The Psychedelic Furs Totally Explained

Everything about The Psychedelic Furs totally explained

The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in 1977.

Biography

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. The band initially consisted of Richard Butler (vocals) (initially using the name Butler Rep), Tim Butler (bass guitar), Duncan Kilburn (saxophone), Paul Wilson (drums)(External Link

) 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, 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. (Ex-Birthday Party drummer Phill Calvert briefly joined the group around this time, but left without having recorded anything with the band.) The band's remaining members moved permanently to New York City, and they recorded their next album, Forever Now, with producer Todd Rundgren in upper New York state. This album contained "Love My Way", another mid-range UK chart hit and their first US chart single, although the track fell just shy of hitting the top 40 in both countries.
   Ely left the band after Forever Now, though he returned 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, peaking at #29 -- 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 for "Heaven." "Here Come Cowboys" failed to chart, but "The Ghost In You" was a minor hit (#59) 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.
   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 mid-range of the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic, though according to one biographer they'd "have more impact on future musicians than they ever did in the marketplace."
   In 1986, the band re-recorded a version of "Pretty in Pink" for the soundtrack of the film of the same name. Released as a single, it became 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 became their only top 40 US hit.
   The Furs were dissatisfied with their new 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 also 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' were no longer seen on the Hot 100 pop charts in the US, and only sporadically made the lower rungs of the UK pop charts. However, their chart success continued with three #1 hits on the US Modern Rock chart between 1988 and 1991.
   The band split 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 re-formed 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.

Discography

Albums

The Psychedelic Furs (1980) Columbia (U.S. #140)
Talk Talk Talk (1981) Columbia (U.S. #89)
Forever Now (1982) Columbia (U.S. #44)
Mirror Moves (1984) Columbia (U.S. #43)
Midnight to Midnight (1987) Columbia (U.S. #29)
All of This and Nothing (compilation, 1988) Columbia (U.S. #102)
Book of Days (1989) Columbia (U.S. #138)
World Outside (1991) Columbia (U.S. #140)
(compilation, 1994) Sony
In the Pink (compilation, 1996) Sony Special Products
(compilation, 1997) Sony
Radio 1 Sessions (1999) Strange Fruit
(compilation, 2001) Sony
(2001) Sony
Superhits (compilation) (2003) Sony

Singles

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.

Notes and references

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