The Psychedelic Furs

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Psychedelic Furs

Background information
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Post-Punk
Years active 1977-1991, 2000-Present
Label(s) Columbia
Associated
acts		 Love Spit Love
Website Website
Members
John Ashton
Richard Butler
Tim Butler
Frank Ferrer
Amanda Kramer
Mars Williams
Former members
Vince Ely
Duncan Kilburn
Roger Morris

The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in the late 1970s.

Contents

The Psychedelic Furs came together in England's emerging punk scene in 1977, where they were initially called "RKO," then "Radio." They then vacillated between calling themselves "The Psychedelic Furs" and "The Europeans", playing gigs under both names before permanently settling on the former name.[1] The band initially consisted of Richard Butler (vocals) (initially using the name Butler Rep), Tim Butler (bass guitar), Duncan Kilburn (saxophone), Paul Wilson (drums)[1] and Roger Morris (guitars). By 1979, this line up had expanded to a sextet with Vince Ely replacing Wilson on drums and John Ashton being added on guitar.

The Furs initially used Martin Hannett as a producer,[2] but their initial self-titled album from 1980 was eventually produced by Steve Lillywhite. The LP quickly established the band on radio and was a top 20 hit in the UK. The album also found success in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Australia. The US version of the album was resequenced, but failed to have as strong a commercial impact.

The Furs found success in the U.S. market with the 1981 release Talk Talk Talk, which made its impact on the US album charts. In the UK, the album was a solid hit which spun off two charting singles, "Dumb Waiters" and the original version of "Pretty in Pink". The latter song served as inspiration for the 1986 John Hughes film of the same name, and was re-recorded for the platinum-selling soundtrack.

In 1982, the band was reduced to a four-piece with the departures of Morris and Kilburn.[3] (Ex-Birthday Party drummer Phil Calvert would briefly join the group around this time.)[4] The band's remaining members moved permanently to New York, where they recorded the album Forever Now with producer Todd Rundgren. This album contained "Love My Way", a breakthrough Top 40 hit in both the US and the UK. Ely left the band after this release, though he would return for the 1988 single "All That Money Wants" and the 1989 album Book of Days.

The Furs' 1984 release Mirror Moves was produced by Keith Forsey, and featured the songs "The Ghost in You" and "Heaven". Both charted in the UK, and "Heaven" became the band's highest charting UK hit at the time -- but inexplicably, "Heaven" was never released as a single in America. Instead, Columbia Records opted for "Here Come Cowboys", despite both international success and heavy MTV airplay on "Heaven." "Here Come Cowboys" failed to chart, but "The Ghost In You" was a hit on the US pop charts. The band had become popular in Canada as well, CFNY, Toronto's new wave radio station, listed Mirror Moves as the #1 LP of 1984. [5]

By this time, the band had become somewhat of a staple on US college and modern rock radio stations. As well, they were building mainstream success, fairly consistently placing singles in the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic, though they would "have more impact on future musicians than they ever did in the marketplace."[6] In 1986, the band re-recorded a version of "Pretty in Pink", which their biggest hit to that time in the US, and their biggest-ever UK hit.

Richard Butler later claimed that the success of "Pretty in Pink" caused the band to be pressured into entering the studio to record a follow-up release before they were ready. The result was Midnight to Midnight, an album which Butler characterized as "hollow, vapid and weak". A more overtly commercial effort than the Furs had ever recorded before, the album also featured the single "Heartbreak Beat", which happened to be their highest charting top 40 US hit.

However, the Furs were dissatisfied with their new slickly commercial direction, and subsequently returned to a rawer sound with "All That Money Wants", a 1988 track especially recorded for a 'best-of' collection. 1989's Book of Days saw a return to the old-school style and the temporary return of Vince Ely. 1991's World Outside was similarly more of a "back to basics" approach.

From 1988 on The Furs' chart success continued with three #1 hits on the US Modern Rock chart between 1988 and 1991.

The band splintered in the early 1990s, with the Butler brothers going on to found Love Spit Love. After spending most of the decade apart, Butler, Butler and Ashton reformed The Psychedelic Furs in 2000, and released a live album Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live, which also featured a new studio recording, "Alive (For Once In My Lifetime)." A DVD version of the performance included live versions of "Alive" and three other previously unreleased songs: "Anodyne (Better Days)," "Cigarette" and "Wrong Train."

Since then the Furs continue to tour the world along with former Love Spit Love drummer Frank Ferrer, ex-Information Society and World Party keyboardist Amanda Kramer and saxophonist Mars Williams who returned to the band after a stint in the late 1980s.

The Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink excerpt

An excerpt from Pretty In Pink

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • The song "Love My Way" was featured in the 1998 film The Wedding Singer.
  • The band Fall Out Boy has a song titled "Pretty In Punk", an obvious reference to the Furs' song.
  • The band Korn covered the song "Love My Way" as a b-side on the sessions for the 2005 album "See You On the Other Side". The song has been played on radio stations during interviews, and the MP3 circulated on the internet shortly after. It has been mentioned that Elijah Blue Allman from the band Deadsy appears to have provided backup vocals on the track. The band has confirmed that the song will be featured on their upcoming cover album.
  • Love My Way is featured in the 2002 videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
  • In early 2006, Pretty In Pink, was used by Cingular Wireless in a television advertising campaign for the Motorola "pink Razr" cellphone.
  • Foo Fighters covered the song "Sister Europe" and included it on their "One by One" (bonus version) album.
  • Jawbreaker covered the song "Into You Like A Train" as a B-side during the sessions for their 1995 album "Dear You."
  • Buffalo Tom covered the song "Heaven" as a bonus track on their 1990 album "Birdbrain."
  • Counting Crows covered the song "The Ghost In You" for the soundtrack of the 1995 film "Clueless."
  • Powderfinger covered the song "Love My Way" as a B-side on their 2000 single "Like A Dog."
  • Polyphonic Spree, a self-described "choral symphonic" group, did a cover version of "Love My Way" on their critically acclaimed EP "Wait" in 2006.
  • David Reilly, the late lead singer and chief songwriter for the popular 90's rock band, God Lives Underwater, recorded a cover version of "Love My Way" during his last year of life. the song can be found amongst the myriad caches of b-sides and unreleased material that Reilly committed to record in the final years of his life.

Year Song UK U.S. U.S. Modern Rock Album
1979 "We Love You" - - - The Psychedelic Furs
1980 "Sister Europe" - - - The Psychedelic Furs
1980 "Mr. Jones" - - - Later re-recorded for Talk Talk Talk
1981 "Dumb Waiters" 59 - - Talk Talk Talk
1981 "Pretty in Pink" 43 - - Talk Talk Talk
1982 "Love My Way" 42 44 - Forever Now
1982 "Run and Run" - - - Forever Now
1984 "Heaven" 29 - - Mirror Moves
1984 "The Ghost in You" 68 59 - Mirror Moves
1984 "Here Come Cowboys" - - - Mirror Moves
1986 "Pretty in Pink" (re-recording) 18 41 - Pretty in Pink soundtrack
1987 "Heartbreak Beat" 79 26 - Midnight to Midnight
1987 "Angels Don't Cry" 85 - - Midnight to Midnight
1987 "Shock" - - - Midnight to Midnight
1988 "All That Money Wants" 75 - 1 All of This and Nothing
1989 "Should God Forget" - - 8 Book of Days
1990 "House" 90 - 1 Book of Days
1991 "Until She Comes" - - 1 World Outside
1991 "Don't Be a Girl" - - 13 World Outside
2001 "Alive (For Once in My Lifetime)" - - - Greatest Hits
  • Note: Billboard's U.S. Modern Rock chart was established in 1988.

  1. ^ Darling, John (2000). What's in a Name?: The Book of Bands. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 0-595-09629-8. 
  2. ^ Howard, David N. (2004). Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings, 259. ISBN 978-0634055607. 
  3. ^ (2002) Grande enciclopedia rock. Giunti. ISBN 88-09-02852-X. 
  4. ^ The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Revised and Updated for the 21st Century). Fireside, 160. ISBN 978-0743201209. 
  5. ^ http://www.spiritofradio.ca/
  6. ^ Amazon.com: The Psychedelic Furs:Beautiful Chaos:Books:Dave Thompson. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Psychedelic_Furs"
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