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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = Classix Nouveaux|image =|caption =|image_size =|background = group_or_band|origin = London , England |genre = New Wave music|New Wave , Post-punk , New Romantic |years_active = 1979–1985|label = EMI Cherry Red Records ESP Records|associated_acts = Sal Solo The News (band)|The News X-Ray Spex Neo (UK band)|Neo |Also Known As =|website =|current_members =|past_members = Sal Solo Mik Sweeney Jak Airport B. P. Hurding Gary Steadman Jimi Sumen Rick Driscoll Paul Turley Pandit Dinesh S Paul Wilson|notable_instruments = Classix Nouveaux were an England|English 1980s New Wave music|New Wave musical ensemble|band . They had number one hit record|hits in Poland , Portugal , Yugoslavia , Israel , Iceland , and other countries. In the United Kingdom|UK they had various Top 50 successes, but only one Top 20 hit with "Is It A Dream", which peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1982.cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 110
Biography
Formation
The breakup of X-Ray Spex triggered an advertisement placed in Melody Maker , searching for a new lead singer. http://www.salsolo.com/classix.html Sal Solo history - Classix Nouveaux SalSolo.com. Retrieved 9 December 2010.Sal Solo (formerly with The News (band)|The News ) answered the advertisement. Jak Airport and B.P. Hurding left X-Ray Spex to form Classix Nouveaux with Mik Sweeney and Sal Solo. Their first concert|gig was on 25 August 1979 at Camden Palace . With publicity growing for the band, their dramatic and heavily made-up image quickly helped associate them with the New Romantic movement, alongside bands such as Japan (band)|Japan and Ultravox .Sutton, Michael: http://allmusic.com/artist/classix-nouveaux-p165528/biography Classix Nouveaux biography at AllMusic . Retrieved 9 December 2010. In 1980, the band recorded a four track session for Capital Radio and one track, "Robots Dance", was played regularly by DJ Nicky Horne . This got the interest of A& R at United Artists , but as negotiations dragged on Classix decided to release the track as their debut Single (music)|single on their own ESP label. "Robot's Dance" was released on 29 August and, when negotiations with UA were finalised, by EMI. http://www.salsolo.com/classix.html Salsolo.com They also performed for the first time on television on Thames TV in London . "Robot's Dance" spent eleven weeks on the UK Indie Chart , reaching #22, and became a popular alternative dance floor track. The group's second single, "Nasty Little Green Men", followed on 10 November 1980.
Night People
In 1981, the band released their debut album, Night People , featuring the single "Guilty". Track listing| collapsed = no | headline = | total_length = | writing_credits = yes | title1 = "Foreward" | writer1 = Sal Solo, Mik Sweeney | length1 = 3:25 | title2 = "Guilty" | writer2 = Solo | length2 = 4:42 | title3 = "Run Away" | writer3 = Solo | length3 = 2:42 | title4 = "No Sympathy No Violins" | writer4 = Solo, Sweeney | length4 = 4:07 | title5 = "Inside Outside" | writer5 = Solo, Sweeney | length5 = 4:21 | title6 = "623 Degrees" | writer6 = Classix Nouveaux | length6 = 2:30 | title7 = "Every Home Should Have One" | writer7 = Solo, Sweeney | length7 = 3:55 | title8 = "Tokyo" | writer8 = Solo, Sweeney | length8 = 2:39 | title9 = "Or a Movie" | writer9 = Solo | length9 = 4:32 | title10 = "Soldier" | writer10 = Solo, Sweeney | length10 = 3:46 | title11 = "The Protector of Night" | writer11 = Solo | length11 = 5:23 Track listing| headline = Bonus tracks on 2003 CD release | writing_credits = yes | title12 = "Robot's Dance" | writer12 = Solo | length12 = 3:56 | title13 = "Nasty Little Green Men" | writer13 = Solo | length13 = 3:16 | title14 = "Test Tube Babies" | writer14 = Solo | length14 = 2:47 | title15 = "Night People" | writer15 = Solo | length15 = 3:54 | title16 = "Old World For Sale" | writer16 = Solo | length16 = 2:37 | title17 = "627" | writer17 = Solo | length17 = 2:31 | title18 = "We Don't Bite" | writer18 = Solo | length18 = 3:24
La Verité
Releasing their next album, La Verité , in 1982, led to the release of their highest UK record chart|chart single, "Is It A Dream". The band toured worldwide. Track listing| collapsed = no | headline = | total_length = | writing_credits = yes | title1 = "Foreward" | writer1 = Sal Solo | length1 = 1:08 | title2 = "Is It a Dream" | writer2 = Sal Solo | length2 = 4:16 | title3 = "To Believe" | writer3 = Solo, Mik Sweeney | length3 = 3:46 | title4 = "Because You're Young" | writer4 = Solo | length4 = 3:47 | title5 = "Six To Eight" | writer5 = Solo | length5 = 1:58 | title6 = "La Verité" | writer6 = Solo | length6 = 5:12 | title7 = "Never Again" | writer7 = Solo, Sweeney | length7 = 4:06 | title8 = "It's All Over" | writer8 = Solo | length8 = 3:55 | title9 = "1999" | writer9 = Solo, Sweeney | length9 = 3:45 | title10 = "I Will Return" | writer10 = Solo, Sweeney | length10 = 5:43 | title11 = "Finale" | writer11 = Solo | length11 = 2:34 Track listing| headline = Bonus tracks on 2002 CD release | writing_credits = yes | title12 = "It's Not Too Late" | writer12 = Solo, Sweeney | length12 = 3:23 | title13 = "Where To Go" | writer13 = Solo, Sweeney | length13 = 3:14
Secret
In 1983 the album Secret was released, record producer|produced by Alex Sadkin , featuring tracks such as "Never Never Comes" and "Heart From The Start". They become one of the first modern bands to perform in communist Poland . Citation needed|date=December 2011Track listing| collapsed = no | headline = | total_length = | writing_credits = yes | title1 = "All Around The World" | writer1 = Classix Nouveaux | length1 = 4:21 | title2 = "Manitou" | writer2 = Classix Nouveaux | length2 = 3:51 | title3 = "Heart From the Start" | writer3 = Classix Nouveaux | length3 = 3:31 | title4 = "The Fire Inside" | writer4 = Classix Nouveaux | length4 = 3:50 | title5 = "Forever and a Day" | writer5 = Solo, Sweeney | length5 = 3:39 | title6 = "Never Never Comes" | writer6 = Classix Nouveaux | length6 = 2:58 | title7 = "The Unloved" | writer7 = Classix Nouveaux | length7 = 5:19 | title8 = "When They All Have Gone" | writer8 = Classix Nouveaux | length8 = 6:00 | title9 = "No Other Way" | writer9 = Classix Nouveaux | length9 = 4:48
Breakup
Band members continued to come and go, and by the end of the band's existence Sal Solo was the only original member remaining.
After Classix Nouveaux's break up Solo went on to record and perform with French/Italian space-rock and electronic band Rockets (band)|Rockets during 1983-84, before becoming heavily involved in Catholicism , and releasing several Christian-oriented albums.
Mik Sweeney moved to Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles , California where he built fret less bass guitar|basses and did studio session musician|session work; he currently lives in Ireland . Gary Steadman went on to join A Flock of Seagulls . Jimi Sumen became a record producer in Finland and released a number of solo works there.
The first Classix Nouveaux compilation album was released in 1997 via EMI Records and was reissued with a slightly different track listing in 2003. Beginning that same year, the band's original albums saw reissue on Compact disc|CD by Cherry Red Records . In 2005 River Records released The River Sessions , a live album recorded at Strathclyde University in 1982 and, in January 2010, all the band's singles and associated A-side and B-side|B-sides saw release as The Liberty Singles Collection , again via Cherry Red Records.
Discography
Albums
UK Release
Album
UK http:/ / www.chartstats.com/ artistinfo.php? id=3419 Chartstats: Classix Nouveaux Chartstats.com. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
May 1981
Night People
66
April 1982
La Verité
44
November 1983
Secret
-
1997
The Very Best of Classix Nouveaux
-
2003
The Very Best of Classix Nouveaux (reissue)
-
2006
The River Sessions
-
January 2010
The Liberty Singles Collection
-
Singles
UK Release
Song
UK
August 1980
"The Robots Dance"
-
November 1980
"Nasty Little Green Men"
-
February 1981
"Guilty"
43
April 1981
"Tokyo"
67
July 1981
"Inside Outside"
45
October 1981
"Never Again (The Days Time Erased)"
44
March 1982
"Is It A Dream"
11
May 1982
"Because You're Young"
43
October 1982
"The End...Or The Beginning"
60
1983
"Forever And A Day"
-
1983
"Never Never Comes"
-
See also
List of New Wave bands and artists
O.T.T.
List of Liberty Records artists
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.salsolo.com/classix.html
Category:Musical groups established in 1979 Category:British New Wave musical groups
