Kissing the Pink: История британской новой волны

British band

Kissing the Pink are an English new wave and synth pop band that formed in London in 1980. The current members are lead singer and guitarist Nick Whitecross, keyboardist Jon Kingsley Hall, second keyboardist George Stewart, and guitarist Simon Aldridge. Former members include saxophonist Josephine Wells, violinist Peter Barnett, drummer Stevie Cusack, and vocalist Sylvia Griffin.

The band formed in 1980 at the Royal College of Music, located in South Kensington, London. Their debut single was "Don't Hide in the Shadows", recorded with producer Martin Hannett at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. Hannett had previously worked with Joy Division, the Durutti Column, and John Cooper Clarke, but it was not until they dropped their first manager (celebrated in their song "Michael"), and signed a recording contract with Magnet Records that they began to get any airplay. They recorded their debut studio album, Naked, at AIR Studios with Colin Thurston as the main producer. The group had wanted Brian Eno to produce the album but Magnet thought Thurston would make a more commercial impact. As well as investing in a renowned producer, Magnet paid for promotional videos to be made for the singles "Mr. Blunt" (shot at the Long Man of Wilmington) and "Watching Their Eyes". After these near misses, their single "The Last Film" reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, their only hit in the UK. Their album, Naked, reached No. 54 on the UK Albums Chart. Also, although not recognizable from any official charts, the Club Mix 12 inch version of "The Big Man Restless" became a huge underground dance hit in Europe and even the US throughout the 80s. In 1985, following the departure of some of the members, the band shortened their name to KTP and released several singles that placed on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The most successful was "Certain Things Are Likely", which spent three weeks at No. 1 in 1987. on a new label WEA; It would prove to be their only release on that label after it failed to chart, and they wouldn't release any more new material for five years. Kissing the Pink's last physically released album, Sugarland, and FatHome.

Whitecross, Hall and Stewart collaborated on many dance records in the early 1990s, Afterward Wells suffered a nervous breakdown and turned to alcohol. She lost the control of her lip that is essential to players of woodwind instruments. She is now unable to work, has sold two of her saxophones, and lives on Income Support.

Title YearPeak chart positionsAlbum UK IT NL US US Dance SWE"Don't Hide in the Shadows"1981—————————"Mr Blunt"1982—————————Naked"Watching Their Eyes"—————————"The Last Film"198319————————"Love Lasts Forever"85————————"Maybe This Day"83————87———"Big Man Restless" (not released in the UK)—————————"Radio On"1984—————————What Noise"The Other Side of Heaven"1985—————————"One Step" (as KTP)198679—23325—5——Certain Things Are Likely"Never Too Late to Love You" (as KTP)8786————32——"Certain Things Are Likely" (as KTP)1987—————971——"Stand Up"1988————————— rowspan="2" "Big Man Restless Remixes" (Germany only release)1993—————————"Dalai Lama Loves You All" (as KTP)—————————Sugarland"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.