call his version of the band "David Van Day's Bucks Fizz Show". In 2004 Bucks Fizz reunited with a line up of Cheryl, Mike and Shelly and were a part of the Here and Now Tour 2004, Bobby took part, but due to commitments with his Official Bucks Fizz, he could not make all of the dates played. They also released a double collection The Ultimate Anthology in 2005. The album was actually commissioned and catalogued with the bands title in the wording. In 10 July 2006 a new double album The Lost Masters was released featuring many rare and unreleased recordings. This album was originally titled "Comforts Place".
In November 2006 the bands original members including Jay Aston finally reconciled their differences and Mike Nolan, Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston, Bobby Gee and Shelley Preston were invited to appear in the video for the 2007 Comic Relief single, a version of The Proclaimers' '500 Miles'. Hope was that the group would perform as a fivesome under the banner of 'BUCK5FIZZ'.
It was also announced that the original lineup of members might possibly be performing together as a support act for Britain's Making Your Mind Up (TV series) Eurovision Song Contest selection show on Saturday 17th March, held at The Maidstone Studios in Kent. However, on the day the group did not perform, although three members of the group were in the audience, and Fearne Cotton conducted a short interview with Cheryl Baker.
[edit] References In Popular Culture
- Bucks Fizz is often mentioned and joked about in the long running BBC TV series, "As Time Goes By"
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- "Making Your Mind Up" (1981) (#1 UK) (#5 Germany) (#6 Australia)
- "Piece of the Action" (1981) (#12 UK) (#35 Germany) (#26 Australia)
- "One of Those Nights" (1981) (#20 UK)
- "The Land Of Make Believe" (1981) (#1 UK) (#3 Germany) (#7 A) (#14 Australia)
- "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) (#1 UK) (#31 Germany) (#63 Australia)
- "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982) (#8 UK)
- "Are You Ready" (1982) — only in West Germany
- "Easy Love" (1982 — Not UK)
- "If You Can't Stand The Heat" (1982) (#10 UK) (#75 Germany)
- "Run for Your Life" (1983) (#14 UK)
- "When We Were Young" (1983) (#10 UK) (#52 Germany) (#14 NL) (#8 Lux) (#20 A)
- "London Town" (1983) (#34 UK) (#64 Germany)
- "Rules of the Game" (1983) (#57 UK)
- "Talking In Your Sleep" (1984) (#15 UK) (#14 Lux)
- "Golden Days" (1984) (#42 UK)
- "I Hear Talk" (1984) (#34 UK) (#25 Lux)
- "You And Your Heart So Blue" (1985) (#43 UK) (#40 Lux)
- "Magical" (1985) (#57 UK)
- "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (1986) (#8 UK) (#32 NL) (#5 Lux)
- "Love The One You're With" (1986) (#47 UK)
- "Keep Each Other Warm" (1986) (#45 UK)
- "Heart of Stone" (1988) (#50 UK)
- "You Love, Love" (1989)
- "The Land of Make Believe" (1991)
[edit] Albums
- Bucks Fizz (1981) UK #14
- Are You Ready (1982) UK #10
- Hand Cut (1983) UK #17
- Greatest Hits (1983) UK #25
- I Hear Talk (1984) UK #66
- Writing on the Wall (1986) UK #89
- The Story So Far (1988)
- Live At Fairfield Halls (1989)
- The Best of Bucks Fizz (1994)
- The Ultimate Anthology (2005)
- Legends (2005)
- The Lost Masters (2006)
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Johnny Logan |
Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 |
Succeeded by Nicole |
| Preceded by Prima Donna |
UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 |
Succeeded by Bardo |
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| 1950s | Lys Assia • Corry Brokken • André Claveau • Teddy Scholten |
| 1960s | Jacqueline Boyer • Jean-Claude Pascal • Isabelle Aubret • Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann • Gigliola Cinquetti • France Gall • Udo Jürgens • Sandie Shaw • Massiel • Frida Boccara • Lenny Kuhr • Lulu • Salomé |
| 1970s | Dana • Séverine • Vicky Leandros • Anne-Marie David • ABBA • Teach-In • Brotherhood of Man • Marie Myriam • Izhar Cohen & Alphabeta • Gali Atari & Milk and Honey |
| 1980s | Johnny Logan • Bucks Fizz • Nicole • Corinne Hermès • Herreys • Bobbysocks • Sandra Kim • Johnny Logan • Celine Dion • Riva |
| 1990s | Toto Cutugno • Carola • Linda Martin • Niamh Kavanagh • Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan • Secret Garden • Eimear Quinn • Katrina and the Waves • Dana International • Charlotte Nilsson |
| 2000s | Olsen Brothers • Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL • Marie N • Sertab Erener • Ruslana • Elena Paparizou • Lordi |
