Marine Girls

This British quartet was formed by four Hertfordshire school friends: Jane Fox (bass & vocals), her sister Alice (vocals & percussion), Tracey Thorn (guitar & vocals) and the soon-to-depart Gina (percussion & vocals).

The Marine Girls recorded their homemade Beach Party in a garden shed. Musically competent, within limitations, their lyrics showed remarkable strength and eloquence in dealing with the age-old problems of difficult boyfriends, new love and loneliness, often using the symbolic context of the sea and all its mysteries.

With initial encouragement from the Television Personalities, the album was released by the Whaam! label and was later picked up by Cherry Red Records, who signed the group for a second album.

By this time, Tracey had left school to go to Hull University where she struck up a romantic and artistic relationship with Cherry Red stablemate Ben Watt. They re-recorded the Cole Porter song Night and Day under the name of Everything But The Girl. Thorn had also released a solo album in 1982, A Distant Shore, which was well-received by the critics and public.

Pursuing a parallel career as a Marine Girl and a duettist with Watt at first proved comfortable, but with the increasing popularity and media attention of Everything But The Girl, an amicable split with the Fox sisters came in late 1983 after the release of the successful Lazy Ways.

Continuing their seaside/oceanic fixation, in 1984 the sisters formed Grab Grab The Haddock which produced two fine EPs on Cherry Red before folding in 1986.

Jane Fox
Bass, vocals
Alice Fox
Vocals, percussion
Tracey Thorn
Guitar, vocals
Gina
Percussion, vocals