At first my teenage brother was a punk but about 1980 he transformed into a romantic. This was the beginning of the British New Romantic period and summed up no better than by the band called Haircut 100. Overnight he lost his blond spiky hair and pink pajamas with safety pins attached to looking like a preppy college boy. Thank goodness his relatives said!
Haircut 100 may be unknown to an American because they didn't make it big over there, but they were the poster boys over here. Formed in London they were led by the charismatic and boyish Nick Heyward. Along with his friend Les Nemes, they formed several punk bands before experimenting and forming Haircut 100 - a rather silly name - they would agree!
Known for their chunky knitwear, preppy style and infectious jazz-infused pop.
Between 1981 and 1982 they had no fewer than four Top 10 singles:
Favourite Shirts {Boy Meets Girl)
Love Plus One - my favourite.
Their debut albumn is a certified classic of the era.
Following a gruelling world tour and under pressure from the record company to release a second album Nick Heyward's mental health began to crack. he distanced himself from bandmates and was devastated as they proceeded to turn out an album without him, Paint and Paint, which failed to gain any traction.
However I learnt recently they have reformed with the original line up, Heyward, Nemes, Graham Jones and Blair Cunningham. On March 20 they are releasing their first new album in 44 years titled Boxing the Compass. This will include new single The Unloving Plum.
To top off they are following this up with a UK tour this May.
So in my opinion this is not just another 80s band reforming to cash in. They represent a specific kind of optimistic 80s feel that feels fresh again.