Wrapped in Furs

There are several bands I have a deep love for that nobody else I know owns a record by. One of these are the Psychedelic Furs, perhaps due to their being pretty much all but forgotten in their native Britain after they spent most of the 80s over in the States.

Formed, like so many, in the wake of the Sex Pistols opening minds in 1976/77, Richard Butler was an aspiring artist fired up by Lydon's unconventional vocal style, to which he'd often by compared to in the early days of the band. Younger brother Tim picked up the bass and local friends Roger Morris and Duncan Kilburn filled in on guitar and saxophone. Various auxiliary drummers and names passed before John Ashton (guitar) and Vince Ely (drums) completed the 'classic' line up for the Psychedelic Furs.

Working on the well-worn route of heavy gigging and Peel sessions, a deal was secured and debut single We Love You introduced the 'Beautiful Chaos' sound that would characterise the band's initial phase. Butler works through a list of things he 'loves' - "I'm in love with your blue car...I'm in love with the Supremes/ah, Baby Love" - his voice dripping with withering sarcasm.

Quickly following in 1980, their self-titled debut album was produced by Steve Lillywhite (following his fine work with XTC). A fine debut set, it stood out from the pack by the racket the band produced and Butler's tendency to use the word 'stupid' in just about every song.

Following touring duties, sessions with legendary Manchester producer Martin Hannet produced several new songs, two of which - including the great Susan's Strange - would appear on a repackaged version of the debut set for the American market. However, the band were not inclined to work with Hannet further.

Instead, the band hooked up again with Lillywhite to produce their finest work: Talk Talk Talk took the rough edges of the debut, smoothed them where necessary and threw in exceptional songwriting. Opening with the sick sax squeal of Dumb Waiters and the sublime Pretty In Pink, it caught a group at the height of their powers, musically and lyrically. Though slated by the press on release, time has only made it stand out more, from the frank I Wanna Sleep With You to the more tender closing She Is Mine. It's an album I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in post-punk/new wave music.

Sadly, just as the band were hitting a creative peak, fractures appeared. Inevitably in a six piece band, tensions arose brought on by the pressures and excesses of touring. Following a European tour, Duncan Kilburn decided to quit the band (or was sacked, depending on who you believe) and Roger Morris soon followed him out of the door.

Managing to keep it together, the remaining quarter travelled to the States to record with Todd Rundgren, after initial rumours that David Bowie would be the man in the producer's chair. The album that would become Forever Now would be unlike it's elder siblings. Rundgren brought in session musicians and backing vocalists Flo and Eddie (formerly of the Turtles) to fill the vacuum left by Kilburn and Morris.

Though a very different animal from Talk Talk Talk, the album was as 'psychedelic' as they would get, especially on Sleep Comes Down and Yes I Do (Merry-Go-Round). Run and Run, President Gas and the title track benefited from Rundgren's production chops

With the album in the bag, Vince Ely decided to quit, preferring the chance to get ahead in production than face months on the road. But with the band down to a trio, they began to enjoy success in the US. Lead single Love My Way made the top 50 after strong support from the fledgling MTV. Reflecting this, the Butler brothers moved to New York at the conclusion of the Forever Now tour.

Reflecting a desire to build on recent progress, the now-trio hooked up with Keith Forsey for album #4. Forsey had recently helped make Billy Idol a massive star in the States with his production on Rebel Yell. With him came the drum machines and synths that would dominate what would become Mirror Moves.

According to the band and their manager, as interviewed for Dave Thompson's slighty-lightweight biog Beautiful Chaos, all concerned believed the album was perfect to move the band into the big leagues in America, only to be scuppered by a payola scandal that was all over the industry at the time. And indeed, The Ghost In You, Heaven (their first UK top 40 hit, aided by a great Tim Pope video) and Heartbeat appeared tailor-made for radio in 1984. On the downside, the production dates the album severely, and John Ashton's guitar talents seem sidelined in the quest for commercial ground.

That would gain a boost when John Hughes followed up the huge success of The Breakfast Club with Pretty In Pink, named after the Furs' song, which was re-recorded for the soundtrack. It's not a stretch to imagine the band were hoping it would do for them what Don't You (Forget About Me) did for Simple Minds. Alas, it was not to be, as OMD got the big US hit from the film with If You Leave, as Pretty In Pink stalled outside the top 40, though becoming their only top 20 hit in the UK.

With the band now fully stylised in the fashions of the time - the main evidence for the prosecution being Tim Butler's horrendous mullet - work began on what was expected to be the 'breakthrough' album. Sessions with Daniel Lanois broke down and instead the band turned to Chris Kimsey, who had earned his spurs working with the Rolling Stones.

Midnight to Midnight, appearing in 1987 along with lead single Heartbreak Beat, was as far removed from the days of Beautiful Chaos as could be. Slick, heavily produced and squarely aimed at the mainstream, it achieved it's immediate aim by making the US top 30. But something didn't sit right with Richard Butler: as the supporting tour went on, heart problems troubled him, not helped by a sense of mild disgust over what had become of the band. With the problem diagnosed as stress-related, the band's setlists began to contain fewer of the songs they were supposed to be promoting. The leather jackets and spikey haircuts were also dropped and it seemed the band were set to finish.

Instead, when it was suggested that a compilation should be their next album, the band reunited with Vince Ely and produced All That Money Wants as a 'new' song for the All Of This And Nothing best-of. A stormer of a song (as was it's b-side, Birdland), would appear to be Butler's musing on the fame he once chased ("Painted lies on painted lips that promise heaven tastes like this... I don't believe that I believed in you").

Though any kind of mass acceptance had long washed away with the hair gel from the Midnight to Midnight days, the Furs decided to carry on with 1989's Book of Days, produced by Dave Allen, who had worked the desk for the Cure and the Chameleons amongst others.

With Ashton finally set loose, a superb set of songs was put together, making my second favourite Furs album after Talk Talk Talk. House, Should God Forget and the title track stood out, but this was an album of many peaks. If it had been a debut set by a new band, it may have received a warmer reception. Instead, it sank without trace. A shame, and the album deserves much, much better. After a few live dates, Ely left the band once more.

World Outside followed in 1991, continuing the guitar-based sounds, but by now grunge was in the ascendancy and the Psychedelic Furs had failed to climb up the notches that contemporaries such as the Cure, U2 and Depeche Mode had. Despite the album again featuring some excellent songs - In My Head and Until She Comes in particular stand up to anything else they produced - it failed to chart and the band split soon after.

A reformation of sorts ten years ago saw the trio of Butler, Butler and Ashton tour the US and release a pretty good live album. Richard Butler also released a fine solo album, though little new material has come from the Furs, which is as disappointing as Ashton's more recent departure, leaving the Butler brothers as the only original members, though sax player Mars Williams did play on their albums and live gigs from 1983-87.

A month or so ago, the band were playing in Manchester on one of those 'classic album' gig wheezes, performing all of Talk Talk Talk. I didn't go, partly due to it seeming almost cabaret when only one third of the band from that album would be playing and also partly from some contempt of how the band (or their management) treated the woman behind the excellent Burned Down Days "official unofficial" website.

Despite this, they remain one of my all-time favourite bands. There's never less than three of their albums on my mp3 player (currently: Talk Talk Talk, Forever Now and World Outside). Perhaps if the Psychedelic Furs could get back to being a proper band i.e. with Ashton and Ely, and recorded an album of new material, I would be first in line for any subsequent shows. For now, I'll comfort myself with what I do have, and keep trying to push them on my friends.