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Modern English
Modern English in the early '80s
Background information
Also known as	The Lepers
Origin	England
Genre(s)	New Wave, Post-punk
Years active	1979–1991, 2005–present
Label(s)	Sire, 4AD, TVT
Members
Robbie Grey Gary McDowell Richard Brown Mick Conroy Stephen Walker

Modern English is a rock band best remembered for their song "I Melt With You," which was an MTV staple in 1982, and has appeared in various commercials and movies over the years.

Formed in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1977 by Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals), Modern English was originally known as the Lepers. Richard Brown (drums) and Stephen Walker (keyboards) were subsequently added to the line-up of the indie rock band. A debut single, "Drowning Man" was released in 1980 on the Limp Records label. The band's full-length Mesh & Lace, released by 4AD Records a year later, drew heavily on the gloom rock sound already patented by bands such as Joy Division. The follow-up After The Snow, recorded by the same line-up, was a minor revelation, as they introduced warmth and strong guitar harmonies (most notably on the minor classic "I Melt With You"), rejecting the tinny bleakness of the debut. It was well received in the USA, and the band relocated to New York to consolidate a popularity encouraged by college radio. Richochet Days had a crisper production but less creative experimentation. By Stop Start, released by Sire Records in 1986, Walker and Brown had left, and Aaron Davidson (keyboards, guitar) had joined. The band had tried too hard for commercial pushed by their label and subsequent producers. Grey returned to England to form a new outfit, but reconvened Modern English in 1990 with Davidson and Conroy. They released Pillow Lips on the TVT label, selling 300,000 units. Robbie Grey and band member Ted Mason co wrote and produced a second release for TVT recording with live strings and mutliple harmonies. It received very little enthusiasm from TVT. Locked into contractual obligations with TVT, Grey subsequently put the band on hold to study and travel, and Mason handled the legal issues of getting out of the TVT deal. In 1995, they re-formed Modern English with Matthew Shipley (keyboards), Ted Mason (guitar) and John Solomon (drums), they recorded Everything's Mad for the Imago label. Robbie Grey continues to tour extensively on the US club circuit, and in 2001 signed a new recording contract with A.P.G. Music.

• Mesh and Lace (1981)
• After The Snow (1982)
• Ricochet Days (1984)
• Stop Start (1986)
• Pillow Lips (1990)
• Everything Is Mad (1996)

• Life in the Gladhouse, 1980-1984: Best of Modern English

• All Music page on Modern English