Thompson Twins, The
Real Name:
Tom Bailey, Pete Dodd and John Roog
Profile:
The Thompson Twins was formed 1977 in Sheffield, England by three friends - Tom Bailey (bass), Pete Dodd (vocals and guitar) and John Roog (guitar). The name came from the twin detecives in Hergé's comic book series "Adventures of Tintin". In 1979 they moved to London and drummer Chris Bell joined the band. Early 1980 Tom Bailey took over lead vocals from Pete Dodd.
In April 1980 they released their first single, ''Squares and Triangles'' (on their own label, Dirty Discs) and managed to sell 1,500 copies of the single. Around this time Tom met Alannah Currie who was playing manic wailing sax in an all girl dread punk group called The Unfuckables. She soon became a full member of the Thompson Twins. In the summer of 1980 Thompson Twins roadie Joe Leeway began to play bongos on stage and soon after was a full member of the band. In early 1981 Alannah gave up the sax and switched to percussion and Joe switched to playing congas.
The Thompson Twins released their first album ''A Product of...'' in June 1981. March 1982 they released the album ''Set'' - produced by Steve Lillywhite - and the single ''In The Name Of Love''. Infatuated by the first single's different sound, Tom, Alannah and Joe tinker with the idea of working together on the side under the name ''Bermuda Triangle''. When the single and album fail to make a substantial impact on the British charts, the group splits in April 1982. The song ''In The Name Of Love'' becomes one of the biggest US dance songs of the decade, spending five weeks topping the Billboard charts. Now as a three-piece, the new Thompson Twins released their first album in February 1983. ''Quick Step And Side Kick'' (''Side Kicks'' in North America) - produced by Alex Sadkin.
In January 1984 they released their second album as a threesome, ''Into The Gap'', which produced the hits ''Hold Me Now'', ''Doctor! Doctor!'', ''You Take Me Up'' and ''Sister Of Mercy''. By the end of 1984 ''Into The Gap'' sold over 5,000,000 copies worldwide. Tom collapses from nervous exhaustion producing the follow-up LP and the album and tour is post-poned and Nile Rodgers is brought in to help finish the job. September 1985 finally sees the release of ''Here's To Future Days''. It contains the hits ''Don't Mess With Doctor Dream'', ''Lay Your Hands On Me'' and ''King For A Day''. Upon finishing the world tour in early 1986, Joe Leeway leaves the Thompson Twins to pursue a solo career. Thompson Twins now became the duo their name had always implied. After doing the title track to the movie sountrack for ''Nothing In Common'', The Thompson Twins release their first album as a duo in 1987, ''Close To The Bone''. The single ''Get That Love'' was a top 40 hit.
Bailey and Currie had been romantically involved since 1980, and had their first child eight years later. They wrote material for Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) and also "I Want That Man" for Debbie Harry (Blondie) which was a UK Top 20 hit in 1989.The Twins signed a record deal with Warner Bros and in October 1989 the fruits of this labour produce the album ''Big Trash'' with the hit ''Sugar Daddy''. In September 1991, Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie released an album titled ''Queer''. Masquerading as ''Feedback Max'' in the U.K., the first single ''Come Inside'' reached #1 in the Dance Charts before people discovered that ''Feedback Max'' was actually the Twins in disguise. In 1993 Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie teamed up with engineer and programmer Keith Fernley to forge a new musical direction under the name of ''Babble''.
After quietly dropping in on the "Coneheads" soundtrack with the 'bridge song' ''Chale Jao'' (borrowing the melody from their 1981 single ''Make Believe''), Babble's first album, entitled ''The Stone'', is a mixture of tribal, trance and ambient music. Then they also released a second album named ''Ether''.
1999 sees the New Zealand band 'STELLAR*' released 'MIX', an album produced by Tom Bailey. The album was a smash in New Zealand, signifying the birth of Tom's career as a producer and sometime re-mixer. 1999 Tom also arranged the soundtrack for 'THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN'; a coming-out film, based in 1984, with instrumental music by Tom.
Staffan Öfwerman
In April 1980 they released their first single, ''Squares and Triangles'' (on their own label, Dirty Discs) and managed to sell 1,500 copies of the single. Around this time Tom met Alannah Currie who was playing manic wailing sax in an all girl dread punk group called The Unfuckables. She soon became a full member of the Thompson Twins. In the summer of 1980 Thompson Twins roadie Joe Leeway began to play bongos on stage and soon after was a full member of the band. In early 1981 Alannah gave up the sax and switched to percussion and Joe switched to playing congas.
The Thompson Twins released their first album ''A Product of...'' in June 1981. March 1982 they released the album ''Set'' - produced by Steve Lillywhite - and the single ''In The Name Of Love''. Infatuated by the first single's different sound, Tom, Alannah and Joe tinker with the idea of working together on the side under the name ''Bermuda Triangle''. When the single and album fail to make a substantial impact on the British charts, the group splits in April 1982. The song ''In The Name Of Love'' becomes one of the biggest US dance songs of the decade, spending five weeks topping the Billboard charts. Now as a three-piece, the new Thompson Twins released their first album in February 1983. ''Quick Step And Side Kick'' (''Side Kicks'' in North America) - produced by Alex Sadkin.
In January 1984 they released their second album as a threesome, ''Into The Gap'', which produced the hits ''Hold Me Now'', ''Doctor! Doctor!'', ''You Take Me Up'' and ''Sister Of Mercy''. By the end of 1984 ''Into The Gap'' sold over 5,000,000 copies worldwide. Tom collapses from nervous exhaustion producing the follow-up LP and the album and tour is post-poned and Nile Rodgers is brought in to help finish the job. September 1985 finally sees the release of ''Here's To Future Days''. It contains the hits ''Don't Mess With Doctor Dream'', ''Lay Your Hands On Me'' and ''King For A Day''. Upon finishing the world tour in early 1986, Joe Leeway leaves the Thompson Twins to pursue a solo career. Thompson Twins now became the duo their name had always implied. After doing the title track to the movie sountrack for ''Nothing In Common'', The Thompson Twins release their first album as a duo in 1987, ''Close To The Bone''. The single ''Get That Love'' was a top 40 hit.
Bailey and Currie had been romantically involved since 1980, and had their first child eight years later. They wrote material for Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) and also "I Want That Man" for Debbie Harry (Blondie) which was a UK Top 20 hit in 1989.The Twins signed a record deal with Warner Bros and in October 1989 the fruits of this labour produce the album ''Big Trash'' with the hit ''Sugar Daddy''. In September 1991, Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie released an album titled ''Queer''. Masquerading as ''Feedback Max'' in the U.K., the first single ''Come Inside'' reached #1 in the Dance Charts before people discovered that ''Feedback Max'' was actually the Twins in disguise. In 1993 Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie teamed up with engineer and programmer Keith Fernley to forge a new musical direction under the name of ''Babble''.
After quietly dropping in on the "Coneheads" soundtrack with the 'bridge song' ''Chale Jao'' (borrowing the melody from their 1981 single ''Make Believe''), Babble's first album, entitled ''The Stone'', is a mixture of tribal, trance and ambient music. Then they also released a second album named ''Ether''.
1999 sees the New Zealand band 'STELLAR*' released 'MIX', an album produced by Tom Bailey. The album was a smash in New Zealand, signifying the birth of Tom's career as a producer and sometime re-mixer. 1999 Tom also arranged the soundtrack for 'THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN'; a coming-out film, based in 1984, with instrumental music by Tom.
Staffan Öfwerman
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