Bad Manners

Bad Manners biography

Bad Manners are an English 2 Tone ska band. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the UK pop scene through their bald outsized frontman's on-stage antics, earning early exposure through their Top of The Pops exploits and an appearance in the live film documentary, Dance Craze.

They were at their most popular during the early 1980s, during a period when other ska revival bands such as Madness, The Specials and The Selecter filled the charts. Bad Manners spent 111 weeks in the UK Singles Chart between 1980 and 1983, and they also achieved chart success with their first four studio albums with Gosh It's... Bad Manners, Loonee Tunes! and Ska 'n' B being their biggest hits.

Formation

Fronted by Buster Bloodvessel (born Douglas Trendle), the band was formed in 1976 while the members were together at Woodberry Down Comprehensive School near Manor House, North London. They commemorated the 1981 closure of the school on the back sleeve of their Gosh It's... Bad Manners album.

Career

After becoming popular in their native London, Bad Manners signed to Magnet Records in 1980, and became regular guests on television shows such as Tiswas. The band also appeared on The British Music Awards (1981) and Cheggers Plays Pop. In 1985, they also appeared on The Time of Your Life, hosted by Noel Edmonds.

Some of their more notable hits include "My Girl Lollipop", "Lip Up Fatty", "Can Can", "Special Brew" and "Walking In The Sunshine". One of the main reasons for their notoriety, was their outlandish huge-tongued and shaven-headed frontman, Buster Bloodvessel. His manic exploits got them banned from the British BBC TV chart show Top of the Pops. The band was also banned from Italian TV after Bloodvessel mooned a concert audience, after being told that the Pope was watching on TV.

Bad Manners left Magnet Records in 1983, and Telstar Records released a compilation album, The Height of Bad Manners, which reached number 23 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was assisted with a television advertisement promotion, and it brought the band back to the attention of the media and the British public.

The group then went on to sign a contract with Portrait Records in the United States and Mental Notes was released in 1985. For two years the band toured continuously all over the world but decided to disband in 1986.

Break-up and reformation

Buster reformed the band with original members Louis Alphonso, Martin Stewart and Winston Bazoomies. Another original member, Chris Kane, also remained in the band, but left in 1990. In 1988, the band licensed the name and logo of Blue Beat Records, and set up office in a 50 ft barge in the back garden of Buster's former home in Spring Hill, London. After Blue Beat closed in 1990, Bad Manners were without a recording contract, but still continued to tour. In 1992, they signed a deal with Pork Pie Records and Fat Sound was released in Europe. The album was initially intended to be released in the UK on Blue Beat.

Biography from , the free encyclopedia.
It may not have been reviewed by a professional editor, and recent changes may not show up straight away. See the latest version of this article. Used under licence. Subject to disclaimers.