The news of Simon Le Bon being knighted this week for his services to music, and seeing Martin Kemp and his wife Shirlie on Interior Design Masters for Children in Need has got me reminiscing! 80s New Romantic Bands were some of the first pop groups I was aware of. By the time I was getting into music aged about 8 or 9 (1983 / 1984) their careers were in full swing. My older cousins were also obsessed with them, so I think their music must have been etched into my brain a few years earlier too.
The New Romantic movement started as an underground scene in the late 1970s and was inspired by the glam rock era. Clubs such as Blitz were the place to be, where young people would pose and dance in their own unique style amongst fellow enthusiasts. Part of the look was creative makeup and big, backcombed, quiffed or crimped hair for both men and women. Clothes were inspired by a range of flamboyant looks including Hollywood starlets, cabaret, modernism, Pierrots as well as the late 18th century Romanic period. It was the latter that inspired the name they became known as, New Romantics, coined by the press. Although once a label was added, many shunned it.
Early pioneers were Rusty Egan and Steve Strange of Visage who set up Blitz nightclub (known to turn people away if they didn’t look right, including Mick Jagger!). The music played there included Bowie, of course, plus European synth-led, bassy sounds from artists such as Kraftwerk and Giorgio Morodor. The resident band, Spandau Ballet were inspired and started to experiment with a catchier, pop sound led by synthesizers. Other bands started to follow such as Duran Duran, Culture Club, and Visage. More became associated with the scene, although they had no links to it such as Adam and the Ants, The Human League and ABC. Some of these ditched the flamboyant look and opted for sharp suits instead, especially towards the mid 1980s.
Many of the young people who were involved in the movement were working-class and aspirational from the suburbs. They wanted to dress well and show off. Fashion became cool again after the rejection of it in punk. Because of all this, and the time in which the bands emerged, they became associated with the Thatcher era. MTV helped popularise the bands in America also, as their videos would be played daily. This became known as the ‘second British invasion’ (referring to the first one of the 1960s when bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones conquered America).
So without further ado, here is a short biography and celebration of the main 80s New Romantic bands!
Spandau Ballet
Formed in Islington, London in 1979 by Gary Kemp, they were initially the house band for Blitz nightclub. The band’s classic lineup consisted of Tony Hadley (vocals), Gary Kemp (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Martin Kemp (bass), Steve Norman (saxophone), and John Keeble (drums). Afterwards their music had a unique blend of romantic lyrics, catchy melodies, and saxophone-driven sound. The first single was ‘To Cut a Long Story Short’ adhering to their Blitz roots, but commercial breakthrough came with their third album, ‘True’ released in 1983, including hit singles, ‘True’ and ‘Gold’ where the sound was more sophisticated mainstream pop.
Culture Club
Formed in London in 1981 by Blitz Club regular Boy George (vocals), the band also included Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), and Mikey Craig (bass guitar), and Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Boy George was known for his androgynous style of dress, and the band name came from all the different cultural elements from members in the group. Their music included reggae and blue eyed soul elements as well as classic pop. The first single was ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’ in 1982, and Boy George’s look created a tabloid sensation as it was so unusual at the time. Their first two albums ‘Kissing to be Clever’ and ‘Colour By Numbers’ were the most commercially successful.
Duran Duran
Formed in Birmingham in 1978 by keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist/bassist John Taylor and his art school friend, Stephen Duffy as the singer. There were a few early changes, but the band’s line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor. The bands name comes from the scientist Durand Durand in the film Barbarella. The band’s first single was Planet Earth in 1981 from their self titled debut album. However it was ‘Girls on Film’ from the same album which got the group noticed, along with its controversial video (by Godley & Creme). They were early pioneers of music videos, and MTV helped popularise their work. Other hits include Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf and The Reflex. They also wrote the theme for the 1985 James Bond film, A View to a Kill.
Visage
Founded in 1978 by Midge Ure and Rusty Egan (DJ at Blitz nightclub), as a vehicle for music to play on club nights. Egan’s co nightclub host, Steve Strange, was brought in for vocals and to be the face of the band. The line up was then completed with Ultravox keyboardist Billy Currie and guitarist John McGeoch, keyboardist Dave Formula and bassist Barry Adamson (from the post punk band, Magazine). Their most famous hit was ‘Fade to Grey’, released in 1980 from their self titled debut album. Other minor hits followed but the band struggled to get together to make a second album. Strange and other members of the Blitz nightclub were chosen to appear in David Bowie’s ‘Ashes to Ashes’ video, after being plucked from the crowd on Bowie’s visit there. This helped the new romantic movement to become mainstream.
This blog post is written by Rachel Toy, owner of Rachel’s Vintage & Retro and creator of 80s Kids UK. I have a passion for all things 80s and regularly write blogs about this wonderful decade. I also have an 80s online shop. Why not follow 80s Kids UK on Instagram and Facebook for more updates!
