Fools Dance

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Fools Dance
Fools Dance as pictured on their 1985 EP (L-R: Pete Gardner, Ron Howe, Gary Biddles, Simon Gallup, Stuart Curran)
Fools Dance as pictured on their 1985 EP (L-R: Pete Gardner, Ron Howe, Gary Biddles, Simon Gallup, Stuart Curran)
Background information
OriginHorley, Surrey, England
GenresPunk rock, gothic rock, new wave
Years active1983–1987
LabelsTop Hole
Contorsion
Lambs to the Slaughter - Prism
Past membersGary Biddles
Stuart Curran
Simon Gallup
Pete Gardner
Ron Howe

Fools Dance were an English rock band active from 1983 to 1987, chiefly noted for their connections to The Cure.[1][2]

History

In 1982, Simon Gallup was bassist for The Cure, and Gary Biddles was a member of the band's road crew who was occasionally invited to sing onstage. During the tour for the album Pornography, band relations had become contentious, and during a performance in Belgium, Biddles criticized other Cure members Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst from the stage. Gallup then left the Cure acrimoniously and took Biddles with him.[3]

Gallup formed a new band in 1983, originally known as The Cry, with singer Ian Fuller, guitarist Stuart Curran (formerly of The Magazine Spies), drummer Paul Thompson (formerly of Roxy Music), and keyboardist Matthieu Hartley (another former member of The Cure).[1] This band only performed one gig in April 1983, after which all members other than Gallup and Curran quit.[4]

The band was reformed under the name Fools Dance with Biddles on vocals, plus saxophonist Ron Howe and (after using drum machines for a short period) drummer Pete Gardner.[1][5] This lineup found little success in their native England, but developed a strong following in the Low Countries. Frequent travel to that region left the band little time for recording.[5][6] An EP was recorded in 1983 but was not released until 1985.[1]


Despite Gallup's prior involvement with The Cure, Fools Dance ultimately had more of a following in the Low Countries than they did in their native UK, making it difficult to find the time to record a full-length album.[5] Although the group began recording some songs at RMS Studios in London, Gallup ultimately left the group to rejoin The Cure, a move that ultimately hindered any of these tracks from seeing the light of day until after Fools Dance had disbanded due to Gallup's departure.[5] Eventually, by the end of 1985, Fools Dance's self-titled debut EP was released on the independent Dutch label Top Hole Records four months after The Cure's sixth studio album The Head on the Door, which featured a guest appearance by Ron Howe on the song "A Night Like This".[6] Top Hole Records licensed the rights for Germany, Austria and Switzerland to Universe Records and in France to well known label Contorsion.

In 1987, Gary Biddles briefly reformed Fools Dance under a new lineup that included guitarist Campbell McKellar, The Stranglers bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel, and Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson, who had previously been in the group when they first formed as The Cry. They recorded one song and single, "They'll Never Know", but this would be the final release by Fools Dance. Biddles went on to form the band Presence with Lol Tolhurst and Michael Dempsey.[7]

Line-up

Discography

Cover of "They'll Never Know
Year Type Format Title Tracks
1985 12" EP Universe Productions – Turn 19, Sound & Vision – Turn 19 Fools Dance "Sa'Ha" / "The Don Diddy Song" / "The Priest Hole" / "Happy Families Waiting (At The Skylab Landing Bay)" / "I'm So Many (Talk Talk)"
1986 12" EP Top Hole Records – TH 22 Fools Dance "The Priest Hole" / "Happy Families Waiting (At The Skylab Landing Bay)" / "I'm So Many (Talk Talk)" / "Sa'Ha" / "The Don Diddy Song"
1986 12" EP Contorsion – CNT.011 Fools Dance "The Priest Hole" / "Happy Families Waiting (At The Skylab Landing Bay)" / "I'm So Many (Talk Talk)" / "Sa'Ha" / "The Don Diddy Song"
1987 12" EP Lambs To The Slaughter Records – LTS 18 Fools Dance "The Priest Hole" / "Happy Families Waiting (At The Skylab Landing Bay)" / "I'm So Many (Talk Talk)" / "Sa'Ha" / "The Don Diddy Song"
1987 7" Single Lambs To The Slaughter Records – LTS 22 "They'll Never Know" "They'll Never Know" / "Empty Hours"
1987 12" Single Lambs To The Slaughter Records – LTS 22 (T) "They'll Never Know" "They'll Never Know" / "The Collector" / "Empty Hours" / "The Ring"

Unreleased songs

  • "Old Door"
  • "Wonderful Weekend"
  • "Sin"
  • "Turn Me Back to Animal"
  • "Spinning Around"
  • "The Burn"
  • "Remembrance Day"
  • "Where Do You Sleep"
  • "Snakeskin World"
  • "Bowdiddly Song"
  • "Turning Back"
  • "Tapestry"
  • "Canaries Out"

References

  1. ^ a b c d Price, Simon (2023). Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure. New York, NY: William Morrow. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-0-06-306864-3.
  2. ^ "Fools Dance Biography". Picturesofyou.us. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  3. ^ Price, p. 29.
  4. ^ "Gary Biddles, of Cure spin-offs Fools Dance and Presence, dies". slicingupeyeballs.com. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2021. I was the original drummer with Cry and that's me drumming at the Rock Garden with Matthieu, Simon and guitarist Stuart Curran, but on this occasion Gary had not yet joined the band and the Singer was Ian Fuller, Gary joined about 2 or 3 months later when the newly named Fools Dance became a 3 piece with just Gary, Simon and Stuart. I later teamed up with Gary on the single They'll never know. He will be sadly missed. Kindest regards, Tot (Paul Thompson)
  5. ^ a b c d "Ron Howe Reminisces at The King's Head, Horley". carmenrosa.com. 3 November 2003. Archived from the original on 25 August 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Interview with Gary Biddles: Cure Roadie and Fools Dance/Presence Frontman". 26 April 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  7. ^ ""Interview with Robert Smith" 5 August 2007". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.

External links

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