Altered Images

Altered Images
Background information
Origin	Glasgow, Scotland
Genres	New wave, post-punk
Years active	1979–1983, 2012
Labels	Epic Records Diablo Records
Members	Clare Grogan Johnny McElhone Tony McDaid Michael Anderson
Past members	Gerard McNulty Jim McKinven Steve Lironi David Wilde

Altered Images were an early 1980s Scottish new wave/post-punk band. Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the band branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK Top 40 hit singles and three Top 30 albums between 1981 and 1983.^[1] Their hits included "Happy Birthday", "I Could Be Happy", "See Those Eyes" and "Don't Talk To Me About Love".

History

Early career

Former schoolmates with a shared interest in the UK post-punk scene, Clare Grogan (vocals), Gerard "Caesar" McInulty (guitar), Michael "Tich" Anderson (drums), Tony McDaid (guitar) and Johnny McElhone (bass guitar), sent a demo tape to Siouxsie and the Banshees, who soon gave the band a support slot on their Kaleidoscope tour of 1980. The band's name referred to a sleeve design on the Buzzcocks' single "Promises", and was inspired by Buzzcocks vocalist Pete Shelley's constant interfering with the initial sleeve designs.^[2][3]

After being championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, they garnered enough attention to be offered a recording contract with Epic Records, but mainstream success was not immediate; their first two singles, "Dead Pop Stars" and "A Day's Wait", failed to reach the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.^[1] "Dead Pop Stars" was particularly controversial at the time, sung from the viewpoint of a "has-been" icon with irony, but badly timed in its release shortly after John Lennon's death, even though it was recorded earlier. It was absent from their studio album releases. After these two singles and their first two sessions for John Peel, Caesar left and formed The Wake.

Chart success

With additional guitarist Jim McKinven, they recorded their debut album, Happy Birthday (1981), largely produced by Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band also worked briefly with producer Martin Rushent (who had garnered tremendous success producing The Human League that year), who notably produced the title track, which became the band's third single and their biggest hit. The song reached number 2 in the UK (for three weeks) in October 1981,^[1] catapulting the band to fame. They quickly became established as one of the biggest new wave acts around, and were subsequently voted "Best New Group" at the NME Awards and "Most Promising New Act" in the 1981 Smash Hits readers poll. Meanwhile, Grogan, with her quirky candy-floss voice and energetic stage persona, became something of a pin-up at the time.

After a successful headlining tour, the band retained Rushent as their producer and released their second album, Pinky Blue, in May 1982. It reached the UK Top 20 and provided three more Top 40 hit singles with "I Could Be Happy", "See Those Eyes", and the title track,^[1] but was perceived as a disappointment by the British press.^[4] Incidentally, "I Could Be Happy" was the group's only foray onto the US charts, with the single peaking at number 45 on the Billboard Dance Chart.^[5]

Later that year, after McKinven and Anderson left to be replaced by multi-instrumentalist Steve Lironi (formerly of the band Restricted Code), the band began working on their third album with producer Mike Chapman. The collaboration provided them with another Top 10 hit, "Don't Talk To Me About Love", in spring 1983 and the subsequent album, Bite, was released in June. Half of the album was produced by Chapman, and half by Tony Visconti.^[4] Although it reached the UK Top 20, the album sold less than the band's two previous offerings (which had both earned a Silver disc). Before breaking up later that year, Altered Images went on another concert tour that included the band's American debut at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, California, on Thursday, 11 August 1983.^[6][7]

Break-up

After the break-up of the band, Grogan attempted a solo career, signing to London Records in 1987 and releasing a single, "Love Bomb". Grogan was also included on a London Records compilation album titled Giant, contributing the track "Reason Is the Slave". After "Love Bomb" failed, plans for a follow-up single release, titled "Strawberry", and the album, Trash Mad, were shelved by London Records.

Grogan also became a film and television actress. Prior to finding fame with Altered Images, she appeared in the 1981 film Gregory's Girl. Afterwards she appeared in Red Dwarf (in which she originated the role of Kristine Kochanski), EastEnders,^[8] Father Ted, and Skins.^[8] In recent years she has also become a presenter on UK television, as well as a children's novelist.^[9]

Grogan and Steve Lironi (who eventually married)^[8] formed Universal Love School, performing together but never releasing any recordings. Johnny McElhone went on to perform with Hipsway and eventually Texas. Grogan sang live under the name Altered Images in 2002 for the Here and Now Tour, showcasing a revival of popular bands of their era alongside The Human League, ABC, and T'Pau,^[8] and again for some separate shows in 2004.

Grogan performed again in 2012 under the name Altered Images at Butlins Holiday Resort in Minehead on 11 May and at The Assembly in Leamington Spa 12 May 2012, performing mostly Altered Images hits as well as covers of Jessie J and Lady Gaga. Also in 2012, Grogan put together a new "all girl" version of Altered Images (without the original line-up of McElhone, McDaid and Anderson) and announced that they would play the Rebellion Festival 2012 and would share the stage with The Only Ones, Bow Wow Wow, The Outcasts, Anti Pasti and others.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

• Footnotes:

¹ "Song Sung Blue" was only released as a single in Continental Europe.

Compilations, EPs and special releases

Bibliography

"Altered Images” chapter in YinPop: Women in Indie and Alternative Rock, Vol. 1: UK Bands by S. White (2014). Fly-By-Night Books, ISBN 978-0-9905386-0-8, pp. 65-88.

References