With James Levesque on bass (replacing Soto, who left to form the Adolescents ), the group recorded their debut Living In Darkness album with Brian Elliot, best known for composing Madonna ‘s hit ” Papa Don’t Preach “. The record was released by Posh Boy in November 1981 and included…
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In October 1981, their second album Underneath the Colours was released and became a hit in Australia peaking at No. 15.
October was released in October 1981 and contained overtly spiritual themes. The album received mixed reviews and limited radio play. It debuted at number 11 in the UK, but sold poorly elsewhere. The single ” Gloria ” was U2’s first song to have its music video played on MTV ,…
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The band’s next single was ” Just Can’t Get Enough “. The synth-pop single became the band’s first UK top ten hit. The video is the only one to feature Vince Clarke. Depeche Mode’s debut album, Speak & Spell , was released in October 1981 and peaked at number ten…
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In September 1981, the band began work on their fifth album Combat Rock
As a quartet, New Order subsequently re-recorded “Ceremony”, which was released as a twelve-inch single in September 1981.
The band faced several challenges in writing their second album, October . On an American leg of the Boy Tour, Bono’s briefcase containing in-progress lyrics and musical ideas was lost backstage during a March 1981 performance at a nightclub in Portland, Oregon . The band had limited time to write…
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The band’s debut album, Duran Duran , was released on the EMI label in June 1981. The first single, ” Planet Earth “, had reached the United Kingdom’s top 20 at number 12 in February. A follow-up, ” Careless Memories “, released in April, stalled at number 37. The third…
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Between touring commitments, the band released their third single in May 1981, ” The Loved One “, which was a cover of a 1966 song by Australian group the Loved Ones .
In May 1981, PiL appeared in New York at The Ritz , playing from behind a projection screen. Lydon, Levene and Jeanette Lee were joined by a new drummer, 60-year-old jazz player Sam Ulano, who had been recruited for the gig from a bar, having apparently never heard the band…
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