| Department S | |
|---|---|
Department S - (L to R) - Tony Lordan, Vaughan Toulouse, John Hasler and Mike Herbage |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Post-punk, New Wave |
| Years active | 1980–1982 2007–present |
| Labels | Korova, RCA, Demon, Stiff, LTM Sartorial Records |
| Website | Link |
| Members | |
| Mike Herbage Eddie Roxy Terry Edwards Michelle Brigandage Sam Burnett |
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| Past members | |
| Vaughan Toulouse Jimmy Hughes Tony Lordan Mark Taylor John Hasler Stuart Mizon Mark Bedford |
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Department S were a British new wave band formed in 1980, who took their stage name from the 1960s TV series Department S.[1] They are best known for their debut single, "Is Vic There?", which was originally released in December 1980.
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Department S evolved from a previous punk/ska combo, Guns For Hire, and featured former Madness drummer John Hasler.[1] Mike Herbage joined them and wrote Guns For Hire's only single - "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight" - which emerged on the Korova record label.[1] The group then became Department S, with the addition of Eddie Roxy (later replaced by Mark Taylor) and Stuart Mizon.
They made their live debut at the Rock Garden, London, on 24 September 1980.[1] Demon Records subsequently released their debut single, "Is Vic There?", in December 1980 (re-issued on RCA a few months later).[2] It was produced by former Mott the Hoople members Buffin and Overend Watts, but its initial success led to the better-equipped RCA Records re-issuing the single in March 1981.[1] The single’s b-side, a cover of T.Rex's "Solid Gold Easy Action", featured Thunderthighs on backing vocals.[1]
The group recorded a session for the BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel on 3 December 1980. The tracks laid down were "Is Vic There?"; "Age Concern"; "Ode To Cologne (Stench Of War)"; and "Clap Now".
The follow-up single "Going Left Right", released on the Stiff Records label fared considerably worse whilst still managing to sell 60,000 copies. Poor subsequent sales and differences of opinion with their record label, resulted in the band being dropped by Stiff, but not before £50,000 was reputedly spent on what was to be their debut album, Sub-Stance (subsequently released on LTM in 2003).
Toulouse later worked as a DJ under the name Main T, before recording as a solo artist with a 1985 single "Cruisin' the Serpentine", and as part of The Style Council's miner's charity project the Council Collective.[3] He died in 1991, from an AIDS related illness.[1][3]
In February 2007, Department S recorded their first new single for twenty six years, a cover version of Alvin Stardust's 1973 hit "My Coo-Ca-Choo". It was released on Sartorial Records in October 2007. It included a guest appearance by Mark Bedford of Madness on bass guitar. A re-recording of "Is Vic There?" and new tracks "Wonderful Day" "God Squad Saviour" and "Outside" were also recorded, and included contributions from Glen Matlock, Marco Pirroni, Michelle Brigandage of Brigandage, Susie Honeyman of The Mekons, with John Keeble of Spandau Ballet contributing drums to the latter two tracks. Concert dates were planned for September 2008, but were postponed until 2010. In August 2008, drummer Stuart Mizon left the band due to family commitments, but returned to the fold in early 2009, while former guitarist and songwriter from Back to Zero, Sam Burnett joined on a full time basis. In June 2009, Mark Taylor, former Department S keyboard player, rejoined the band as full time bass player. A single, "Wonderful Day", was released in August 2009.
In February 2010, the band made their live comeback at London's 100 Club, with more gigs undertaken throughout 2010.[4] Successful appearances at Rebellion Festival and Sinners Day festival in Belgium were amongst live highlights. June 2011 saw the single release of "God Squad Saviour" b/w "Slave" released in June, followed by the live album, Mr Nutley's Strange Delusionarium. Both appeared on Sartorial Records. The band are due to play at the 'Hertals Rocks' festival in Belgium in October 2011.
| Year | Singles | UK Singles Chart | US Hot Dance Club Play | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight" | Korova | Band then billed as Guns for Hire | ||
| 1981 | "Is Vic There?"[2] | #22 | Demon | B-side; "Solid Gold Easy Action" | |
| 1981 | "Is Vic There?" (remixed) | #67 | Stiff | B-side; "Put All the Crosses in the Right Boxes" | |
| 1981 | "Going Left Right"[2] | #55 | Stiff | B-side; "She's Expecting You" | |
| 1981 | "I Want" | Stiff | B-side; "Monte Carlo or Bust" | ||
| 2007 | "My Coo-Ca-Choo" | Sartorial | |||
| 2009 | "Wonderful Day" | Sartorial |
| Year | Albums | UK | US | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Is Vic There? | Mau Mau | Compilation album | ||
| 2003 | Sub-Stance | LTM | Unreleased 1981 album, together with all tracks from their three UK singles, as well as previously unheard live and demo tracks |
1980s musicians
2007/8 version