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Department S (band)
Encyclopedia
Department S were a British
new wave
band
formed in 1980, who took their stage name
from the 1960s TV series Department S
. They are best known for their debut single
, "Is Vic There?", which was originally released in December 1980.
/ska
combo, Guns For Hire, and featured former Madness
drummer John Hasler. Mike Herbage joined them and wrote Guns For Hire's only single - "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight" - which emerged on the Korova
record label
. The group then became Department S, with the addition of Eddie Roxy (later replaced by Mark Taylor) and Stuart Mizon.
They made their live debut at the Rock Garden, London
, on 24 September 1980. Demon Records subsequently released their debut single
, "Is Vic There?", in December 1980 (re-issued on RCA a few months later). It was produced
by former Mott the Hoople
members Buffin and Overend Watts
, but its initial success led to the better-equipped RCA Records
re-issuing the single in March 1981. The single’s b-side
, a cover
of T.Rex's "Solid Gold Easy Action", featured Thunderthighs
on backing vocals
.
The group recorded a session for the BBC Radio 1
DJ
John Peel
on 3 December 1980. The tracks laid down were "Is Vic There?"; "Age Concern"; "Ode To Cologne (Stench Of War)"; and "Clap Now".
The follow-up single "Going Left Right", released on the Stiff Records
label
fared considerably worse whilst still managing to sell 60,000 copies. Poor subsequent sales and differences of opinion with their record label, resulted in the band being dropped by Stiff, but not before £50,000 was reputedly spent on what was to be their debut album
, Sub-Stance (subsequently released on LTM in 2003).
Toulouse later worked as a DJ under the name Main T, before recording as a solo artist with a 1985 single "Cruisin' the Serpentine", and as part of The Style Council
's miner
's charity project the Council Collective. He died in 1991, from an AIDS
related illness.
their first new single for twenty six years, a cover version
of Alvin Stardust
's 1973 hit
"My Coo-Ca-Choo". It was released on Sartorial Records in October 2007. It included a guest appearance by Mark Bedford
of Madness
on bass guitar
. A re-recording of "Is Vic There?" and new tracks "Wonderful Day" "God Squad Saviour" and "Outside" were also recorded, and included contributions from Glen Matlock
, Marco Pirroni
, Michelle Brigandage of Brigandage, Susie Honeyman of The Mekons, with John Keeble
of Spandau Ballet
contributing drums to the latter two tracks. Concert
dates were planned for September 2008, but were postponed until 2010. In August 2008, drummer Stuart Mizon left the band due to family commitments, but returned to the fold in early 2009, while former guitarist and songwriter from Back to Zero, Sam Burnett joined on a full time basis. In June 2009, Mark Taylor, former Department S keyboard player, rejoined the band as full time bass player. A single, "Wonderful Day", was released in August 2009.
In February 2010, the band made their live comeback at London's 100 Club
, with more gigs undertaken throughout 2010. Successful appearances at Rebellion Festival and Sinners Day festival in Belgium
were amongst live highlights. June 2011 saw the single release of "God Squad Saviour" b/w "Slave" released in June, followed by the live album
, Mr Nutley's Strange Delusionarium. Both appeared on Sartorial Records. The band are due to play at the 'Hertals Rocks' festival in Belgium in October 2011.
2007/8 version
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in 1980, who took their stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
from the 1960s TV series Department S
Department S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
. They are best known for their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Is Vic There?", which was originally released in December 1980.
1980s
Department S evolved from a previous punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
combo, Guns For Hire, and featured former Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
drummer John Hasler. Mike Herbage joined them and wrote Guns For Hire's only single - "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight" - which emerged on the Korova
Korova (record label)
Korova is a record label, distributed by the Warner Elektra Asylum group of record companies.The imprint was founded in 1979 as an outlet for Echo & the Bunnymen, with its first album release being their debut Crocodiles...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. The group then became Department S, with the addition of Eddie Roxy (later replaced by Mark Taylor) and Stuart Mizon.
They made their live debut at the Rock Garden, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 24 September 1980. Demon Records subsequently released their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Is Vic There?", in December 1980 (re-issued on RCA a few months later). It was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by former Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
members Buffin and Overend Watts
Peter Watts (musician)
Peter Overend Watts is a bass guitar player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
, but its initial success led to the better-equipped RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
re-issuing the single in March 1981. The single’s b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of T.Rex's "Solid Gold Easy Action", featured Thunderthighs
Thunderthighs
Thunderthighs were a high-profile UK backing vocal group, who quickly became artists in their own right.-Career:The female trio, consisting of Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou and Casey Synge, provided the backing vocals to Lou Reed's hit single, "Walk on the Wild Side"...
on backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
.
The group recorded a session for the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
on 3 December 1980. The tracks laid down were "Is Vic There?"; "Age Concern"; "Ode To Cologne (Stench Of War)"; and "Clap Now".
The follow-up single "Going Left Right", released on the Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
fared considerably worse whilst still managing to sell 60,000 copies. Poor subsequent sales and differences of opinion with their record label, resulted in the band being dropped by Stiff, but not before £50,000 was reputedly spent on what was to be their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Sub-Stance (subsequently released on LTM in 2003).
Toulouse later worked as a DJ under the name Main T, before recording as a solo artist with a 1985 single "Cruisin' the Serpentine", and as part of The Style Council
The Style Council
The Style Council were an English band, formed in 1983 by the ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller, with keyboardist Mick Talbot. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists such as Tracie Young and Tracey Thorn also...
's miner
UK miners' strike (1984–1985)
The UK miners' strike was a major industrial action affecting the British coal industry. It was a defining moment in British industrial relations, and its defeat significantly weakened the British trades union movement...
's charity project the Council Collective. He died in 1991, from an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
related illness.
Revival
In February 2007, Department S recordedSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their first new single for twenty six years, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...
's 1973 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
"My Coo-Ca-Choo". It was released on Sartorial Records in October 2007. It included a guest appearance by Mark Bedford
Mark Bedford
Mark Bedford , nicknamed 'Bedders', is a bass guitarist and former member of the band Madness....
of Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. A re-recording of "Is Vic There?" and new tracks "Wonderful Day" "God Squad Saviour" and "Outside" were also recorded, and included contributions from Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock is an English bass guitarist most famous for being in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Drummer Paul Cook has said that Matlock came up with much of the music for the band's songs and most of the lyrics, while lead singer Johnny Rotten made some adjustments...
, Marco Pirroni
Marco Pirroni
Marco Francesco Andrea Pirroni is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer...
, Michelle Brigandage of Brigandage, Susie Honeyman of The Mekons, with John Keeble
John Keeble
John Keeble is a British pop musician, who is the drummer with the 1980s band, Spandau Ballet.Spandau Ballet disbanded in 1990, after their final studio album, Heart Like a Sky, failed to live up to the critical and commercial success of their earlier albums, such as True and Parade.In 1999, John...
of Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
contributing drums to the latter two tracks. Concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
dates were planned for September 2008, but were postponed until 2010. In August 2008, drummer Stuart Mizon left the band due to family commitments, but returned to the fold in early 2009, while former guitarist and songwriter from Back to Zero, Sam Burnett joined on a full time basis. In June 2009, Mark Taylor, former Department S keyboard player, rejoined the band as full time bass player. A single, "Wonderful Day", was released in August 2009.
In February 2010, the band made their live comeback at London's 100 Club
100 Club
The 100 Club is a music venue in London situated at 100 Oxford Street, W1, originally called The Feldman Swing Club.The 100 Club attained legendary status in modern British music, having played host to live music since 24 October 1942....
, with more gigs undertaken throughout 2010. Successful appearances at Rebellion Festival and Sinners Day festival in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
were amongst live highlights. June 2011 saw the single release of "God Squad Saviour" b/w "Slave" released in June, followed by the live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Mr Nutley's Strange Delusionarium. Both appeared on Sartorial Records. The band are due to play at the 'Hertals Rocks' festival in Belgium in October 2011.
Singles
| Year | Singles | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... | US Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight" | Korova | Band then billed as Guns for Hire | ||
| 1981 | "Is Vic There?" | #22 | Demon | B-side A-side and B-side A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or... ; "Solid Gold Easy Action Solid Gold Easy Action -External links:* at LyricWiki... " |
|
| 1981 | "Is Vic There?" (remixed) | #67 | Stiff Stiff Records Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007.... |
B-side; "Put All the Crosses in the Right Boxes" | |
| 1981 | "Going Left Right" | #55 | Stiff | B-side; "She's Expecting You" | |
| 1981 | "I Want" | Stiff | B-side; "Monte Carlo or Bust" | ||
| 2007 | "My Coo-Ca-Choo" | Sartorial | |||
| 2009 | "Wonderful Day" | Sartorial | |||
Albums
| Year | Albums | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Is Vic There? | Mau Mau | Compilation album Compilation album A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter... |
||
| 2003 | Sub-Stance | LTM Records | Unreleased 1981 album, together with all tracks from their three UK singles, as well as previously unheard live and demo Demo (music) A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists... tracks |
Band members
1980s musicians- Vaughan Toulouse (born Vaughan Cotillard, 30 July 1959, St Helier JerseyJerseyJersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, Channel IslandsChannel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
; died August 1991) - VocalistSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Mike Herbage - GuitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
- Tony Lordan - BassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
- 1980 - Jimmy HughesJimmy Hughes (musician)James Hughes is an English bassist who has played with many punk rock and New Wave bands, and whose career as a rock musician and writer continues to this day....
- BassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
- 1981 - Eddie Roxy (born Anthony Edward Lloyd-Barnes) - KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- 1980 - Mark Taylor - Keyboards - 1981
- Stuart Mizon - DrummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
- 1980 - John Hasler - Drummer - 1981
2007/8 version
- Mike Herbage - Guitarist
- Eddie Roxy - Lead vocals
- Stuart Mizon - Drummer
- Terry EdwardsTerry EdwardsTerry Edwards is an English musician.Edwards gained a degree in music from the University of East Anglia in 1982, where he was also a founding member of The Higsons. He produced and played on the debut album by Yeah Jazz "Six Lane Ends"...
- SaxophonistSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Michelle Brigandage - Backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Mark Bedford - Bassist
- John Keeble - Drums
- Susie Honeyman - StringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
- Sam Burnett - Guitar