| The MARGARETS | |
 Formed:
Aberystwyth,
Wales, 1976, as RIPPED STREAKERS, by old school-friends
MASON, GOWER and FISHER. Became gender-bending THE MARGARETS a year later
and released a barrage of records before falling out of favour with the
rise of HELENA'S BOX. Went on to work with CATHY
CARROW.
Style:
Tongue in cheek post-glam outfit who preceeded
the New-Romantic era and were very quick runners. Musically and aesthetically
they have been compared to THE CURE and THE SMITHS. Songwriters:
group
penned with one or two violent reworkings of older tracks. Trivia: Their
1980 album NOTHING TO DO WITH HER, was a reference
to Margaret Thatcher and the fact that they weren't named after her.
Recommended: Nothing to do with Her (*4), Wedding Album (*4), Mutton Dressed as Lamb (*3) |
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| RIPPED STREAKERS | |
| JULIAN(/JULIE/JEWELS) MASON (b.1954)- vocals, bass / TIM GOWER - drums / NICKI FISHER - organ, guitar, vocals | |
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Jan '77 (7" - 7RS1) MARSHMALLOW WOMAN / GRIPPED BY BEEF |
| added KELLY KENT - guitar, vocals, to become: | |
| THE MARGARETS | |
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Jul '77 (7" - 7M1) OUTSIDER / CAN-CAN-A-GO-GO |
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Nov '77 (7" - 7M2) A THOROUGHLY AWFUL CHRISTMAS / I HATE HIM |
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May '78 (7" - 7M3) NOTHING TO SAY / THE DAY WE WENT TO BANGOR |
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Apr '79 (7" - 7M4) I LOVE YOU FOR YOUR MAKE-UP / WHY DON'T WE JUST? |
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Jan '80 (lp - AM1) NOTHING
TO DO WITH HER
- Nothing to Say / Why Don't We Just? / The Day We Went to Bangor / Outsider / Paris by Night / Gripped by Beef / I Love You For Your Make-Up / May as Well / Thrill / I Hate Him / Can-Can-A-Go-Go. (cd-iss. Nov'95 - AM1CD) (cd+=) Marshmallow Woman / A Thoroughly Awful Christmas |
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Sep '80 (7" - 7M5) GOODBYE SAM, HELLO SAMANTHA / VELVETEEN DREAM |
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Feb '81 (7" - 7M6) RIPPED OFF / RAISIN DETRA |
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Nov '81 (lp - AM2) WEDDING
ALBUM
- Ripped Off / Flatmates / Automatic Lover / Cardigan Bay / Potty About My Despot / Lipgloss and Candyfloss / White Wedding / Money Makes My Head Turn Round / Velveteeen Dream / The Good Ship Lollipop. (cd-iss. Nov'95 - AM2CD) (cd+=) Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha / Raisin Detra |
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Jun '82 (7" - 7M7) JULIE / FLATMATES |
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Feb '83 (7" - 7M8) LIPGLOSS AND CANDYFLOSS / EXPERIMENTAL ALEX |
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Jun '85 (7" - 7M9) TOKYO LOVE NEST / WE WANNA BE IN HELENA'S BOX |
| This was followed by a one-off collaboration with HELENA'S BOX: | |
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Mar '86 (7" - 7HB5) REDUCED TO THIS / (GOING ON A) SHOPPING SPREE |
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May '86 (lp - AM3) MUTTON
DRESSED AS LAMB
- Uncle Harry's Farm / Tokyo Love Nest / Purple Sheets / Can't We Share? / Julie / Experimental Alex / Former Life / It's Hard on the Road / Champagne Shoes / Augmentation / Ladyshave. (cd-iss. Nov'95 - AM3CD) (cd+=) We Wanna Be In Helena's Box / Reduced to This / (Going on a) Shopping Spree / Backstage with the Bangles |
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Sep '86 (7" - 7M10) UNCLE HARRY'S FARM / BACKSTAGE WITH THE BANGLES |
| Became CATHY CARROW's backing band in 1987.
See under CATHY CARROW for collaborations.
FISHER and KENT leave to form ROTTEN FRUIT in 1990. |
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| JULIE MASON | |
| playing keyboards too, and with GOWER still on drums: | |
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Aug '96 (7" - 7JM1) SHOP LIFTING / GIRL TALK |
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Dec '96 (cd - AJM1CD) INSIGNIFICANT
- Chocolate / Shoes / Janie's First Break / Orange / Shop Lifting / Greer / His Latest Offering / Bubbles / Inside / Gower's Drum Moment / Sex / Take Down / Insignificant |
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May '97 (7" - 7JM2) INSIGNIFICANT / CHOCOLATE |
| MASON moves to San Francisco and marries GOWER. The two continue to perform. |