Perhaps the most curious thing about the reputation of A Flock of Seagulls (both the band and the album) is how they’re held up as the example of synth-pop from the era. While calling A Flock of Seagulls a masterpiece would be overselling it, the album is a stunning example of pop songcraft and proof that the group’s brief dominance of MTV and the pop charts wasn’t entirely a fluke. Yet, beneath the garish image, there was–for a little while, at least–some substance to the band that bears itself out on their debut. Even now, with critical re-evaluation reaching some of the acts of the era that previously seemed destined to be remembered as one-hit novelties, the Seagulls are still either a punchline, cultural shorthand for the most anachronistically ‘80s things one could conceive of. Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies were formed in Venice, California in 1981 as a punk/hardcore band, and virtually came to define the phrase 'skate-punk.Even with the revival of all things ‘80s that started in the early 2000s and still seems to be going on, most would probably only regard A Flock of Seagulls as a joke involving weird haircuts.Although their sound had descended from Detroit bands such… Trilobites, The Australian power-pop/rock band The Trilobites formed in Sydney in June 1984.20/20 20/20 was formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by high school friends Steve Allen (guitar, vocals) and Ron Flynt (bass, vocals).

Ya Ya Choral Beginning life in 1982 in Sydney (Australia) as an experimental electronic outfit, Ya Ya Choral became a popular - though….Thankfully, Mike’s demonic haircut has been put out to pasture. Score resurfaced once more in 1995 with The Light At The End Of The World and has carried the band name on into the new millennium. Score organised a new version of the band in 1989, touring the USA and issuing a single, Magic – a commodity this band, unfortunately, had very little of. They, too, broke up. That album and Dream Come True (made as a trio) were way below par and the band subsequently disintegrated. Paul Reynolds departed after the release of The Story Of A Young Heart. Originally called Tontrix the band comprised Mike Score (keyboards, vocals), Ali Score (drum machine, vocals), Paul Reynolds (guitar) and Frank Maudsley (bass).įollowing an adventurous EP on Bill Nelson’s Cocteau label, the band made their album debut with A Flock Of Seagulls, a splendid example of futurist pop that contained a number of notable tracks including I Ran (So Far Away), which made the US Top 10 in July 1982.Įx-hairdresser Mike Score received numerous press jibes for his “silly haircut” as he had cultivated his none-too-natural blonde locks to hang irritatingly over his keyboards.Īlthough Listen was another infectious collection of songs, the group were unable to find any lasting popularity in their homeland to back up the success of (Wishing) If I Had A Photograph Of You, which reached number 10 in November 1982. This new wave electro-pop act from Liverpool, England, had remarkable success in the USA before finding a large following in Britain.

Flock of seagulls