A Flock of Seagulls

A Flock of Seagulls
Lead singer Mike Score performing in 2011
Background information
Origin	Liverpool, England
Genres	New wave[1][2] synthpop[1][2]
Years active	1980–1986 1989–present
Labels	Jive I.R.S. Cocteau
Members	Mike Score Joe Rodriguez Michael Brahm Pando
Past members	Frank Maudsley Ali Score Willie Woo Mark Edmondson Paul Reynolds Chris Chryssaphis Gary Steadman Ed Berner Kaya Pryor Mike Radcliffe Mike Railton Dave Maerz Jonte Wilkins Mike Marquart A.J. Mazzetti Dean Pichette Darryl Sons Shavin "Pepper" Duffy Rob Wright

A Flock of Seagulls are an English new wave and synthpop band originally formed in Liverpool by Michael "Mike" Score (keyboards, vocals) and his brother Alister "Ali" James Score (drums); with their most famous line-up consisting of the Score brothers along with Francis Lee "Frank" Maudsley (bass) and Paul Reynolds (guitar).

The group had a string of international hit singles including "I Ran (So Far Away)" (1982), "Space Age Love Song" (1982), "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" (1982), and "The More You Live, the More You Love" (1984). They became notable in the 1980s for their video for "I Ran (So Far Away)". The band has also won a Grammy Award.

History

Formation and success

A Flock of Seagulls was started by Mike Score in 1980 in Liverpool (The name was taken from The Stranglers song "Toiler on the Sea", according to Mike Score^[3]). The inaugural line-up of the band featured Mike, who was previously a hairdresser, on keyboards and lead vocals, Ali Score on drums, and Frank Maudsley on bass. The band added Willie Woo on guitar; and then brought in Mark Edmondson to replace Ali on drums when the Score brothers had a falling out.^[4] Not long afterwards, Edmondson departed to make way for a returning Ali; and shortly thereafter Woo departed the band and was replaced by teenager Paul Reynolds (of the band Cindysbeentrippin), who had been a close friend of Edmondson, at the behest of Maudsley; thus creating the band's classic line-up. After practising above Score's hair salon,^[5] the band started playing clubs and eventually got a recording contract.

Eventually, under the management of Tommy Crossan and Mick Rossi (Checkmount Limited), they began to release singles through Jive Records. The group released their debut single 'Talking' (produced by Nelson), on Bill Nelson's Cocteau label. They were then signed to major label Jive, distributed through CBS records, where they released their second single 'Telecommunication'. The single was also produced by Nelson and became a club hit. Their third release was the EP 'Modern Love is Automatic'. Originally released as a 4 track EP on both 7" and 12", the 12" edition was soon reissued adding 'Telecommunication'. This 5 track EP was also their first release in the U.S.^[5] In 1982, the group's fourth single 'I Ran (So Far Away)', produced by Mike Howlett, the former bass player of the band Gong, became a worldwide hit, reaching number 1 in Australia and the Top 10 in both the US and New Zealand. Their debut album and another single, 'Space Age Love Song', were both also successful.^[6] In late 1982, the band finally found major success in their home country with 'Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)', the first single from their next album Listen, which reached the Top 10.^[7] Later, the band was praised for having broken the ground for other musical acts during the advent of the video music area,^[8] but as it turned out, 1982 was the peak year of their commercial and critical success.

1983–86

Three more singles were released from Listen in 1983, including a re-recorded version of their debut single '(It's Not Me) Talking', but they were only minor successes in the UK and abroad. Faced with disappointment, the group changed direction from their Science Fiction themes and produced a more conceptual emotion based third album in 1984 called The Story of a Young Heart, with 'The More You Live, the More You Love' as the lead single. Despite heavy rotation on MTV and other music video shows at that time, the single was only moderately successful, but the album's other two singles – 'Never Again (The Dancer)' and 'Remember David' (released only in a few European counties) – did not make any headway. Faced with sliding sales and a loss of direction, the band continued to consider their options whilst touring. During this period, Paul Reynolds left the band, and was replaced by Gary Steadman; with the band bringing in keyboardist Chris Chryssaphis at the same time to augment their sound.^[1] Both would stay in the band for the sessions during which their next album, Dream Come True (released in 1985 in the UK and 1986 in the USA), would be recorded, but would depart thereafter.

Brothers Mike and Ali Score decided that they wanted to base the band out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With past success in the USA, both brothers thought leaving the UK and a new life in America was a perfect solution. With the popularity of the first two albums and the name "A Flock of Seagulls" still having some equity, they had 4 straight sell-out shows in Philadelphia. Mike, Ali and Maudsley all applied for and were conditionally awarded green cards based on celebrity status under the O-1 work visa. The conditional approval was granted to all three, who settled in Philadelphia. However, shortly after moving to the states, and whilst recording Dream Come True, Maudsley became disillusioned with living in a strange city; he had no family in the USA. Missing the UK, he ultimately returned to England following the completion of the album. Mike and Ali stayed in Philadelphia and satisfied the terms of the visa. With Frank in Britain and the brothers in the USA the band appeared to be splitting into two camps; whereas in fact, it was actually Frank Maudsley who kept the band communicating. Ultimately, the brothers had a falling out which resulted in the band dissolving in 1986; shortly after the US release of Dream Come True.

Reformation: 1988–present

Mike Score initially reformed the band in 1988 in Philadelphia under the name A Flock of Seagulls with a line-up composed of himself along with numerous local musicians; consisting of guitarists Ed Berner and Dave Maerz, bass guitarist, Mike Radcliffe, keyboardist Mike Railton, and drummers' Kaya Pryor and Jonte Wilkins.^[9] This line-up expanded the following year to include drummer Mike Marquart;^[10][11] but was then reduced to a five-piece band consisting of Score, Berner, Pryor, Radcliffe, and Railton; and it was this line-up which released the single "Magic" that same year.

In 1994 the band's line-up changed again; this time to a formation consisting of Score, Berner, and new recruits A.J. Mazzetti (drums) and Dean Pichette (bass guitar). This line-up recorded the band's most recent album, The Light at the End of the World, in 1996, but the album failed to chart.

In 1998 Berner, Mazzetti, and Pichette departed the band and were replaced by Joe Rodriguez, Darryl Sons, and Rob Wright respectively. In 1999 the band re-recorded the Madonna song "This Used to Be My Playground" for the 2000 Madonna tribute album The World's Greatest 80s Tribute to Madonna. In November 2003 the original line-up of Mike and Ali Score, Paul Reynolds and Frank Maudsley reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series, Bands Reunited. In September 2004 they reformed again and did a brief tour in the United States. Though the tour continued to be advertised as the "original lineup", later shows no longer included the reunited band but was Mike Score's continuation of the original band; which by this point consisted of Score, Rodriguez, and new recruits Michael Brahm (drums), and Pando (bass guitar). This line-up of the band has gone unchanged since that time.

On 4 February 2013 Score indicated via his YouTube account that he was pursuing his solo career. He released the singles "All I Wanna Do" in February 2013, and "Somebody Like You" in January 2014. On 1 March 2014, Score released a solo album, Zeebratta.

Legacy

Due to their memorable and unusual style and appearance, A Flock of Seagulls are sometimes referred to with ironic appreciation. The New Musical Express wrote: "Of course, everyone remembers this group now for singer Mike Score's ridiculous back-combed haircut and the fact that they are mentioned in Pulp Fiction. So now they're kind of cool, but in the early '80s it was a different story."^[12] In a 2007 article for The Guardian, Alfred Hickling described the group as "dreadful", and unfavourably compared them to Liverpool new wave peers OMD and other acts of the time.^[13]

Their dramatic style has drawn much criticism and parody, but the band has also been recognized as a pioneering act, capturing the zeitgeist of their time, particularly with the guitar work of Paul Reynolds and sonically multi-layered hits such as "Space Age Love Song," "Telecommunication," and "Modern Love Is Automatic."^[14] The band also is noted for creating a successful concept album, their debut, which alludes to an alien invasion of earth.^[15] Billboard writer Robert Christgau applauded their "mechanical lyrics, about a mechanical end of the world," while noting the "aural pleasure" of both the band's debut album and the follow-up.^[16][17]

The band's lyrics have been noted to have allusions to both dystopian environments as well as dragons.^[18]

The video for "I Ran" was low budget (even for the time) but enjoyed enormous success, and is well remembered in part due to its heavy rotation on MTV. The group has the record for actual number of video plays, both due to the lack of other music videos available during the music channel's early years, and the demand for the futuristic look.^[19]

Personnel

Members

Current members Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar (1980–1986, 1988–present) Joe Rodriguez – lead guitar (1998–present) Kevin Rankin – drums (2016–present) Pando – bass guitar (2004–present)

Former members Michael Brahm – drums (2004–2016) Frank Maudsley – bass guitar (1980–1986, 2003, 2004) Ali Score – drums (1980, 1980–86, 2003, 2004) Willie Woo – lead guitar (1980) Mark Edmondson – drums (1980) Paul Reynolds – lead guitar (1980–1984, 2003, 2004) Chris Chryssaphis – keyboards (1984–1985) Gary Steadman – lead guitar (1984–1985) Ed Berner – lead guitar (1988–1998) Kaya Pryor – drums, percussion (1988–1994) Mike Radcliffe – bass guitar (1988–1994) Mike Railton – keyboards (1988–1994) Dave Maerz – lead guitar (1988–1989) Jonte Wilkins – drums (1988–1989) Mike Marquart – drums (1989) A.J. Mazzetti – drums (1994–1998) Dean Pichette – bass guitar (1994–1998) Darryl Sons – drums (1998–2004) Rob Wright – bass guitar (1998–2004) Sean Pugh – keyboards (1984–1985)

Line-ups

1980	1980	1980	1980
Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Ali Score – drums	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Ali Score – drums Willie Woo – lead guitar	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Willie Woo – lead guitar Mark Edmondson – drums	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Willie Woo – lead guitar Ali Score – drums
1980–84 (Reunions: 2003, 2004)	1984–85	1985–86	1986–88
Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Ali Score – drums Paul Reynolds – lead guitar	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Ali Score – drums Chris Chryssaphis – keyboards Gary Steadman – lead guitar	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Frank Maudsley – bass guitar Ali Score – drums	Disbanded
1988–89	1989	1989–94	1994–98
Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Ed Berner – lead guitar Dave Maerz – lead guitar Kaya Pryor – drums, percussion Mike Radcliffe – bass guitar Mike Railton – keyboards Jonte Wilkins – drums	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Ed Berner – lead guitar Dave Maerz – lead guitar Kaya Pryor – drums, percussion Mike Radcliffe – bass guitar Mike Railton – keyboards Jonte Wilkins – drums Mike Marquart – drums	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Ed Berner – lead guitar Kaya Pryor – drums, percussion Mike Radcliffe – bass guitar Mike Railton – keyboards	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Ed Berner – lead guitar A.J. Mazzetti – drums Dean Pichette – bass guitar
1998–2004	2004–present
Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Joe Rodriguez – lead guitar Darryl Sons – drums Rob Wright – bass guitar	Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards Joe Rodriguez – lead guitar Michael Brahm – drums Pando – bass guitar

Discography

• A Flock of Seagulls (1982)
• Listen (1983)
• The Story of a Young Heart (1984)
• Dream Come True (1986)
• The Light at the End of the World (1995)

Grammy Award

The album track, "D.N.A." from A Flock of Seagulls, won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.^[20]

See also

• List of bands named after other performers' songs
• List of new wave artists and bands
• List of Peel sessions
• List of synthpop artists

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "A Flock of Seagulls – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
2. Larkin, Colin (2011). "A Flock of Seagulls". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85-712595-8.
3. Flock Of Seagulls Interview on MadPod Part 1. YouTube. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
4. "A Flock of Seagulls – Biography". Amoeba Music. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
5. Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 141–42. ISBN 978-0-8793-0607-6.
6. Greene, Andy (8 August 2012). "Where Are They Now? 1982's Biggest Pop Acts – A Flock of Seagulls". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
7. "A Flock of Seagulls". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
8. Cross, Charles R. (30 August 2001). "Never mind the hair bands, here's a Flock of Seagulls!". Salon. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
9. Takiff, Jonathan (18 November 1988). "Local Seagulls Join The Flock". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
10. Strong, Martin C. "A Flock of Seagulls". Retrieved 15 June 2016.
11. Venable, Malcolm (13 October 2009). "Low-key musician doesn't need to be a big rock star". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
12. "252-281: The '80s". 501 Lost Songs. NME: 53. 2011.
13. Hickling, Alfred (19 March 2007). "The Electric Hills". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
14. Carpenter, Megan M. (2010). "Space Age Love Song: The Mix Tape in a Digital Universe". Works.bepress.com. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
15. Duxbury, Janell R. (1988). Shakespeare Meets the Backbeat: Literary Allusion in Rock Music. Taylor & Francis.
16. Christgau, Robert (30 November 1982). "A Flock of Seagulls". The Village Voice. Christgau's Consumer Guide. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
17. Christgau, Robert (26 July 1983). "A Flock of Seagulls: Listen". The Village Voice. Christgau's Consumer Guide. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
18. Cohen, Sara & Strachan, Robert (2005). Oswalt, Philipp, ed. Music Cultures and the Appropriation of Urban Space (PDF). 1: International Research. Ostfildern-Ruit, Germany: Shrinking Cities. p. 398. ISBN 3-7757-1682-3. Retrieved 6 August 2005.
19. Janosik, MaryAnn (2006). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History: The video generation, 1981-1990. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-3133-2943-2.
20. "A Flock of Seagulls – Awards". Allmusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 6 November 2013.