Silicon Teens

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Silicon Teens was a fictional United Kingdom based pop group in a similar vein to The Archies, The Monkees and Gorillaz, who in reality was the brainchild of Mute Records creator Daniel Miller.

The "group" was publicised as a quartet named Darryl, Jacki, Paul and Diane, but in reality these individuals did not exist and for media interviews their parts were played by actors. The project was launched in 1980 with a sole album called Music For Parties, a collection of old rock n roll classics played in a somewhat cheesy pop synthesiser style.

Despite considerable media interest as a novelty, neither the album nor offshoot singles Memphis Tennessee and Judy in Disguise were ever hits, though their third (double-A side) single "Just Like Eddie" b/w "Sun Flight" did manage some UK Chart success.

Film director John Hughes was so taken with it that their rendition of Red River Rock can be heard in the movie soundtrack of the Steve Martin/John Candy movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.^[1]

Additionally their version of You Really Got Me featured on a compilation album of New Wave songs put out by French covers band Nouvelle Vague.

Mute went on to do much better signing real synth acts, particularly Yazoo, Erasure, and Depeche Mode.