Biography
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Years Active
1981 – present (43 years)
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Founded In
London, England, United Kingdom
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Members
- Dr. Robert
- Neville Henry
The Blow Monkeys is a British pop and blue eyed soul group that is best known for its 80s work, particularly the international top 20 pop hit "Digging Your Scene". With their snappy dress sense and androgynous image, the band drew comparisons to new wave and art rock contemporaries such as The Style Council and Roxy Music. Fronted by lead singer and songwriter Dr. Robert (born Bruce Robert Howard, in Haddington, Scotland, on 2 May 1961), the group formed in 1981 upon Howard's return to the U.K. after spending his teen years in Australia. The group gets its unusual name from an offensive term used in Australia, referring to Aboriginals playing the didgeridoo.
In 1984, they released their debut album, 'Limping For A Generation', which took on issues such as the Cold War and the AIDS epidemic, unusually for a pop band. Their first hit was in 1986 with "Digging Your Scene" from their second album, 'Animal Magic'. The single peaked at number 14 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart listing and number 7 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. To the band's delight, the parent album also hit number 35 on the Billboard 200,
In January 1987, 'She Was Only A Grocer's Daughter' was released. The album's biggest hit, "It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way", reached the top 10 in the U.K., although it never charted in the U.S. The band called it quits in late 1990 as the musical scene shifted away from them. Lead singer Dr. Robert then went solo. The band reformed in 2007 and has sporadically toured.
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