The Psychedelic Furs

The Psychedelic Furs

The Psychedelic Furs are an English post-punk and new wave group from London, formed in 1977. The core line-up centres on brothers Richard Butler, who sings, and Tim Butler, who plays bass. Early members include Duncan Kilburn on saxophone, Roger Morris on guitar, and Paul Wilson on drums, with Vince Ely later replacing Wilson and John Ashton joining on guitar by 1979. The group is active from 1977 to the present and is also associated with alternative rock, pop rock, punk rock and rock.

Early albums and breakthrough

The band’s first album, The Psychedelic Furs, appears in 1980 and is produced by Steve Lillywhite after earlier work with Martin Hannett. It reaches the UK top 20 and also does well in several European and Australian markets, though its US release is re-sequenced and is less successful. The follow-up, Talk Talk Talk from 1981, builds their profile in the United States and includes the singles “Dumb Waiters” and the original version of “Pretty in Pink”. That song later inspires the 1986 John Hughes film of the same name and is re-recorded for the film’s soundtrack.

Line-up changes and New York period

In 1982, Morris and Kilburn leave, leaving the group as a four-piece. Around this time, former Birthday Party drummer Phill Calvert briefly joins. The remaining members move to New York and record Forever Now with producer Todd Rundgren. The album includes “Love My Way”, which becomes a breakthrough Top 40 hit in both the UK and the US. Ely leaves after this release, then returns for the 1988 single “All That Money Wants” and the 1989 album Book of Days.

Commercial peaks and later 1980s releases

Mirror Moves appears in 1984 and is produced by Keith Forsey. It includes “The Ghost in You” and “Heaven”, both of which chart in the UK, with “Heaven” becoming the band’s highest-charting UK hit at that point. “The Ghost in You” also charts in the United States. In 1986, the re-recorded “Pretty in Pink” becomes their biggest US hit to that time and their biggest UK hit overall. The follow-up album Midnight to Midnight moves toward a more commercial sound and includes “Heartbreak Beat”, which becomes their highest-charting US Top 40 single. The band later returns to a rougher approach with “All That Money Wants”, recorded for a best-of collection. Book of Days brings back Vince Ely temporarily, and World Outside in 1991 follows a similar back-to-basics direction. Between 1988 and 1991, the band has three number-one hits on the US Modern Rock chart.

Break-up, re-formation and continuing activity

The group splits in 1991, and the Butler brothers go on to form Love Spit Love. After most of the decade apart, Richard Butler, Tim Butler and John Ashton reform The Psychedelic Furs in 2000. They release the live album Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live, which also includes the new studio track “Alive (For Once In My Lifetime)”. The associated DVD adds live performances of “Alive”, “Anodyne (Better Days)”, “Cigarette” and “Wrong Train”.

Later touring line-up and influence

The band continues to tour with former Love Spit Love drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Amanda Kramer, saxophonist Mars Williams, and, in some listings, Joe McGinty and Ed Buller. Their songs are also covered by a range of other artists, including Annie Lennox, Buffalo Tom, Icehouse, Powderfinger, Regenerator and Robyn Hitchcock.