Black Lace

Black Lace

Black Lace are a British pop group from the United Kingdom, active from 1976 to the present. They are best known for light novelty pop songs including “The Music Man”, “Agadoo” and “Superman”, and for a cheerful bubblegum style that often becomes associated with children’s parties and seaside-humour themes.

Career and Eurovision

The group starts out as a four-piece and later achieves its biggest hits as a duo. In 1979, Black Lace represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem with “Mary Ann”, which finishes seventh. Their wider career includes a long run of performances and recordings across nearly three decades.

Notable songs and recordings

Among the songs they record are versions of The Sweet’s “Wig Wam Bam”, The Village People’s “YMCA” and Los Del Rio’s “Macarena”. Their own original material includes “The Music Man” and “Superman”. “Agadoo” becomes one of their most familiar songs, although it is a translated cover of the French hit “Agadou” from 1975 rather than an original composition.

Members and line-up

The hit-making duo is Colin Routh, born 8 September 1953, and Alan Barton, born 16 September 1953, who dies on 23 March 1995. The band is also associated with Terry Dobson, Steve Scoley, Colin Routh and Alan Barton, and Dene Michael is described as one of the original members from 1986. Colin Gibb, one of the original four-piece line-up, later performs in Tenerife.

Other appearances and cultural references

Black Lace appear as themselves in the British independent film Rita, Sue and Bob Too while performing the song featured in the film. In the mid-1980s they are also immortalised in the spoof television series Spitting Image, where “The Chicken Song” parodies “Agadoo”.

Style and reputation

The group’s songs sometimes include mildly risqué titles, such as “Gang Bang”, but the overall tone is described through a light, comic, “seaside postcard” style rather than anything overtly obscene. Their recordings are also noted for being used in a playful response to the criticism that another song was “too pop”, with Black Lace recording their own version in a more cheerful, pop-like style.