Lost Bands Of The New Wave Era: January 2006

Delta 5

Leeds, England's Delta 5 came out of the same late 70's punk scene as The Mekons and Gang of Four. In fact the three bands were friends and supported each other in many ways. Delta 5 were a three-woman, two-man group and their unusual line-up featured double guitars and double basses. They released a few post-punk singles that are considered essential listening including "Mind Your Own Business", "You" and "Try" on Rough Trade Records. They toured Europe and the U.S. coasts a couple of times, signed to Charisma, released a polished album of less satisfying songs called "See the Whirl" and disbanded.

Delta 5 were:
Bethan Peters - bass and vocals
Ros Allen - bass and vocals
Julz Sale - vocals - guitar
Alan Briggs - guitar
Kelvin (Kelv) Knight - drums

A collection of singles, Peel Sessions and other live tracks called Singles & Sessions 1979-81 was released this month.

Get free download of Delta 5 - "Mind Your Own Business ".mp3 from Entertainment Weekly.com

Go to the download page to get Delta 5 - "Try"

Combo Audio

Urbana, Illinois Combo Audio released the classic 80's single "Romanticide" in 1982 on Secret Records and an EP on EMI in 1983 before disappearing from the scene. When listening to the band's brand of New Romantic Synth Pop you'd think the band was from the U.K. and not America's heartland. The band was a big part of the Champaign-Urbana music scene and opened for U2 in 1982 at the University of Illinois Auditorium. The version of "Romanticide" on the download page is the original single version. It was rerecorded for the EP and the EP version can be found on the "Living in Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol 1 collection.

Combo Audio were:
Rick Neuhaus - Drums , John Kellogg - vocals, Tom Broeske - bass, and later Angus Thomas - bass.

Go to the download page to get Combo Audio - "Romanticide" [7" version]

Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club

Before The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star" became the first video aired on MTV in 1981, Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club recorded and released the song on the only album released by the band in 1979. The song was written by Woolley along with Trevor Horn and Geoffrey Downes who went on to form the Buggles. Members of the Camera Club went on to greater things too. Keyboard player Tom Dolby (you all know Thomas Dolby), went on to work with Lene Lovich before releasing his own work, Matthew Seligman went on to play with Robyn Hitchcock, the Thompson Twins and Thomas Dolby among others. Drummer Rod Johnson also played with Hitchcock.

Bruce Woolley formed Firmament and the Elements and released an EP in 1983. More recently he has been making music on the theremin with his band the Radio Science Orchestra. The version of "Video Killed The Radio Star" on the download page is the single version of the song.