Virgin Prunes
Encyclopedia
Virgin Prunes was an Irish gothic rock
band formed in 1977. They disbanded in 1986 after the departure of Gavin Friday
. The other members continued under the name The Prunes until they split up in 1990.
's Bono
. Lypton Village was a "youthful gang" created by Bono, Guggi
(Derek Rowan) and Gavin Friday
(Fionan Hanvey) in the early 1970s, where every member got a new identity and where they could escape from dreary and predictable Dublin life and be anything they wanted to be. It was both lead singers Friday and Guggi who first gave a teenaged Paul Hewson his alter-ego and now-famous moniker taken from"Bono Vox" which was a hearing aid shop on Mary street in Dublin City Centre, later simply "Bono
." Known for its outrageous and controversial stage performances, led by the bands' theatrical singer/songwriter Friday, they first began playing small shows in Dublin gaining them a cult audience and ridicule from the culturally conservative community.
Friday and Guggi, along with third vocalist Dave-iD Busaras, guitarist Dik Evans
(brother of U2
's The Edge
), bassist Strongman (Trevor Rowan, brother of Guggi) and drummer Pod (Anthony Murphy), completed the original lineup. Pod left the group and was replaced by Haa-Lacka Binttii (né Daniel Figgis, now a composer and multimedia producer and curator). With Binttii now on drums, tape loops and keyboards, the band secured a deal with Rough Trade Records
. They released their first single "Twenty Tens (I've Been Smoking All Night)", through Rough Trade but on their own Baby Records label in late 1980. They released a second single "In The Greylight" in early 1981.
Two other Binttii tracks were released during 1980 before conflicts with other members forced him out of the band. "Red Nettle'" was included on an NME
compilation C81 and "Third Secret" was included on the Cherry Red compilation Perspectives And Distortion. Work had already started on the project "A New Form Of Beauty" while Bintti was with the band, but after he was replaced by Mary D'Nellon (Drums), some of his tracks were re-recorded and his name was not included in the credits.
"A New Form of Beauty" was a project that originally contained four chapters and was released in various formats - 7" single, 10" single and 12" single. There was also supposed to be a cassette but this fourth part was never officially released, although all four parts did appear on an Italian version of A New Form Of Beauty which was released as a double album.
In November 1982, the Virgin Prunes released their debut album ...If I Die, I Die (produced by Colin Newman
of Wire
) and Heresie, a French boxset. Heresie was commissioned by Yann Farcy after seeing them perform at the Rex Club in Paris and was based on a loose examination of insanity. In 1984 both Guggi and Dik Evans, unhappy with the music business, left the band. This forced drummer Mary D'Nellon to take up the guitar and allowed Pod to return as the band's drummer. The Virgin Prunes started to record the album Sons Find Devils, which has never been released.
A retrospective video titled Sons Find Devils was released In 1985; this video had nothing to do with the unreleased album of the same name. During May 1985, Over the Rainbow, a compilation of rarities, was also released.
In July 1986 the band, now a four-piece recording music written for 'Sons Find Devils', finally released a new album, The Moon Looked Down and Laughed. Also that year frontman Gavin Friday left the group. His departure was confirmed in the liner notes of the band's 1987 live album The Hidden Lie which contained a short statement confirming the band's break-up.
After disbanding as The Virgin Prunes, D'Nellon, Strongman and Busaras formed an offshoot group called The Prunes, which released three albums between 1988 and 1990 (Lite Fantastik, 1988; Nada, 1989; and Blossoms & Blood, 1990). Dik Evans played on The Prunes' album Lite Fantastik and a seventeen year old, Justin Kavanagh (a.k.a. Valley Limberg) from the Dublin hardcore band Mutant Asylum (with his cousin Cormac Figgis a.k.a. The Master Switch, now with Paranoid Visions
) took the helm as guitarist for "Blossoms & Blood". In 1993, Justin Kavanagh went on to form Gormenghast with childhood friend Ray Brock, Robert 'Gilly' Gilbert and Dave Walsh. After Ray's departure they were joined by Padraig O'Toole of "The Gods". Justin Kavanagh also formed Snifferdog with Gerard Griffin. The Band was hotly tipped for the top by Hot Press Magazine and courted much record company interest But was plagued by line up problems, eventually fizzling out in 2007. Griffin is working on new material with The T.N.C.at the helm. Gormenghast reformed in late 2008 after 13 years and are currently working on a new album. Binttii's youngest brother Jonathan Figgis
is the boy who appears on the cover of the second Virgin Prunes single 'In The Greylight'. Jonathan now runs the award-winning film production company October Eleven Pictures
with his other brother Jason Figgis
In 1998, Cleopatra Records
re-released the Sons Find Devils video, along with a soundtrack album on CD. This was the first commercially-available Virgin Prunes material to be released since 1993 and, for a few years, the only commercially available full-length Virgin Prunes album on compact disc (though studio recordings of the songs "Baby Turns Blue," "Pagan Lovesong," and "Caucasian Walk" had cropped up on CD compilations of various Goth
and other dark/avant-garde post-punk
bands).
Gavin Friday has since had a reasonably successful solo career in both music and film. Guggi remains an influential artist in Dublin. Dave-id still records as a solo artist in Ireland. After 20 years of self-imposed seclusion from the rock world, Dik Evans recently gave an overview of his and brother Edge's early years in U2 for the December 2005 issue of 'Word Magazine'. Trevor, Mary and Anthony Murphy live quietly throughout Europe.
As of 2004, Daniel Figgis is currently composer in residence with Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Dublin. One of his more recent compositions, Post Production, a 23 section suite for four musicians was performed at the Winter Garden, New York City, in December 2006. In 2008, Arts>World financial centre commissioned Figgis to compose and perform the sole European commission to celebrate their 20th anniversary of arts programming. His multi-disciplinary festival, Snakes & Ladders, will be appearing on Broadway, January 8, 2010 at Peter Norton Symphony Space.
After much talk, years of anticipation from fans, and with much input from the band, The Virgin Prunes' discography was remastered and reissued on Mute Records
, which included ...If I Die, I Die, The Moon Looked Down and Laughed, Over the Rainbow, Heresie and an album of selections from the A New Form of Beauty series. In 2006 Dave ID-Busaras, Guggi and Gavin Friday contributed a track to the sea shanty
collection Rogue's Gallery
, appearing in the track listing as Three Pruned Men.
On October 4, 2009, three original members of the band, Gavin Friday
, Guggi
and Dik Evans
, performed two classic Virgin Prunes songs, Sweethomeunderwhiteclouds and Caucasian Walk at Carnegie Hall as part of "An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends", to celebrate Friday's 50th birthday. J.G. Thirlwell appeared with them as backing vocalist.
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band formed in 1977. They disbanded in 1986 after the departure of Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter.-Career:Gavin was born in Dublin and grew up in Finglas, a neighbourhood located on Dublin's Northside...
. The other members continued under the name The Prunes until they split up in 1990.
Career
The band consisted of childhood friends of U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
. Lypton Village was a "youthful gang" created by Bono, Guggi
Guggi
Guggi is an avant-garde Irish artist, once a member of the goth/post-punk band The Virgin Prunes alongside his close friend Gavin Friday. Guggi grew up with and remains best friends with U2's Bono. In 1984 he left the Virgin Prunes to pursue his passion for art...
(Derek Rowan) and Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter.-Career:Gavin was born in Dublin and grew up in Finglas, a neighbourhood located on Dublin's Northside...
(Fionan Hanvey) in the early 1970s, where every member got a new identity and where they could escape from dreary and predictable Dublin life and be anything they wanted to be. It was both lead singers Friday and Guggi who first gave a teenaged Paul Hewson his alter-ego and now-famous moniker taken from"Bono Vox" which was a hearing aid shop on Mary street in Dublin City Centre, later simply "Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
." Known for its outrageous and controversial stage performances, led by the bands' theatrical singer/songwriter Friday, they first began playing small shows in Dublin gaining them a cult audience and ridicule from the culturally conservative community.
Friday and Guggi, along with third vocalist Dave-iD Busaras, guitarist Dik Evans
Dik Evans
Richard "Dick" ' Evans is the brother of David "The Edge" Evans, guitarist for rock band U2.The Evans brothers both played guitar in the initial line-up of the band, known as "The Hype," sharing their homemade guitar....
(brother of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
), bassist Strongman (Trevor Rowan, brother of Guggi) and drummer Pod (Anthony Murphy), completed the original lineup. Pod left the group and was replaced by Haa-Lacka Binttii (né Daniel Figgis, now a composer and multimedia producer and curator). With Binttii now on drums, tape loops and keyboards, the band secured a deal with Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
. They released their first single "Twenty Tens (I've Been Smoking All Night)", through Rough Trade but on their own Baby Records label in late 1980. They released a second single "In The Greylight" in early 1981.
Two other Binttii tracks were released during 1980 before conflicts with other members forced him out of the band. "Red Nettle'" was included on an NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
compilation C81 and "Third Secret" was included on the Cherry Red compilation Perspectives And Distortion. Work had already started on the project "A New Form Of Beauty" while Bintti was with the band, but after he was replaced by Mary D'Nellon (Drums), some of his tracks were re-recorded and his name was not included in the credits.
"A New Form of Beauty" was a project that originally contained four chapters and was released in various formats - 7" single, 10" single and 12" single. There was also supposed to be a cassette but this fourth part was never officially released, although all four parts did appear on an Italian version of A New Form Of Beauty which was released as a double album.
In November 1982, the Virgin Prunes released their debut album ...If I Die, I Die (produced by Colin Newman
Colin Newman
Colin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
of Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
) and Heresie, a French boxset. Heresie was commissioned by Yann Farcy after seeing them perform at the Rex Club in Paris and was based on a loose examination of insanity. In 1984 both Guggi and Dik Evans, unhappy with the music business, left the band. This forced drummer Mary D'Nellon to take up the guitar and allowed Pod to return as the band's drummer. The Virgin Prunes started to record the album Sons Find Devils, which has never been released.
A retrospective video titled Sons Find Devils was released In 1985; this video had nothing to do with the unreleased album of the same name. During May 1985, Over the Rainbow, a compilation of rarities, was also released.
In July 1986 the band, now a four-piece recording music written for 'Sons Find Devils', finally released a new album, The Moon Looked Down and Laughed. Also that year frontman Gavin Friday left the group. His departure was confirmed in the liner notes of the band's 1987 live album The Hidden Lie which contained a short statement confirming the band's break-up.
After disbanding as The Virgin Prunes, D'Nellon, Strongman and Busaras formed an offshoot group called The Prunes, which released three albums between 1988 and 1990 (Lite Fantastik, 1988; Nada, 1989; and Blossoms & Blood, 1990). Dik Evans played on The Prunes' album Lite Fantastik and a seventeen year old, Justin Kavanagh (a.k.a. Valley Limberg) from the Dublin hardcore band Mutant Asylum (with his cousin Cormac Figgis a.k.a. The Master Switch, now with Paranoid Visions
Paranoid Visions
Paranoid Visions are an infamous punk band from Dublin, Ireland who formed in 1982. They broke up in 1992, had reunion shows and eventually decided to reunite....
) took the helm as guitarist for "Blossoms & Blood". In 1993, Justin Kavanagh went on to form Gormenghast with childhood friend Ray Brock, Robert 'Gilly' Gilbert and Dave Walsh. After Ray's departure they were joined by Padraig O'Toole of "The Gods". Justin Kavanagh also formed Snifferdog with Gerard Griffin. The Band was hotly tipped for the top by Hot Press Magazine and courted much record company interest But was plagued by line up problems, eventually fizzling out in 2007. Griffin is working on new material with The T.N.C.at the helm. Gormenghast reformed in late 2008 after 13 years and are currently working on a new album. Binttii's youngest brother Jonathan Figgis
Jonathan Figgis
A Co-Founder and Director of award-winning film production company October Eleven Pictures, Film Director and Producer Jonathan Figgis worked in the animation industry for a number of years, contributing on award-winning independent animated shorts as well as television series’ for the...
is the boy who appears on the cover of the second Virgin Prunes single 'In The Greylight'. Jonathan now runs the award-winning film production company October Eleven Pictures
October Eleven Pictures
October Eleven Pictures is an Irish Production Company based in Dublin, Ireland. It is a company dedicated to the development and encouragement of new and existing talent in the arenas of film, design and music. October Eleven Pictures was set up by The Figgis Brothers, Jonathan Figgis and Jason...
with his other brother Jason Figgis
Jason Figgis
Jason Figgis is a film director.He has worked on a variety of programmes for The Discovery Channel, Sky One, Sky Arts, RTÉ , SVT KSM , and Spentzos Films .-Links:* entry on IFTN...
In 1998, Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
re-released the Sons Find Devils video, along with a soundtrack album on CD. This was the first commercially-available Virgin Prunes material to be released since 1993 and, for a few years, the only commercially available full-length Virgin Prunes album on compact disc (though studio recordings of the songs "Baby Turns Blue," "Pagan Lovesong," and "Caucasian Walk" had cropped up on CD compilations of various Goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
and other dark/avant-garde post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
bands).
Gavin Friday has since had a reasonably successful solo career in both music and film. Guggi remains an influential artist in Dublin. Dave-id still records as a solo artist in Ireland. After 20 years of self-imposed seclusion from the rock world, Dik Evans recently gave an overview of his and brother Edge's early years in U2 for the December 2005 issue of 'Word Magazine'. Trevor, Mary and Anthony Murphy live quietly throughout Europe.
As of 2004, Daniel Figgis is currently composer in residence with Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Dublin. One of his more recent compositions, Post Production, a 23 section suite for four musicians was performed at the Winter Garden, New York City, in December 2006. In 2008, Arts>World financial centre commissioned Figgis to compose and perform the sole European commission to celebrate their 20th anniversary of arts programming. His multi-disciplinary festival, Snakes & Ladders, will be appearing on Broadway, January 8, 2010 at Peter Norton Symphony Space.
After much talk, years of anticipation from fans, and with much input from the band, The Virgin Prunes' discography was remastered and reissued on Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
, which included ...If I Die, I Die, The Moon Looked Down and Laughed, Over the Rainbow, Heresie and an album of selections from the A New Form of Beauty series. In 2006 Dave ID-Busaras, Guggi and Gavin Friday contributed a track to the sea shanty
Sea shanty
A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships...
collection Rogue's Gallery
Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys
Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys is a compilation album of sea shanties performed by a wide array of artists, ranging from Sting to Bryan Ferry, representing a variety of genres. The artists cover a large number of diverse songs of the sea, at times adding elements...
, appearing in the track listing as Three Pruned Men.
On October 4, 2009, three original members of the band, Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter.-Career:Gavin was born in Dublin and grew up in Finglas, a neighbourhood located on Dublin's Northside...
, Guggi
Guggi
Guggi is an avant-garde Irish artist, once a member of the goth/post-punk band The Virgin Prunes alongside his close friend Gavin Friday. Guggi grew up with and remains best friends with U2's Bono. In 1984 he left the Virgin Prunes to pursue his passion for art...
and Dik Evans
Dik Evans
Richard "Dick" ' Evans is the brother of David "The Edge" Evans, guitarist for rock band U2.The Evans brothers both played guitar in the initial line-up of the band, known as "The Hype," sharing their homemade guitar....
, performed two classic Virgin Prunes songs, Sweethomeunderwhiteclouds and Caucasian Walk at Carnegie Hall as part of "An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends", to celebrate Friday's 50th birthday. J.G. Thirlwell appeared with them as backing vocalist.
Studio albums
- A New Form of Beauty Parts 1 - 4 (double album; 1981, re-released 1993)
- ...If I Die, I Die (1982, re-released 1991 and 1993)
- The Moon Looked Down and Laughed (1986, re-released 1993)
- The Hidden Lie (1987, re-released 1993)
- Heresie (1993)
Compilation albums
- Over the Rainbow (A Compilation of Rarities 1981-1983) (1985)
- Artfuck: A Compilation of Rarities (1980–1983) (1993)
- An Exhibition (Promo) (2004)
Extended plays
- Twenty Tens (1981)
- Love Lasts Forever (1986)
- Our Love Will Never Die (1994)
- An Extended Play (2004)
Singles
- Moments and Mine (Despite Straight Lines)/In the Greylight/War (1981)
- A New Form of Beauty 1 (1981)
- A New Form of Beauty 2 (1981)
- A New Form of Beauty 3 (1981)
- A New Form of Beauty 4 (1982)
- Pagan Lovesong (1982)
- Baby Turns Blue (1982)
- The Faculties of a Broken Heart (1982)
- Baby Turns Blue/Walls Of Jericho (1982)
- Love Lasts Forever (1986)
- Don't Look Back (1986)