Silicon Teens

Silicon Teens
Origin United Kingdom
Genres New wave, electronic
Years active 1979-1981
Labels Mute Records, Mercury Records, MCA Records
Associated acts The Normal, Fad Gadget
Past members Daniel Miller
Frank Tovey

Silicon Teens were a British virtual electronic new wave pop group. The project was the creation of Mute Records founder Daniel Miller, with Frank Tovey acting as the band's fictional frontman.

Background

The "group" were publicised as a quartet with members named Darryl, Jacki, Paul and Diane, but in reality these individuals did not exist and for media interviews their parts were played by actors, with the band's lead singer Darryl portrayed by musician Frank Tovey.[1] Tovey did not perform on any Silicon Teens recordings; All vocals were actually provided by Daniel Miller.

The project was launched in 1980 with a sole album called Music For Parties, a collection mostly comprising rock and roll standards from the 1950s and 1960s, played in an upbeat synthpop style. There were four original compositions on the album, those being "TV Playtime", "Sun Flight", and the instrumentals "Chip 'n' Roll" and "State of Shock (Part 2)". The video for the 1979 single "Memphis Tennessee" centres on the Sinking of the RMS Titanic.[2]

The album and the singles "Judy In Disguise" and "Just Like Eddie" were top ten hits on the UK Indie Chart in 1980.[3] Film director John Hughes was so taken with it that their rendition of "Red River Rock" (in a re-recorded version) can be heard in the film soundtrack of the Steve Martin and John Candy film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.[4] The band's rendition of "You Really Got Me" was featured on a compilation album of new wave songs put out by French covers band Nouvelle Vague.

The group is the subject of a song called "Silicon Teens" by The Pulsars on their 1997 album, Pulsars.

Discography

Singles

Albums

References

  1. ↑ Systems of Romance: Silicon Teens- Music For Parties LP
  2. ↑ Bick, Emily, "Music That Time Forgot: Silicon Teens" in Plan B Magazine, Issue 18, February 2007, p.29
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lazell, Barry (1998) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 205
  4. ↑ Planes, Trains and Automobiles at Hollywood.com
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