Altered Images

Fronted by singer and actress Clare Grogan, Scotland's Altered Images had a short, sweet career as one of the more charming UK pop groups of the early '80s. The original line up of Grogan, Gerard McInulty (guitar), Michael Anderson (drums), Tony McDaid (guitar) and Johnny McElhone (bass) were all school friends who got together in their late teens and began cutting demos, borrowing their name from Assorted Images, a design company that had done numerous punk records (They saw the credit on a Buzzcocks single). One of the demos was sent to Siouxsie and the Banshees, who were immediately won over: Not only did they get to open a Banshees tour, but the Banshees' Steve Severin brought them into the studio. As producer, Severin encouraged their darker side; the single "Dead Pop Stars" gained unfortunate resonance after John Lennon's death (though written and recorded beforehand). However, their debut album, Happy Birthday was done by Martin Rushent-fittingly, the Buzzcocks' producer-who steered them more toward pop, where they largely stayed. Altered Images were voted best new group of 1981 by New Musical Express, and their profile increased with the release of Bill Forsyth's movie Gregory's Girl, which featured Grogan in the title role. The band peaked commercially with second album Pinky Blue , which had two UK hits in "I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes," plus a surprise cover of Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue." There were personnel changes around this time, with Grogan's future husband Steve Lironi joining on drums and McInulty leaving to form cult indie band The Wake. Third album Bite included two big-name producers, Mike Chapman and Tony Visconti, plus heavy doses of synthesizer by then-Jethro Tull member Peter Vettese. Though it spawned another UK hit with "Don't Talk to Me About Love," many fans were put off by the much glossier dance-pop direction. After a tour that included their only U.S. dates, Altered Images disbanded. Grogan set out on a solo career but was dropped by her label after one single failed to chart. A version of Altered Images, with only Grogan remaining from the recording lineups, began playing '80s-themed festivals in the 2000s.