A Flock of Seagulls

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Biography

A Flock of Seagulls (also known as Flock of Seagulls ) are an English New Wave music|New Wave band originally formed by brothers Mike Score|Michael "Mike" Score (keyboards, vocals) and Ali Score|Alister "Ali" James Score (drums), with Frank Maudsley (bass) and Paul Reynolds (musician)|Paul Reynolds (guitar).

The group had a string of international hit singles including " I Ran (So Far Away) ", " Space Age Love Song ," " Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) " and " The More You Live, the More You Love ", and became notable in the 1980s for their MTV video for the song "I Ran (So Far Away)".

History

A Flock of Seagulls was started by Mike Score and his brother Ali in 1979 in Liverpool . Mike, who was previously a hairdresser, played keyboards, guitar, and vocals, Ali played drums and their friend Frank Maudsley played bass. The band took their name from a line in the song "Toiler on the Sea" by The Stranglers , which appears on their album Black and White (The Stranglers album)|Black and White .Smith, Steve Bits and Pieces: the Penguin Book of Rock and Pop Facts and Trivia . Penguin, 1988 ISBN 0-14-010743-6
The band added guitarist Willie Woo, Rob Koreman (after a brief stint as a pilot), and Mark Edmondson joined briefly when Ali and Mike had a falling out; however, Ali re-joined when Mark took ill. They then began writing songs. Soon after, Willie left, allowing Paul Reynolds to join. They then started playing clubs and eventually got a recording contract.

Eventually, under the management of Tommy Crossan and Mick Rossi (Checkmount Limited), they began to release singles through Jive Records . The group released an Extended Play|EP and a couple of singles, 'Its Not Me Talking' and 'Telecommunication' on Bill Nelson's 'Cocteau' label; both tracks produced by Nelson. In 1982 the group's third single, produced by Mike Howlett "I Ran (So Far Away)" became a worldwide hit, most notably reaching number 1 in Australia and the top 10 in the US and New Zealand (where the band became popular). The parent album A Flock of Seagulls (album)|A Flock of Seagulls and another single "Space Age Love Song" were also successful. In late 1982 the band found major success in their home country with "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" (first single from their next album) which reached the top 10. As it turned out, 1982 would prove to be the peak year of their commercial and critical success. The band is regarded as breaking the ground for other musical acts during the advent of the video music area.

1983 saw the release of three singles to back their second album Listen (A Flock of Seagulls album)|Listen . Each was only a minor success in the UK and abroad. Faced with disappointment the group produced a third album in 1984. "The More You Live, the More You Love" was The Story of a Young Heart 's lead single. It was moderately successful, but the album's other two singles – "Never Again (The Dancer)" and "Remember David" – did not make any headway.
Faced with sliding sales and a loss of direction following the third album, the group relocated to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania minus Paul Reynolds (musician)|Paul Reynolds . Eventually, in 1985, the group released a new album; Dream Come True (A Flock of Seagulls album)|Dream Come True . The album was critically panned and a commercial failure. The remaining members fell out and A Flock Of Seagulls in its original incarnation disbanded. In promotion of Dream Come True , two videos – "Who's That Girl" and "Heartbeat Like a Drum" – were filmed in quick succession. These two videos were the last time the three remaining members were together in a recording or performance capacity until 2003.

For the next eighteen years, Mike Score worked with various musicians under the A Flock Of Seagulls banner, playing live gigs and occasionally issuing new recordings. In 1989, the group released a single called "Magic" which did not chart. The follow-up album ( The Light at the End of the World (A Flock of Seagulls album)|The Light at the End of the World ) which included the single did not appear until 1995, and similarly did not chart.

By 2002, A Flock of Seagulls was brought back to life when Rockstar Games added their most famous single "I Ran" to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City , and included in the games official trailer.

In November 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. Mike Score continues to tour with other musicians as A Flock Of Seagulls.

Legacy

Although parodied in later years, the band is now recognised as a pioneering act, capturing the zeitgeist of their time, particularly with multi-layered hits such as "Space Age Love Song", Telecommunication (song)|Telecommunication and Modern Love is Automatic (song)|Modern Love is Automatic .Space Age Love Song: The Mix Tape in a Digital Universe Megan M. CarpenterMM Carpenter – works.bepress.com The band also is noted for creating successful concept album , their debut, which alludes to an alien invasion of earth.Shakespeare Meets the Backbeat: Literary Allusion in Rock Music. JR Duxbury - Popular Music & Society , 1988 - Taylor & Francis The group garnered the attention of legendary producer Phil Spector , whom, upon hearing a demo of "I Ran" called the sound "phenomenal" and was in talks to produce an album. However, the talks fell apart when Spector and the bands label did not see eye to eye. Wall of pain: the biography of Phil Spector . D Thompson - 2003 - Sanctuary Pub Ltd

In popular culture

It was referred to, as a means of scoff, in Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction .

When Danny Pintauro came out of the closet , The Daily Show referred to his Flock of Seagulls haircut on '' Who's the Boss? as an indicator of his orientation.

The band is referenced in Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me when Austin Powers says "The 70s and the 80s? You're not missing anything, believe me. I've looked into it. There's a gas shortage and A Flock of Seagulls. That's about it." (IMDB)

Personnel

Original line-up (1979–1984)

Frank Maudsley – Bass

Paul Reynolds (musician)|Paul Reynolds – Guitar

Alister "Ali" James Score – Drums

Mike Score|Michael "Mike" Score – Keyboards, Vocals

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album	Chart positions					Certification
Year	Album	UK cite web	DEU cite web	SE	U.S Allmusic	AUS Kent, David Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . David Kent, 1993 ISBN 0-646-11917-6	Certification
1981	Modern Love Is Automatic EP Release Date: 1981 Label: Jive Records	–	–	–	–	–
1982	A Flock of Seagulls Release Date: April 1982 Label: Jive Records Producer: Mike Howlett	32	26	32	10	19	British Phonographic Industry\|UK : Silver http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx RIAA\|US : Gold
1983	Listen Release Date: May 1983 Label: Zomba Records Producer: Mike Howlett	16	14	44	16	90
1984	The Story of a Young Heart Release Date: August 1984 Label: Jive/Arista	30	31	–	67	–
1985	Dream Come True Release Date: 1985 (UK), March 1986 (US) Label: Jive Records	–	–	–	–	–
1995	The Light at the End of the World Release Date: 1995 Label: I.R.S. Records	–	–	–	–	–

Compilation albums

The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (1991)

'' 20 Classics of the 80's (1995)

Wishing (A Flock of Seagulls album)|Wishing (1996)

The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (1998 album) (1998)

Greatest Hits Remixed (1999)

I Ran (live album) (1999)

Platinum & Gold Collection (A Flock of Seagulls album)|Platinum & Gold Collection (2003)

Essential New Wave (2003)

I Ran: The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (2003)

'' We Are the 80's (2006)

Space Age Love Songs (2008)

Playlist: The Very Best of A Flock of Seagulls (2008)

Singles

Year	Title	Album	Chart positions
			UK	UK Indie cite web	AUS	NETH	DEU	IRL cite web	NZ cite web	US
			UK	UK Indie cite web	AUS	NETH	DEU	IRL cite web	NZ cite web	Hot 100	MSR	Dance Club Play
1981	" (It's Not Me) Talking "	—	–	45	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1981	Telecommunication "	A Flock of Seagulls	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	19
1982	" I Ran (So Far Away) "		43	–	1	46	31	–	7	9	3	8
	"Space Age Love Song"		34	–	68	–	–	–	31	30	59	–
	" Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) "	Listen	10	–	46	44	37	6	33	26	3	62
1983	"(It's Not Me) Talking" (Cocteau Records re-issue)	—	–	22	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	"Nightmares"	Listen	53	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	"Transfer Affection"		38	–	–	–	–	22	43	–	–	–
	"(It's Not Me) Talking" (Rerecording)		78	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1984	" The More You Live, the More You Love "	The Story of a Young Heart	26	–	–	16	37	–	32	56	10	–
	"Never Again (The Dancer)"		–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	"Remember David"		–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1985	"Who's That Girl (She's Got It)"	Dream Come True	66	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1986	"Heartbeat Like a Drum"	Dream Come True	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1989	"Magic"	—	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1995	"Magic" (Re-issue)	The Light at the End of the World	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1995	"Burnin' Up"		–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1996	"Rainfall"		–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2000	"Rainfall" (Re-issue)	—	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2007	"I Ran (So Far Away)" (A Flock Of Seagulls vs. The Angry Kids)	—	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Video albums

Year	Title	Format
1984	Through the Looking Glass Notes: Features A Flock of Seagulls songs from 1981–1984 and a brief interview.	VHS

Grammy Award

The album track, " D.N.A. (song) " from A Flock of Seagulls (album)|A Flock of Seagulls , won a Grammy Award in Grammy Awards of 1983|1983 for Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance|Best Rock Instrumental Performance .

Copyright Citations

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A Flock of Seagulls Photo by: assets.mog.com


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