Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - A to K»Artists - G
    Artists - G Music - 1980s 3 Mins Read

    Gang of Four

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Forged in the crucible of late 70s Leeds student politics, marked by a determination to think beyond the badly-played heavy metal that passed for much of punk, and owning a Funkadelic album or two, Gang Of Four were among the first punk-funkers.

    Capable of starting an argument in an empty room, Gang Of Four sought to make sense of life in a decaying Britain by looking through a Marxist filterΒ –Β critiquing everything from Northern Ireland’s political violence (Ether) to romance (Anthrax) on their 1979 album,Β Entertainment.

    The most impressive track on the album –Β At Home He’s A TouristΒ – was issued as a single, but encountered censorship issues over its pre-AIDS reference to prophylactics (“rubbers”).

    Like Joy Division and The Fall, Gang Of Four wrapped up their monotone mithering in danceable riffs, though lyrics like “fornication makes you happy/no escape from society” (Natural’s Not In It) weren’t likely to endear them to the Club 18-30 set.

    But the early 80s weren’t kind to Leeds-based Marxist situationist funk outfits.Β Down the road in Sheffield, Heaven 17 had taken that template and welded synths on it, while in London,Β Margaret Thatcher was tearing down heavy industry with glee.

    Still, Gang of Four soldiered on, mixing wry socialist commentary with the kind of white-boy funk they had helped makeΒ de rigueur.

    Internal strife resulted in Dave Allen’s departure in July 1981 (he would later join Shriekback), and his replacement with Sara Lee, formerly of Jane Aire & The Belvederes.

    gangof4

    Their 1982 albumΒ Song Of The FreeΒ featured the tongue-in-cheek single,Β I Love A Man In Uniform, which seemed destined for chart success until it disappeared from radio station playlists in the wake of the Falklands conflict.

    Original drummer Hugo Burnham was fired in 1983 and a three-piece line-up completedΒ HardΒ with various session musicians. This disappointing album made little difference to a group unable to satisfy now divergent audiences, and they split up in 1984.

    Following several rather inconclusive projects, Jon King and Andy Gill exhumed the Gang of Four name in 1990.

    Andy Gill died on 1 February 2020, aged 64. The cause of death was listed as multiple organ failure and pneumonia, although it was later suggested he may have been an early victim of COVID-19, following a music tour to China in November 2019.

    Jon King
    Vocals, melodica
    Andy Gill
    Guitar
    Dave Allen
    Bass
    Hugo Burnham
    Drums
    Busta Cherry Jones
    Bass
    Sara Lee
    Bass
    Jon Astrop
    Bass
    Chuck Kirkpatrick
    Bass
    John Sombatero
    Bass
    Steve Goulding
    Drums

    Related Posts

    • Ya Ya Choral
      Ya Ya Choral
      Beginning life in 1982 in Sydney (Australia) as an experimental electronic outfit, Ya Ya Choral became a popular - though…
    • Ups And Downs
      Ups And Downs
      Brisbane band Ups and Downs played a brand of ethereal, well-crafted, jangly guitar pop that called to mind Australian post-punk…
    • Boston
      Boston
      Boston leader and guitarist Tom Scholz got a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked…
    • Outcasts, The
      Outcasts, The
      The Outcasts place in Northern Irish punk history was immortalised in the 2012 filmΒ Good Vibrations, about the infamous Belfast record…
    • X (Australia)
      X (Australia)
      X was one of the most notorious bands ever to emerge from the SydneyΒ (Australia) inner-city music scene and among the…
    • Au Pairs, The
      Au Pairs, The
      Formed in Birmingham (England) in 1979, The Au Pairs matched driving, guitar-led rock to lyrics (mostly by Woods) that dissected…
    • Concrete Blonde
      Concrete Blonde
      Marrying middle-of-the-road rhythms and almost Ry Cooder-style dreamlike guitar passages, with punk spit and Johnette Napolitano's streetwise lyrics, Concrete Blonde's…
    • Faith No More
      Faith No More
      Formed as a post-punk outfit in 1982, Faith No More fired hard-drinking vocalist Chuck Mosley. His replacement was Mike Patton,…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleGANGgajang
    Next Article Garage Rock

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Sugarland Express, The (1974)
      This film cost $9 million and was supposed to have been shot in […]
    • Duet for Four (1982)
      Small businessman Ray Martin (Mike Preston) needs money not only […]
    • Bo Street Runners, The
      September 1964 saw the launch of the short-livedΒ Ready Steady […]
    • Secret Army
      1 9 7 7 – 1 9 7 9Β (UK/Belgium) 43 x 50 minute episodes The […]
    • Raggy Dolls, The
      1 9 8 7 – 1 9 9 4 (UK) 112 x 10 minute episodes At Mr […]
    • It’s Not Easy
      1 9 8 2 – 1 9 8 3Β (USA) 11 x 30 minute episodes Sporting […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    David Bowie's handwritten Jean Genie lyrics sold for £57,000

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The handwritten sheet was given to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie fan club by the star.
    6 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😒
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news πŸ˜ͺ

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid πŸ˜‚

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear πŸ˜₯ rest in peace πŸ™ πŸ•Š xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😒

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright Β© 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.