B-Movie

B-Movie were a futurist band from Mansfield active in the first half of the 1980s. They were signed to the Some Bizzare record label and had a track 'Moles' featured on the original Some Bizzare Album.

Background

In 1981 they had their biggest UK commercial success when their single "Remembrance Day" reached 61 in the UK charts narrowly missing out on a crucial Top Of The Pops TV appearance. The follow up single "Marilyn Dreams" failed to chart.

In 1982 they released "Nowhere Girl" which made the Top 10 in many European countries and reached 68 in the United Kingdom, but there was no follow up and no sign of an album. The popular webcomic Nowhere Girl was named after this single.

Keyboard player Rick Holliday left in 1983 to form Six Sed Red with Soft Cell associate Cindy Ecstasy. Their biggest success was having their song "Dream Baby" covered by Bananarama on their eponymous 1984 LP. The rest of the band re-surfaced in 1984 with the single "A Letter From Afar" produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez but this failed to chart.

Towards the end of 1985 they finally released an album with Sire Records called Forever Running containing re-recorded versions of the two hits, but both it and the single "Switch On Switch Off" were flops despite a tour to promote them.

The band broke up soon after. Frontman Steve Hovington formed a band called One in the late 80s with Seven Webster and drummer Bob Thompson releasing an album and two singles on Chrysalis Records

Drummer Graham Boffey meanwhile joined Slaughterhouse 5 releasing two singles "Pathetic Girlfriend" and "Things She Did" and an album, Wide Open on IRS. After this venture, Boffey and Davy Lawrence formed Enormous, producing what is described as a "brand of loud, hook-laden, horn-rimmed, classic guitar pop. Love songs so catchy and unabashed they have to be fenced off. Sing-along choruses so big you can see them from space."

Guitarist Paul Statham was fortunate enough to end up collaborating with ex-Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy as part of his Murphy's solo backing band 'The Hundred Men', probably making him the most successful member in the aftermath of B-Movie's demise. He co-wrote and performed on Murphy's seminal solo albums Love Hysteria (1988) and Deep (1990).

After a long hiatus, in March, 2006 B-Movie performed at the club The Metro in London.

Discography

• Some Bizzare Album (1981)
• Nightmares In Wax (1982)
• Forever Running (1985; Sire Records)
• The Dead Good Tapes (1988; Wax)
• Remembrance Days (compilation) (1995; Griffin)
• The BBC Sessions 1981-84 (2001; Cherry Red)
• The Platinum Collection (compilation) (2006; Warner Platinum Records)

References and external links

• Sutton, Michael. "B-Movie". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:4jd5vw9va9uk~T00. 
• "B-Movie:The Dead Good Years (interview with Steve Hovington) (Dead link?)". Dark Star Magazine. http://www.dso.co.uk/aint6.htm. 
• B-Movie on last-fm
• Official B-Movie website