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Sigue Sigue Sputnik

Sigue Sigue Sputnik

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  • Formed: 1984
  • Disbanded:1990
  • Years Active: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s

Biography

Led by former Generation X member Tony James, the new wave group Sigue Sigue Sputnik raised selling out to an art form. The concept behind Sigue Sigue Sputnik was simple: the band adopted a postmodern, ironic style and sound, and marketed it to the hilt, saturating the media with slogans and interviews. James didn't even intend the band to be musical; he recruited Martin Degville, Neal X, Chris Cavanagh, and Ray Mayhew partially because they lacked extensive musical experience. After a publicity campaign designed to solicit a record contract, the band signed with EMI; they released their first single, "Love Missile F1-11," in early 1986, and it hit number three on the U.K. charts. Sigue Sigue Sputnik sold the space between tracks to advertisers on their debut album, Flaunt It. Despite the massive marketing campaign, the album fell on deaf ears, as did the more serious follow-up, Dress for Excess (1988), which featured the slogan "This time it's music" on the album cover. The group split soon after the release of Dress for Excess. James was a member of Sisters of Mercy for a short time in 1991.
— Stephen Thomas Erlewine , All Music Guide

Related Artists Ancestors, Peers and Acolytes

Similar Artists:

ABC, Pop Will Eat Itself, Eurythmics, Adam Ant, Art of Noise

Roots and Influences:

Tyrannosaurus Rex, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, David Bowie, T. Rex

Followers:

Atari Teenage Riot, Maduro

Formal Connections:

Carbon/Silicon

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