signed to Virgin Records

In 1978/79, the Members continued to play the London pub and club circuit, became a feature in the music press and were championed by John Peel. They signed to Virgin Records in 1978, for which label they recorded “The Sound of the Suburbs”, again produced by Steve Lillywhite. This became The Members’ biggest chart success and their best-known song in the UK. However, the follow-up single, “Offshore Banking Business”, a reggae tune written by Carroll, based on his experiences working in offshore banking at the private bank Coutts , did not achieve the same popularity. A version of “Offshore Banking Business” was recorded for the early 1980s film Urgh! A Music War , produced by Michael White , and distributed by Filmways and Lorimar Productions .