Watch the punk influenced music in action
The Psychedelic Furs, whose name belies their punk-influenced music,
were formed in England in 1977 by brothers Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim
Butler (bass), along with saxophone player Duncan Kilburn and guitarist
Roger Morris. By the time they released their self-titled debut album in
1980, the group had become a sextet, adding guitarist John Ashton and drummer
Vince Ely. That album, featuring Butler's hoarse voice (the tone of which
suggested John Lydon without the sneer) was a bigger hit in England, where
it reached the Top 20, than in the U.S. Talk Talk Talk (1981) did
better, reaching the U.S. Top 100 and producing two British singles-chart
entries, one of which was "Pretty in Pink," later also
a hit in the U.S. when a new version was used as the title song of a film.
Forever Now (1982) saw the band reduced to a quartet with the departure
of Kilburn and Morris. The rest moved to the U.S., turned to producer Todd
Rundgren, and scored a U.S. Top 50 hit with "Love My Way."
Ely then left, and the remaining trio of the two Butlers and Ashton made
Mirror Moves (1984), the biggest Psychedelic Furs hit yet. The film Pretty
in Pink helped spread their name further before the release of their next
album, Midnight to Midnight (1986), which consequently got to #12 in the
U.K. and the Top 30 in the US and included the Top 30 U.S. hit "Heartbreak
Beat." Book of Days (1989) marked the return of Vince Ely but
was a considerable commercial disappointment. World Outside (1991) also
failed to find an audience. The Psychedelic Furs then folded up shop, and
Richard Butler launched a new group, Love Spit Love. ~
William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide |
