Ok, let's see who remembers these groups:

Tenpole Tudor
Pinheads
X
Blotto
Bad Manners
The Polecats
Jaluka
Mental As Anything
Single Bullet Theory
OXO
Kraut


Let's see who is stumped. I'll try and think of more

I know...

Polecats "Make A Circuit With Me"
Oxo "Whirly Girl"
X "Burning House Of Love"

I can pick out...

Tenpole Tudor, Bad Manners, The Polecats and Mental As Anything...

...everything else is a  ???

So that's 4/11...must try harder!

I listen to Blotto, Polecats, Mental as Anything, and X on a regular basis.

what aobut Martha and the Muffins and The Kings?

Also, remember Joe 'King' Carasco? How bout Doug and The Slugs, the song 'Too Bad' was a catchy tune

Ok, let's see who remembers these groups:

Tenpole Tudor
Pinheads
X
Blotto
Bad Manners
The Polecats
Jaluka
Mental As Anything
Single Bullet Theory
OXO
Kraut


Let's see who is stumped. I'll try and think of more


Not really stumped...

Tenpole Tudor had a big hit over here with "Wunderbar". I also remember "Swords of a Thousand Men".
Bad Manners did a great job with their "Can Can"...
...and Mental as Anything had a minor hit with "Live it Up".

Polecats...I seem to remember my brother had one of their albums. Long gone, I'm afraid... :-\\


I can pick out...

Tenpole Tudor, Bad Manners, The Polecats and Mental As Anything...

...everything else is a  ???

So that's 4/11...must try harder!


Seems like we share the same memories, Paul.

Tenpole Tudor had a big hit over here with "Wunderbar". I also remember "Swords of a Thousand Men".


LOVED those two songs!!  :D

Also, remember Joe 'King' Carasco?


yeah! great one!

made me think of kid creole and the coconuts.

Here in Canada ...

Mental As Anything hit #20 with 'Too Many Times' in 1982
OXO hit #15 with 'Whirly Girl' in 1983
Juluka hit #29 with 'Scatterlings of Africa' in 1984


what aobut Martha and the Muffins and The Kings?


Both of those are Canadian groups, so I remember them. 

The Kings' 1980 hit 'Switchin' to Glide' fell out of the Canadian Top 40 (it was surprisingly a bigger hit in The States than it was in Canada), but it was still immensely popular.  The local classic hits station I listen to plays it atleast once a day.  They also had a comeback hit in Canada with 'Unstoppable' in 1993, which also fell out of the Top 40

Martha and the Muffins had 8 chart hits in Canada between 1980-1986

Also, remember Joe 'King' Carasco? How bout Doug and The Slugs, the song 'Too Bad' was a catchy tune


Doug and the Slugs were extremely popular in their native Canada.  'Too Bad' was their first chart appearance, and was followed by several other smash hits including 'Makin' it Work', 'Who Knows How to Make Love Stay', 'Day By Day' and 'Tomcat Prowl', the latter which gave them their first BIG U.S. exposure as it appears in the film 'Iron Eagle II'

I liked the haunted house-like sounding 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers

Also, 'The Fanatic' by Felony was a wierd one

Also, 'The Fanatic' by Felony was a wierd one

I remember this song from the Valley Girl movie soundtrack-that song's pretty strange but I like it.

Ok, let's see who remembers these groups:

Tenpole Tudor
Pinheads
X
Blotto
Bad Manners
The Polecats
Jaluka
Mental As Anything
Single Bullet Theory
OXO
Kraut


Let's see who is stumped. I'll try and think of more


A perfect 0 for 11. I wouldn't say I've forgotten them because I never heard of them in the first place.

Ant

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Wanna be a life guard.... IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII wanna save your life!


What about Rhythm Corps?

Anyone remember the song "Turn Up the Radio" by Autograph?  I loved that story of how they got their big break because the lead singer used to go jogging with David Lee Roth, (that's hard to picture isnt it); anyway, I think that's one of the coolest party songs of the 80's.  8)

What about missing persons? They had a few hits, with "Walking In L.A.", "Destination Unknown" and "Words"....

"Turn Up The Radio" is a good song



Some forgotten bands/artists that are hardly known anymore or talked about...



From watching classic Soul Train:

Genobia Jeter (gospel singer who had a few R&B hits in later 80s...not sure if they were popular)
Five Star (teen R&B group, though more popular in the UK)
Chico DeBarge (solo)



hair bands:

Y&T
Britny Fox
Tesla
Danger Danger
Kingdom Come
Bulletboys
Extreme (pre "More Than Words")

X- I have them doing a song on "Urgh! A Music War"
Bad Manners- I love their covers of "Lola", "I Can't Stand the Rain", and "Do the Creep". Not to mention "Romeo & Juliet".
The Polecats- While I can't recall specific songs, I DO know of them.
Mental As Anything- Besides "Live It Up", I have also heard "Got Hit" and "I Didn't Mean To Be Mean".
OXO- "Whirly Girl"
Y&T- I have their "In Rock We Trust" tape, with "Lipstick & Leather", "Don't Stop Running", and "She's A Liar".
Danger Danger- Didn't they do "Naughty Naughty"?

As for me, I kinda specialize in more obscure bands.
Some of Hawk's contributions include:

-Invisible Sex
-Klaus Nomi
-Mondo Rock
-Buckner & Garcia
-The Alley Cats
-Surf Punks
-Goanna
-Carnival Art (Although I think they may be '90s)

I used to love alot of these bands and i totally forgot them

A Popular History of Signs
Stockholm Monsters
Richard Strange & The Engine Room
Twice A Man
The Leather Nun
Blancmange
Greater Than One
Kids in the Kitchen

If you look at "URGH! A Music War", you can find excellent examples of brilliant-yet-forgotten bands.

I remember the Polecats, Mental as Anything, X, Bad Manners.  How about..

Kissing the Pink, Flash in the Pan, Maurice and the Cliches, Dramarama, Roman Holiday, Payolas, Wire Train?

Couple of good observations, Lisa!

I add to the list of Forgotten '80s Bands:

-Jason & the Scorchers (an '80s Southern Rock band)
-The Cramps (an '80s Punk/Goth Rock band)
-Pere Ubu (a wannabe '80s Ska Band)

Dont forget...

Dalis Car
Midge Ure
Ultravox
Split Enz
Visage
Tones On Tail
Pete Shelley

Midge Ure has not been forgotten, he is remembered every Christmas.

How about

the dB's
Fibonaccis
Galaxie 500
The Godfathers
The Housemartins
Railway Children
Scientists
Screaming Tribesmen
The Wedding Present
Ausgang
The Bomb Party
Bone Orchard
Cindytalk
Dormannu
Ghost Dance
Inca Babies
Into A Circle
Kommunity FK
Part 1
Play Dead
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
Release the Bats
Rose of Avalanche
Screaming Dead
Sex Gang Children
Spear of Destiny
Trisomie 21
Under Two Flags
Xmal Deutschland
a;GRUMH
Big Black
Borghesia
Cassandra Complex
Chris and Cosey
Chrome
Insekt
Nurse With Wound
Signal Aout 42
Sleep Chamber
Vomito Negro
The Weathermen
Data
Glass Museum
Honey Bane
Minor Detail
The Mood
Nightmare in Wax (pre-Dead or Alive)
Positive Noise
Psyche
Scary Thieves
Silicon Teens
Snowy Red
Torch Song
Trees
The Twins
Until December
The Vels
23 Skidoo
Au Pairs
The Durutti Column
Eyeless in Gaza
The Feelies
Human Sexual Response
Jet Black Berries
The Krewmen
The Members
Modern Eon
The Names
New Math
Pink Industry
The Pop Group
Rip Rig and Panic
Section 25
The Sound
Spherical Objects
Swans
The Wolfgang Press
Demented Are Go
Athletic Spizz '80
Anti-Nowhere League
D.I.
G.B.H.
Jerry's Kids
Legal Weapon
MDC (Millions of Dead Cops)
Rudimentary Peni
Saccharine Trust
Subhumans


.....sorry, got a little carried away.  You don't even want me to start listing long-forgotten heavy metal and thrash bands.

Good Doctor, some of the bands you mention are also to be found in "URGH!"

The ones I know off-hand are:

-Aupairs
-Athletico Spizz '80

........Ahhh, yes. There are many good-yet-forgotten bands.
Give me my spandex pants, my '80s sports shirt, and excuse me while I belt out "Where's Capt. Cook?"

Good Doctor, some of the bands you mention are also to be found in "URGH!"

The ones I know off-hand are:

-Aupairs
-Athletico Spizz '80

........Ahhh, yes. There are many good-yet-forgotten bands.
Give me my spandex pants, my '80s sports shirt, and excuse me while I belt out "Where's Capt. Cook?"


That'll be the b-side to Where's Captain Kirk? would it?  ;)



No ones mentioned Bauhaus yet.

The Members: "Sound of the Suburbs", "Working Girl"
Ultravox: "Vienna", "Reap The Wild Wind"
Split Enz: "One Step Ahead", "I Got You"
Visage: "Fade To Gray"
Tones on Tail: "Go"

^ Split Enz and Ultravox forgotten?  Dunno about those :-\\


I often find The Maisonettes are forgotten.  So forgotten that many people don't even know who they are.  That's because they only had one hit called 'Heartache Avenue', and though it was not a hit in the US, it was very popular in the UK and Canada

^ Split Enz and Ultravox forgotten?  Dunno about those :-\\


I often find The Maisonettes are forgotten.  So forgotten that many people don't even know who they are.  That's because they only had one hit called 'Heartache Avenue', and though it was not a hit in the US, it was very popular in the UK and Canada


Maisonettes...Not really forgotten over here, I'd say. More like...neglected.

"Heartache Avenue" hit #12 in our charts. To be honest, I'd forgotten about their follow-ups... :-[ I found out that "This Affair" and "Two Can Have a Party" both got stuck in bubbling under section.

What about missing persons? They had a few hits, with "Walking In L.A.", "Destination Unknown" and "Words"....


....................  not sure about forgotten!  they were one of the hot ones in the early 80's and even did the "US" fest in '83!

diesal, the one hit wonder with the great song sausalito summer nights!  how about  haysi fantazi  or carla devito?

Haysi Fantazi: "Shiny Shiny"

How about

the dB's
Fibonaccis
Galaxie 500
The Godfathers
The Housemartins
Railway Children
Scientists
Screaming Tribesmen
The Wedding Present
Ausgang
The Bomb Party
Bone Orchard
Cindytalk
Dormannu
Ghost Dance
Inca Babies
Into A Circle
Kommunity FK
Part 1
Play Dead
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
Release the Bats
Rose of Avalanche
Screaming Dead
Sex Gang Children
Spear of Destiny
Trisomie 21
Under Two Flags
Xmal Deutschland
a;GRUMH
Big Black
Borghesia
Cassandra Complex
Chris and Cosey
Chrome
Insekt
Nurse With Wound
Signal Aout 42
Sleep Chamber
Vomito Negro
The Weathermen
Data
Glass Museum
Honey Bane
Minor Detail
The Mood
Nightmare in Wax (pre-Dead or Alive)
Positive Noise
Psyche
Scary Thieves
Silicon Teens
Snowy Red
Torch Song
Trees
The Twins
Until December
The Vels
23 Skidoo
Au Pairs
The Durutti Column
Eyeless in Gaza
The Feelies
Human Sexual Response
Jet Black Berries
The Krewmen
The Members
Modern Eon
The Names
New Math
Pink Industry
The Pop Group
Rip Rig and Panic
Section 25
The Sound
Spherical Objects
Swans
The Wolfgang Press
Demented Are Go
Athletic Spizz '80
Anti-Nowhere League
D.I.
G.B.H.
Jerry's Kids
Legal Weapon
MDC (Millions of Dead Cops)
Rudimentary Peni
Saccharine Trust
Subhumans


.....sorry, got a little carried away.  You don't even want me to start listing long-forgotten heavy metal and thrash bands.
The Housemartins, not exactly forgotten, more split up to form respective band or go individual.

The Housemartins, not exactly forgotten, more split up to form respective band or go individual.


I still find it amazing to think Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) was a Housemartin once... :o

I still find it amazing to think Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) was a Housemartin once... :o
Every woman every man, just cannot understand...

Every woman every man, just cannot understand...


...I want to praise you like I sho-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ould.

did anyone say: The Oufield : "I dont wanna lose your love tonight..."

did anyone say: The Oufield : "I dont wanna lose your love tonight..."

The name of that song is "Your Love"...which I like to listen to. They had a few other hits, but this one was their best-known one. :)

How about

the dB's
Fibonaccis
Galaxie 500
The Godfathers
The Housemartins
Railway Children
Scientists
Screaming Tribesmen
The Wedding Present
Ausgang
The Bomb Party
Bone Orchard
Cindytalk
Dormannu
Ghost Dance
Inca Babies
Into A Circle
Kommunity FK
Part 1
Play Dead
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
Release the Bats
Rose of Avalanche
Screaming Dead
Sex Gang Children
Spear of Destiny
Trisomie 21
Under Two Flags
Xmal Deutschland
a;GRUMH
Big Black
Borghesia
Cassandra Complex
Chris and Cosey
Chrome
Insekt
Nurse With Wound
Signal Aout 42
Sleep Chamber
Vomito Negro
The Weathermen
Data
Glass Museum
Honey Bane
Minor Detail
The Mood
Nightmare in Wax (pre-Dead or Alive)
Positive Noise
Psyche
Scary Thieves
Silicon Teens
Snowy Red
Torch Song
Trees
The Twins
Until December
The Vels
23 Skidoo
Au Pairs
The Durutti Column
Eyeless in Gaza
The Feelies
Human Sexual Response
Jet Black Berries
The Krewmen
The Members
Modern Eon
The Names
New Math
Pink Industry
The Pop Group
Rip Rig and Panic
Section 25
The Sound
Spherical Objects
Swans
The Wolfgang Press
Demented Are Go
Athletic Spizz '80
Anti-Nowhere League
D.I.
G.B.H.
Jerry's Kids
Legal Weapon
MDC (Millions of Dead Cops)
Rudimentary Peni
Saccharine Trust
Subhumans


.....sorry, got a little carried away.  You don't even want me to start listing long-forgotten heavy metal and thrash bands.
Forgotten no, disappeared yes.

Haysi Fantazi: "Shiny Shiny"
................................  they had another song called, "john wayne is big leggy"  still trying to understand that title! lol!

Ok, let's see who remembers these groups:

Tenpole Tudor
Pinheads
X
Blotto
Bad Manners
The Polecats
Jaluka
Mental As Anything
Single Bullet Theory
OXO
Kraut


Let's see who is stumped. I'll try and think of more



I remember Blotto-I wanna be a life guard.


How about:

Fun Boy Three
Modern English


Man, I'm drawing a blank here. I guess I will probably think of more later.


Cat

Fun Boy Three:

"It Ain't What You Do..." with Bananrama
"Our Lips Are Sealed"

Modern English:

"Melt With You", though very well known song

Fun Boy Three:

"It Ain't What You Do..." with Bananrama
"Our Lips Are Sealed"


I was thinking of "Really Saying Something"-also with Bananrama.


Modern English:

"Melt With You", though very well known song


Yup-basically a one hit wonder. I'm not too sure if the song became popular because of the movie Valley Girl or if they used the song in Valley Girl because it was popular.


Cat

More forgotten 80s bands, with youtube clips


One 2 Many - Their 1989 hit 'Downtown' was a minor hit in the UK, but it broke both the US and Canadian Top 40 ...
YouTube: Downtown

The Other Ones - German/Australian group who hit the US and Canadian Top 40 in 1987 with 'Holiday'.  A second single 'We Are What We Are' was a minor hit in the US and a Top 40 hit in Canada ...
YouTube: Holiday | We Are What We Are

I'm not sure if this would fall under either totally forgotten or just plain obscure, but there was a really good post-punk British 80s band I heard on Music Choice's retroactive channel called the Wild Swans, with songs like "Revoluntionary Spirit" and "Bible Thoughts" - I'm surprised they didn't gain more of a following outside of England.  Anyway, I recently heard that they got back together in 2007 and put out a brand-new album.  :)

The Comateens

Here is the video for "The Late Mistake". 

Fun Boy Three:

"It Ain't What You Do..." with Bananrama
"Our Lips Are Sealed"



My favourite Fun Boy Three song is Ghost Town.  Reflected life in Britain at the time

My favourite Fun Boy Three song is Ghost Town.  Reflected life in Britain at the time


Ghost Town...wasn't that a song by the Specials? ??? I think Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynvall Golding had just left that band by then, to form the Fun Boy Three.

Ghost Town...wasn't that a song by the Specials? ??? I think Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynvall Golding had just left that band by then, to form the Fun Boy Three.

You are correct.  :-[

My excuse is they morphed from one to the other v quickly.  And I got distracred by thinking of Terry Hall!