Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Minny Pops were an Amsterdam-based new wave/electronic/art punk band, associated with the Ultra post-punk movement in the Netherlands and the Factory Records label in the UK.
Vocalist/songwriter/programmer Wally van Middendorp formed the band in 1978, taking their name from a primitive Korg drum machine, the Mini Pops.
Minny Pops, which van Middendorp originally intended to be a project lasting just three performances, featured an initial lineup of van Middendorp, bassist Frans Hagenaars, guitarist Peter Mertens, and two dancers, including van Middendorp's older brother, Rob.
The band's first commercially-released recording was the "Kojak" single (b/w "Footsteps" and "Nervous") (Plurex 005), issued in 1979 on Plurex, the independent label founded by van Middendorp in 1978.
Minny Pops' first full-length album, "Drastic Measures, Drastic Movement" (Plurex 900) followed later in 1979.
After opening for Joy Division in Eindhoven and Den Haag in January 1980, they were brought to the attention of Factory Records by Rob Gretton, Joy Division's manager.
Their first single for Factory, "Dolphin's Spurt"/"Goddess" (FAC 31) was produced by Martin Hannett and recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. It reached number 23 in the UK Independent Chart. Further releases for the label included the single "Secret Story"/"Island" (FAC 57), the flexi single "Een Kus" (FACBN 13 - later reissued as 7" vinyl on LTM Recordings/LTM with "Son" on the b-side), the single "Time"/"Lights" (FBN 11) and the full-length album "Sparks in a Dark Room" (FACBN 15), which was released by Factory Benelux in 1982.
The band made their first live appearance in England at the Beach Club, a Manchester venue associated with Factory. They would go on to share further bills with Joy Division (and, after Ian Curtis' death, New Order), as well as appearing with A Certain Ratio, Scritti Politti, the Au Pairs and Comsat Angels. In 1980 Minny Pops undertook a seven-date North American tour that saw them play with Suicide in New York. Curiously, the original line-up of Minny Pops never performed live in Brussels, despite their close association with the Factory Benelux label, based in that city.
In 1980 they would become the first Dutch band to be invited to record a Peel session for BBC Radio. A lineup of van Middendorp, Dekker, van Zoeren and Walhof recorded "Dolphin's Spurt", "Mono", "Jets" and "Ice Cube Wall"; the session was broadcast on 12 November 1980.. Minny Pops' final live performances were in December 1981. Van Middendorp and Dekker subsequently recorded two dance singles for Factory under the name Streetlife. Between 2003 and 2004 the bulk of the Minny Pops studio back catalogue was issued on remastered CD by LTM.
In November 2011, Wally van Middendorp confirmed in an interview with the Dutch national public broadcaster VPRO's 3Voor12 programme that Minny Pops would perform their first gigs in 30 years in early 2012, and that a live CD/DVD package, "Standstill to Motion", would appear via LTM in January 2012..
In January 2012, the band - with a lineup consisting of original members Wally van Middendorp, Wim Dekker and Pieter Mulder and new addition Mark Ritsema - performed to some acclaim in Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester and London..
Minny Pops are also scheduled to participate in live events in The Netherlands in March and April 2012 incorporating live music, poetry, dance and art, organised by the revived Ultra group.
