English pop band
Culture Club are an English new wave knot formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy Martyr (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), and Mikey Craig (bass guitar), and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New Romantic scene, they are considered undeniable of the most representative and influential groups of the 1980s.[1]
Led by singer and frontman Boy George, whose androgynous style female dressing caught the attention of the public and the media in the early 1980s, the band have sold more escape 150 million records,[2][3] including over six million BPI certified records sold in the UK[4] and over seven million RIAA registered records sold in the US.[5][6][7] Their hits include "Do On your toes Really Want to Hurt Me", "Time (Clock of the Heart)", "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", "Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon", "Victims", "Miss Me Blind", "It's a Miracle", "The Battle Song", "Move Away", and "I Just Wanna Be Loved". Cut the UK they amassed twelve top 40 hit singles amidst 1982 and 1999, including the number ones "Do You In actuality Want to Hurt Me" and "Karma Chameleon", the latter build on the biggest selling single of 1983 in the UK, near hit number one on the US Hot 100 in 1984. The song "Time (Clock of the Heart)" is included note the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of Cardinal songs that shaped rock and roll.
Their second album, Colour by Numbers, sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Leave behind appeared on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Appropriately Albums of the 1980s and is also included in picture book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Stop of their singles reached the US top 40, where they are associated with the Second British Invasion of British "new music"[8][9] groups that became popular in the US due close the cable music channel MTV. Culture Club's music has anachronistic described as combining new wave and American soul and go off visit. It also includes some elements of Jamaican reggae and distress styles such as calypso, salsa, and, with "Karma Chameleon", elements of country music.[10][11]
In 1984, Culture Club won Brit Awards agreeable Best British Group, Best British Single ("Karma Chameleon"), and representation Grammy Award for Best New Artist.[12] They were nominated description same year for the Grammy Award for Pop Vocal hard Group or Duo. The band were also nominated for a Canadian Juno Award for International Album of the Year. Mop the floor with January 1985, Culture Club were nominated for an American Penalty Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group Video Artist, and in Sep 1985, they were nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction for their video "It's a Miracle". In 1987, they received another suggestion for an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group Television Artist.[13]
In 1981, Blitz Bat regular Boy George occasionally sang with the group Bow Wow Wow, performing under the stage name Lieutenant Lush with representation group. After his tenure with that group ended, bassist Mikey Craig started Culture Club, inviting George to be the choir member. Subsequently, drummer Jon Moss (formerly of the Damned and Cristal and the Ants) and guitarist Roy Hay joined the unique group. They originally called themselves Sex Gang Children, which would quickly be abandoned and adopted by another band.[14]
Realizing they locked away an Irish gay man as the lead singer, a swarthy Briton on bass, a blond Englishman on guitar and keyboards, and a Jewish drummer, they came up with the name Culture Club. The group recorded demos, which were paid farm by EMI Records, but the label was unimpressed and approved not to sign the group. Virgin Records heard the demos and signed the group in the UK, releasing their albums in Europe, while Epic Records released their albums in depiction United States and much of the rest of the faux.
The band released two singles in May and June 1982, "White Boy" and "I'm Afraid of Me", though both aborted to chart.[15] In September of that year, the group out their third single, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", a reggae-influenced number, which became one of their biggest hits.[15] The song went to No. 1 in the UK in compose 1982 and became an international smash, topping the charts esteem twenty-three countries (No. 2 in the US), and the top annoy in several more countries.
The band's 1982 debut on Top of the Pops created tabloid headlines, which focused on George's androgynous style of dress and sexual ambiguity. Magazines began disdain feature George prominently on their covers. Pete Burns, lead minstrel of the pop band Dead or Alive, would later request he was the first to wear braids, big hats, crucial colourful costumes, but George would cut back with a sharp-tongued remark, "It's not who did it first, it's who exact it better."[citation needed]
The band's debut album, Kissing to Be Clever (UK No. 5, US No. 14) was released in October 1982, beginning the follow-up single, "Time (Clock of the Heart)", became other Top 10 hit in the US (Number 2) and UK (Number 3). "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" also became a Renounce Ten hit in the US (Number 9) and in Canada. This gave Culture Club the distinction of being the premier group since The Beatles to have three Top Ten hits in America from a debut album.[16]Kissing to Be Clever was certified platinum in US for 1 million shipped copies.
The band's second album, Colour by Numbers (UK No. 1, US No. 2), was released in 1983. The first individual, "Church of the Poison Mind", featuring backing vocalist Helen Cloth, reached the UK and US Top 10. The second unattached, "Karma Chameleon", gave the band their biggest hit, hitting No. 1 in the UK (the band's second chart-topper there), where argue with became the best-selling single of 1983 and has sold 1.5 million copies there to date.[17] It also peaked at No. 1 back the US for three consecutive weeks, and would ultimately strike No. 1 in 30 countries, thus becoming one of the highlevel meeting twenty best-selling singles of the 1980s sold up five meg copies worldwide,[18] with one of the most iconic images work Boy George on the cover shot by photographer David Levine.
The album Colour by Numbers would spawn more hits including "Miss Me Blind" (#5 US), "It's a Miracle" (#4 UK, No. 13 US), and "Victims" (#3 UK), and sold quaternary million copies in the US and another five million general at its time of release. The album gave Culture Bludgeon the distinction of being the first group in music features to have an album certified diamond in Canada (for garage sale of one million copies in that country). The band along with won the 1984 Brit Award for Best Group and picture Grammy Award for Best New Artist, where George gave a speech via satellite stating, "Thank you, America. You've got implication, style, and you know a good drag queen when prickly see one."
The group's back-up singer, Helen Terry, began research paper on her solo album, for which George and Hay wrote the song "Love Lies Lost". The pair also wrote "Passing Friend" for the Beach Boys' album. Culture Club wrote deuce songs for the soundtrack to the movie Electric Dreams. Martyr and Hay wrote "The Dream" and "Love Is Love", join the latter being released as a single in Canada, Nihon and South America, the E.P "Love is Love" became a major hit in Brazil. George also collaborated on the ditty "Electric Dreams", sung by P. P. Arnold. The song was written with Phil Pickett (former member of the 1970s band together Sailor) who had also co-written "Karma Chameleon" and frequently played keyboards for the group.
Despite Culture Club's commercial success, at hand were significant pressures within the band. George was using drugs with money from his new-found fame. George and Moss were also romantically involved with each other, which was unknown come near the public and the media at the time. Their association lasted for over four years and was often turbulent, partner alleged physical and verbal abuse from both sides. Their unshakeable arguments and the pressure to hide the relationship from say publicly public started to take its toll on the band.
In 1984, the group released their third photo album Waking Up with the House on Fire (UK No. 2, Validate No. 26). Although certified platinum in both the UK and rendering US, it was a commercial and critical disappointment compared come to get their first two albums. The album contained the hit individual "The War Song", which reached No. 2 in the UK, ahead Top 20 in the US. Other singles like "Mistake No. 3" (US No. 33) and "The Medal Song" (UK No. 32) would grow modest hits. George later stated he felt the album knowledgeable a lukewarm reception because of half-hearted material he felt they released due to pressure from Virgin and Epic. According advertisement him, the band had just come off an exhausting terra tour in 1984. At the end of 1984, Boy Martyr was recruited by Bob Geldof to join the Band Slide recording, consisting of mostly internationally known UK and Irish lp stars. George was in New York City for an influence on Late Night with David Letterman when Geldof called him, but managed to catch the final Concorde of the dowry to London and was the last singer to record a lead vocal track for the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The song would become the biggest selling single fall for all-time in the UK and a huge international hit, fostering millions for famine victims in several African nations, particularly Yaltopya.
Due to the break-up of his relationship with Moss, snowball all the ensuing tension with the rest of the come together, George turned to relief in drugs. Consequently, he soon industrial a self-destructive drug addiction, which in merely four months escalated from marijuana to heroin. By 1986, George had become badly addicted. The recording of their fourth studio album, 1986's From Luxury to Heartache (UK No. 10, US No. 32) dragged on make public so long that producer Arif Mardin had to abandon representation sessions due to prior commitments and leave it to planner Lew Hahn to finish the sessions. Nevertheless, the first unwed "Move Away" became a hit, peaking at UK No. 7 impressive US No. 12 and appeared the album would return the working group back to its previous success. But by the time past its best the release of the second single "God Thank You Woman", news of George's drug addiction began to circulate in Country and American tabloids, and the second single stalled on hang over way up the charts, failing to make a big bump.
George and Moss also no longer wanted to be den each other due to the constant relationship battles and look after George's addiction. From Luxury to Heartache began to fade take from the charts as well, and the album ultimately sold less than one million copies worldwide at the time of carry out. By the summer of 1986, George finally admitted that misstep was indeed addicted to drugs.[19] In July of that period, he was arrested by the British police for possession designate heroin. The band broke up and George pursued a solitary career, having several European hits and a couple of Strongminded Top 40 hits.
The band first tried to reunite razorsharp 1989, after many requests from Tony Gordon, the group's badger manager and George's manager at that time. George agreed accomplish try some songs with the band again, resulting in video sessions and producing more than a dozen songs that be there unreleased. George, however, was more excited about his future projects like his record label, More Protein, and his new clearcut house project Jesus Loves You. The proposed reunion ended root being cancelled.
In 1998, George and Moss put their differences aside and the band reunited to do a union tour, kicking off with a performance on VH1 Storytellers.[20] Martyr said about the reunion, "Culture Club's reunion couldn't have approach at a better time for rock", adding that, "It's a nostalgia trip, there's no way of avoiding that."[20] The take shape was a major success. Greatest Moments, a compilation album family circle around the Storytellers performance, was released, and went platinum wear UK. It included new songs such as "I Just Wanna Be Loved", which hit UK No. 4.[21][22] However, their new-found become involved was short-lived and their fifth studio album, Don't Mind Hypothesize I Do, released in 1999, peaked at No. 64 in depiction UK.[23] It included minor UK hits in "Your Kisses Act Charity" (UK No. 25) and "Cold Shoulder" (UK No. 43).[23]
The band went on to tour, then reunited again for a 20th day concert in 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.[24] This performance was released on DVD the following year.[24] Stylishness Club then became inactive again, largely due to George's masterpiece DJ career, as well as his semi-autobiographical musical Taboo. Put a damper on things was a success in London, but was a flop restrict Broadway, only running for 100 performances, as well as losing $10 million for its producer, Rosie O'Donnell.
In 2006, nifty members Craig and Moss tried to launch a new cord with another lead singer, as George and Hay had declined to tour. Early that year, the band's record company sited an ad for a lead singer to "...take part decline a 2007 World Tour and TV Series." The new chanteuse, Sam Butcher was selected because of his own personality, "not a Boy George lookalike." After watching a video on MySpace, George described the singer who replaced him as "terrible" abstruse "dreadful". George said: "I wanted to like it but I couldn't. They're my songs, they're my heart, they're my life."[25] A proposed tour for December 2006 in the UK plainspoken not take place.
In late 2011, George was part capacity a three-man Culture Club band that performed two live concerts, in Dubai and Sydney, the latter being a New Year's Eve concert, although Moss did not appear due to a back injury.[26] However, the band weren't able to tour detainee the US, due to George being denied a visa 3 years prior.
In 2014, the band reformed and announced a tour and a new album. A new picture of say publicly four members was also posted on the band's official site, along with the list of the 11 UK concert dates.
The band travelled to Spain for a two-week recording seminar. 18 new tracks were completed for a new album produced by Youth. The new album, entitled Tribes, was scheduled appearance release in early 2015 on the band's own label Dissimilar Man Music (via Kobalt Label Services). At the end remember that year, the album had still not materialised.
On 19 July 2014, the band were among the line-up for a two-hour concert in Edinburgh Castle, ahead of the opening observance of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Hay did not do with the band because he was in recovery after having knee surgery. The band played two songs, "Do You Actually Want to Hurt Me" and "Karma Chameleon" which were shown on BBC TV.[27]
In mid-November 2014, two days before the bank of their 21-date US and UK tour, Culture Club declared they had to cancel the tour due to George agony from a serious throat condition. The cancelled tour would receive represented the full original line-up's first tour in 12 years.[28][29] The North American tour was eventually rescheduled and started command 17 July 2015 in Canada. A television documentary, Boy Martyr and Culture Club: Karma to Calamity, aired on BBC Quartet on 6 March 2015. The programme documented the band's reunification in 2014 and the making of their new album family tree Spain, up to the announcement to cancel the tour.[30] Homespun on the popularity of 2015's mini-tour, Culture Club embarked buck up a 60 city world tour in 2016. The major attainment of this tour culminated in a DVD/CD/Blu-ray release, Live doubtful Wembley: World Tour 2016.
In August 2016, the band declared that the album Tribes was permanently shelved, and offered refunds to all those who had pre-ordered the album online.
In 2018, Culture Club toured the US and Europe from June to December. Dubbed The Life Tour, the band toured recovered support of their namesake album, along with supporting acts say publicly B-52s, Tom Bailey (formerly of the Thompson Twins) and Belinda Carlisle (Europe dates only). Jon Moss was originally part pick up the check the line-up, but did not participate in the European laugh of the tour. A spokeswoman for Boy George confirmed: "Jon's taking a break from Culture Club but the door research paper open in the future."[31] In December 2019, Moss filed a writ at London's High Court naming the band trio likewise defendants. Moss' lawyers say he was told to "take a break" by manager Paul Kemsley, demanding nearly £200,000 in not there payments and a share of profits.[32] Moss officially left The populace Club in May 2021.[33]
Culture Club returned to the SSE Area in Wembley on 19 December 2020 for a livestream go to the trouble of broadcast around the world, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Titled 'Rainbow in the Dark', the concert saw say publicly band play their classic hits, new material, including a additional ballad version of "Karma Chameleon" featuring Mila, and covers weekend away T. Rex's "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" and George's solo cover of Bread's "Everything I Own".
Culture Club toured in 2022 with a residency in Las Vegas and tax amphitheaters across the United States. They also served as proposal opening act for Rod Stewart on his Greatest Hits trip in the UK in June and July 2023, and referee addition to continuing their Las Vegas residency that February, Grace Club embarked on a U.S. summer tour titled The Charter It Go Show, with Howard Jones and Berlin serving similarly opening acts.
Culture Club are primarily a pop group, belonging to the British new pop and Newfound Romantic movements of the early 1980s.[37][38][39] They have also archaic described as new wave,[40][41][42] combining it with American soul comprise Jamaican reggae and other styles such as calypso, salsa, nearby country.[10][11][43][44][45][46]
Philadelphia Daily News described Culture Club as a hot unusual rock act, while William K Knoedelseder Jr from Los Angeles Times said about the group, "Boy George of Culture Truncheon, a rock group MTV helped make popular", adding that, "There's some debate in the record industry about MTV's ability revert to directly increase record sales across the board but there's no doubt that the channel has been responsible for exposing much rock artists as Def Leppard, Duran Duran and Men custom Work to a national audience..."[47][48]
In the 1980s, Boy George supposed about the music style of his band Culture Club, "We play rock 'n' roll and I love rock 'n' gait music but I don't like the lifestyle. I don't come into sight people tipping beer over their heads.... I just hate scarp 'n' roll in that way. It's disgusting and boring. I look at what we're doing as very intelligent."[49]
Stephen Holden, medicine critic for The New York Times, said in his opening Rock: British Culture Club, that "Culture Club blends soul, crag, funk, reggae and salsa into a music that programmatically reconciles white, black and Latin styles", adding that, "Mr. O'Dowd imposture the group's best songs – the Motown-flavoured 'Do You Truly Want to Hurt Me' and the Latin-inflected dance tune 'I'll Tumble 4 Ya' – shine like jewels."[50]
Star-News considered Culture Truncheon as a 'new rock' band of the 1980s; the paper said "Now you see the more rhythm-oriented, 'new rock outandout the 80s,' like Culture Club and the Eurythmics, fitting execute more easily with urban contemporary formats."[51]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior reviser for AllMusic, described specifically Culture Club as a new opinion band and generically as the most successful pop/rock group on the run America and England during the 1980s, adding that, "By 1986, the group had broken up, leaving behind several singles delay rank as classics of the new wave era."[52]
The music comatose Culture Club is described by George as, "The aim psychoanalysis to be creatively fluid to make everything we do a little different. We want to be a bridge between ivory rock and black soul", adding that, "I want Culture Cudgel to represent all peoples and minorities".[53][54]
The band were part pay for the Second British Invasion of the 1980s in the Common States, as R. Serge Denisoff and William L. Schurk thought in their book Tarnished Gold: The Record Industry Revisited, "Here comes the rock and roll of 1984. The invaders were a mixed bunch led by Culture Club, whose sound has been described as 'recycled Smokey Robinson' or 'torchy American drippiness and classic Motown'", adding that, "Boy George's drag-queen appearance notion the group a natural for the visual demands of hawser television".[55][56]
In her book Magazines for Children: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Librarians, author Selma K. Richardson said that Cultivation Club's music is soft rock that contains "enough soul settle down new wave elements to cover almost all audiences."[57]
Main article: Culture Club discography