|
Flock of Seagulls Information
|
|
Formed in Liverpool, England in 1980 by Mike Score, his brother Ali Score, and friends Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, 'A Flock of Seagulls' was a British New Wave band popular in Europe and the U.S. in the early 1980s.
They are notable for their futuristic sound and for Reynolds' haunting "seagull" guitar echo effect, originally created by Bill Nelson, their first record producer who used it when he was a member of Be Bop Deluxe.
Career
Their debut recording, Telecommunication, was an underground hit, and the band subsequently became famous in the USA with the song I Ran (So Far Away), which was played frequently on MTV and college radio. It reached number 9 in the US singles chart, and their eponymous debut album reached number 10 in the US album chart. In the UK, commercial success came later with the release of Listen, their second album, and the single "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)".
Lead guitarist Paul Reynolds left the band soon after the release of the 1984 album The Story of a Young Heart, citing personal problems. The band broke up after the release of their fourth album, Dream Come True, which was originally planned as a Mike Score solo album. Score retained rights to the band's name, and in 1989, he and three new members recorded The Light at the End of the World. This album met with little success, though the band continued to tour and record.
Recent history
In November of 2003, the original line-up (Mike and Ali Score, Paul Reynolds and Frank Maudsley) reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series, Bands Reunited.
In September 2004 they reformed again and played a small number of live shows in the United States, but broke up immediately afterward. The reunion included a performances at Nike Run Hit Wonder, a series of 5000 and 10,000 metre road races, featuring popular one hit wonder bands (including Devo, General Public, Tone Loc, and Tommy Tutone) playing along the race course.
Mike Score continues to tour under the band's name with a new line-up, but the other original members have retired from music.
Current members
*Mike Score, Lead singer, Keyboards
*Joe Rodriguez, lead guitarist
*Robbie Hanson, bass
*Albert Cruz, drums
*Michael Semegen, didgeridoo and theramin
In June, 2005, the current line-up appeared on the debut episode of the American edition of NBC's Hit Me Baby One More Time. Besides performing their hit song I Ran (So Far Away), they also performed a cover of Ryan Cabrera's "On the Way Down".
Trivia
I Ran (So Far Away) was also the title track for the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Hairstyle
Mike Score's distinctive hairstyle has been mentioned, copied, and parodied many times in the media, most notably in the American Television Sitcoms Friends and That 70's Show. It has also been referenced in movies such as Pulp Fiction, The Wedding Singer, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, where the 1970s and 80s are dismissed as little more than "a gas shortage and A Flock of Seagulls".
Discography
* A Flock of Seagulls (1982) #10 US
* Listen (1983) #16 US
* The Story of a Young Heart (1984) #67 US
* Dream Come True (1986)
* The Light at the End of the World (1989)
Singles
* "I Ran (So Far Away)" (1982) #9 US
* "Space Age Love Song" (1982) #30 US, #34 UK
* "Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)" (1983) #26 US, #10 UK
* "Transfer Affection" (1983) #38 UK
* "The More You Live, The More You Love" (1984) #58 US, #26 UK
* "Rainfall" (approximately 1999)
|
