We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It
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We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It (shortened to Fuzzbox for the U.S. release of their first album) were an all-girl Birmingham, England based, pop punk quartet that was loud, gaudy, and mildly controversial.
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[edit] Biography
Founded in 1985, they initially fostered a raw amateurness to their playing style but later developed into a smoother, "sexier" look that still caused some controversy.
Their first release came in the spring of 1986, a double A sided single of "XX Sex" and "Rules And Regulations" which reached #41 in the UK charts. This led to extensive tours of the UK and Europe and, in November that year, the album release Bostin' Steve Austin (some sources label it self-titled). This album spawned the band's first Top 40 hit, "Love Is The Slug".
In the summer of 1986 the band teamed up with their Vindaloo Records labelmates, The Nightingales and Ted Chippington to record a single "Rocking With Rita (Head To Toe)". The single, credited to the Vindaloo Summer Special, featured Fuzzbox tackling such classics as "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" on the b-side, a full four years before Timmy Mallet and Bombalurina.
For their next album, Big Bang! (1989), they made an abrupt change and reinvented themselves as a slick dance-pop vocal group, with Vickie Perks being cast centre stage as a budding sex symbol. The album had no musician credits, but the girls apparently did little or no playing, and this seemed a repudiation of their punk DIY ethos. The songs "Pink Sunshine", "Fast Forward Futurama" and "International Rescue" were all co-written by Liam Sternberg. A single released from the album, "Walking On Thin Ice", flopped, only peaking at #76 in the UK.
In 1990, they began work on a new album, but the project was halted after the release of the first single "Your Loss, My Gain" due to Perks's decision to begin a solo career under the name of Vix. Her self-titled album flopped, but Fuzzbox had already broken up. Vickie now sings in a four-piece band known as 'Vix And The Kix'.
[edit] Personnel
- Vickie Perks - born Victoria Perks, 9 October 1968, in Birmingham, England - Vocalist
- Maggie Dunne - born 5 June 1964, in Solihull, England - Bassist & Keyboardist
- Jo Dunne - born 12 November 1968 - Guitarist
- Tina O'Neill - born 20 January 1969, in Birmingham, England - Drummer
The bulk of their songwriting was by Perks and Dunne.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Bostin' Steve Austin (Vindaloo Records) (1986)
- Big Bang (Warner Bros. Records) (1989) UK #5
[edit] Compilations
- Rules & Regulations To Pink Sunshine: Fuzzbox Story (Cherry Red Records) - (2001)
- Look At The Hits On That (WSM) (2004)
- Love Is A Slug: Complete BBC Sessions (Cherry Red Records) - (2005)
[edit] Singles
1986
- "XX Sex"/"Rules And Regulations" UK #41
- "Rockin' With Rita (Head To Toe)"
- "Love Is The Slug" UK #31
1987
- "What's The Point" UK #51, contains a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (credited to Fuzzbox)
1989
- "International Rescue" UK #11
- "Pink Sunshine" UK #14 (credited to Fuzzbox)
- "Self!" UK #24 (credited to Fuzzbox)
- "Walking On Thin Ice" UK #76
1990
- "Your Loss My Gain" UK #100
[edit] Trivia
- As the band could not get permission to use Thunderbirds in the video for their song "International Rescue", they spoofed Barbarella with Adrian Edmondson playing the Duran Duran character. He also directed the music video as well, and the song was their biggest hit at Number 11. He also dated lead singer Vickie for a short period in 1985, their pre-fame days.
