Classix Nouveaux
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| Classix Nouveaux | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  London, England |
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| Genre(s) | New Wave New Romantic |
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| Years active | 1979 - 1985 | |
| Label(s) | EMI Cherry Red Records |
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| Associated acts |
X-Ray Spex The News Roketz A Flock of Seagulls |
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| Members | ||
| Sal Solo Mik Sweeney Jak Airport BP Hurding |
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| Former members | ||
| Gary Steadman Jimi Sumen Rick Driscoll Paul Turley Pandit Dinesh |
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Classix Nouveaux were a 1980s New Wave band from England.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Formation
The break up of X-ray Spex triggered an advertisement to be placed in Melody Maker, searching for a new lead singer. Sal Solo (formerly with GTO-signed power-pop band The News) answered the advertisement, appealing to two members of the Spex. Jak Airport and BP Hurding left X-ray Spex to form Classix Nouveaux with Mik Sweeney and Solo. Their first gig was in August of 1979 at Camden Palace.
[edit] New Romantics
With publicity growing for the band - their dramatic and heavily made up image helped quickly associate them with the New Romantic music movement, alongside bands like Japan and Ultravox. At this time, in 1980, the signed to EMI and released their first studio recording session single called "Robots Dance" [1]. They also performed for the first time on TV on Thames in London.
[edit] Night People
In 1981 the band released Night People, featuring their most well known single "Guilty" which catapulted the band to international success.
[edit] La Verite
Releasing their second album La Verite in 1982, which led to the release of their highest charting single, "Is It A Dream". The band toured world wide, making their way all over Asia, including India, for the first time.
[edit] Secret
1983 led to the release of their final album, Secret featuring tracks such as "Never Never Comes" and "Heart From the Start," which led to be become one of the first modern bands to perform in communist Poland. The hysteria formed by their visits to Poland were compared to the mania surrounding the Beatles. American producer Alex Sadkin produced the album, allowing the band to experiment with a more artistic and creative sound.
[edit] Break Up
Band members continued to come and go, and by the end of the bands existence only Solo was the original remaining member, starting to form his own solo work and continuing to tour as Classix Nouveaux.
Solo went on to become heavily involved in Catholicism, releasing several Christian-oriented albums after Nouveaux's break up. Mik Sweeney went on to move to Los Angeles, California where he build fretless basses and recorded studio session work, he currently lives in Ireland. Gary Steadman went on to join A Flock of Seagulls. Jimi Sumen became a record producer in Finland and release a number of successful solo works there.
Currently, the bands full length albums are re-issued by Cherry Red Records. In 2006 River Records released The River Sessions which was recorded live at Strathclyde University in 1982.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classix Nouveaux: | |||
| 1981 | Night People | - | - |
| 1982 | La Verite | - | - |
| 1983 | Secret | - | - |
| 1997 | The Very Best of Classix Nouveaux | - | - |
| 2006 | The River Sessions | - | - |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "Robots Dance" | - | - |
| 1980 | "Nasty Little Green Men" | - | - |
| 1981 | "Guilty" | 43 | - |
| 1981 | "Toyko" | 67 | - |
| 1981 | "Inside Out" | 45 | - |
| 1982 | "Never Again" | 44 | - |
| 1982 | "Is It A Dream" | 11 | - |
| 1982 | "Because You're Young" | 43 | - |
| 1983 | "The End of the Beginning" | 60 | - |
| 1983 | "Forever and a Day" | 83 | - |
| 1983 | "Never Never Comes" | - | - |
[edit] Audio sample
- Classix Nouveaux - Is It A Dream excerpt (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- An excerpt from Is It A Dream
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
[edit] References
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 7th Edition - 1988
