| We've Got A Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Fuzzbox |
| Origin | Birmingham, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock, pop punk |
| Years active | 1985–1990, 2010–2011 |
| Labels | Vindaloo, Geffen, Warner Bros., Cherry Red, Gotham |
| Associated acts | Vix n the Kix |
| Past members | |
| Vix Maggie Dunne Jo Dunne Tina O'Neill |
|
We've Got A Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It were an English alternative rock group. Formed in Birmingham in 1985, the all-female quartet originally consisted of Vix, Maggie Dunne, Jo Dunne and Tina O'Neill. The band's name was shortened to Fuzzbox for the U.S. release of their first album. They disbanded in 1990 after releasing two studio albums, and reunited in 2010 for a series of concerts.
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Hailing from Moseley, Sheldon and Acocks Green, Birmingham, Fuzzbox came together in 1985.[1] Their name was chosen after they bought a distortion pedal for their guitars and Maggie Dunne stated "We've got a fuzzbox and we're gonna use it!".[2]
Their first release, in March 1986, was a single of "XX Sex" and "Rules And Regulations", with the fuzzbox featuring prominently, which reached #41 in the UK charts.[1] This proved a huge success for the girls; despite not reaching the Top 40, the Vindaloo Records release remained in the Indie chart for twenty-five weeks.[3] This led to tours of the UK and Europe and, in December that year, their debut album, Bostin' Steve Austin, was released (Geffen re-titled the album We've Got A Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It upon its US release). This album spawned the band's first Top 40 hit, "Love Is The Slug" and the minor hit "What's The Point".
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.[2] Further discussions led to their cover of Norman Greenbaum's hit "Spirit in the Sky", with vocals provided by Magz (Maggie).
The band signed to WEA and 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 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. The first three singles from the album, "International Rescue" (UK #11), "Pink Sunshine" (UK #14) and "Self!" (UK #24) all reached the UK Top 30, although a fourth single released from the album, "Walking On Thin Ice", peaked at #76.[4]
In 1990, they began work on a new album entitled "Out Of This World", but the project was halted after the release of the first single "Your Loss, My Gain" due to 'musical differences'. Perks decided to continue a solo career under the name of Vix whilst the other 3 members didn't wish to continue a music career.[1] A reunion found its way in 2008 and an appearance at the UK's Birmingham's Gay Pride festival paved the way for the old-school fans to re-embrace the latter days of Fuzzbox's height of success. Releases of previously unreleased material surfaced under the titles of Fuzz and Nonsense and From Rules and Regulations to Pink Sunshine featuring tracks originally slated for Out Of This World. An album was later released of their two radio sessions for the late John Peel and sessions for Janice Long's show, entitled Love Is A Slug: Complete BBC Sessions. Peel show listeners voted "Rules and Regulations" into number 31 in the Festive Fifty in 1986.[5]
In October 2004 a compilation of Fuzzbox singles and alternative mixes entitled Look At The Hits On That was released complete with a DVD of their promotional videos - most of which were publicly unavailable up until that release.
Early in 2010, Fuzzbox announced their reunion, returning as a quintet without drummer Tina O'Neill, and with the addition of bass player Sarah Firebrand and drummer Karen Milne. A 13-date UK tour took place in May, along with a new single and video, a cover of M's Pop Muzik, released through Gotham Records and iTunes on 17 May.
On Saturday 25 September 2010, Fuzzbox headlined at the Shifnal Festival and played at the Whitby Gothic Weekend on Friday 25 March 2011[6] The latter was the reunion's swansong, the project disbanding shortly afterwards.
Fuzzbox lead singer Vix joined Ginger of the Wildhearts' supergroup Ginger & The Sonic Circus along with guitarist/ producer Jason Edwards (Wolfsbane), Jon Poole (The Wildhearts/Cardiacs) and Conny Bloom (Hanoi Rocks). They headlined the Gibson/MySpace stage at the 2006 Download festival and did several dates in the U.S and Japan as well as a couple of UK tours before The Wildhearts eventually reformed, putting further plans on hold.
Vix also released an 11 track album in 2008, LovePower and Peace on Damage Control Music. The album features nine original tracks along with re-workings of two Fuzzbox songs, "Your Loss, My Gain" and "You", and was co-written and produced by Robin George.
In late 2011, following the end of Vix n The Kix and the Fuzzbox reunion, Vix - reverting to her real name, Victoria Perks - announced the formation of her new Americana / New Country project, The Victoria Perks Band.
ViX n The Kix was a musical project initiated in 2007 by Vix.[7] Ruckus magazine described ViX n The Kix' music as "a retro lashing of slick Fifties glamour and flirty burlesque...alternates between fun, punk-inspired blasts of guitar-powered pop to lush, emotive ballads - influences taking in everything from No Doubt through Garbage to Roxy Music and The Pretenders."[8] The project ended when Vix announced the reunion of Fuzzbox in 2010.
1986
1987
1989
1990
2010