Artists who only released one album

[Sporting]

In the metal/industrial realm, the best example here would be French act Murmu?re, one person recording an album in their kitchen and then nowt:

https://murmuure.bandcamp.com/album/murmu-re

I listened and it's really very good.

[Tony C]

I think Glen Matlock deserves some recognition as being part of four bands who only made one album: The Sex Pistols, Rich Kids, Vicious White Kids (a later released live album) and International Swingers.

[Gert from the Well]

Some classic UK hip-hop from the late 80's, Three Wize Men and their G.B. Boyz lp. Even after all these years the track Urban Hell (also released as a 12") is one of my top 5 all time rap tracks.

Also Hijack, another UK outfit signed to Ice T's Rhyme Syndicate, is another forgotten classic. The Badman is Robbin is worth looking for.

[scratchmonkey]

I listened and it's really very good.

The quality of it definitely adds to the mystique (also makes it more impressive that it was a single person doing all of it). It gets classified as 'black metal' often, which I don't think it is, it's closer to something like Coil.

[ale]

Just surfing music library:

Pauline Murray & Invisible Girls

Rezillos-Cant Stand

Thomas Leer & Robert Rental-The Bridge

Ruts-The Crack

Shelley & Devoto-Buzzkunst

[Sits]

So Rezillos weren’t just the Revillos?

[Ray de Galles]

Weren't the two vocalists, Eugene Taylor and Fay Fife, the only constants between the two bands?

Though the name change was definitely a contractual obligation so it's a bit of a murky one. A phoenix act, maybe?

'Can't Stand...' is a cracking album that I haven't listened to in years, will rectify that sharpish.

[MsD]

Jo Callis was not in the Revillos. Now there's a chap with an interesting CV.

[Sits]

Weren't the two vocalists, Eugene Taylor and Fay Fife, the only constants between the two bands?

Though the name change was definitely a contractual obligation so it's a bit of a murky one. A phoenix act, maybe?

'Can't Stand...' is a cracking album that I haven't listened to in years, will rectify that sharpish.

Does that have Scuba Scuba on it? I remember that being on John Peel. I should give that a listen.

[Satchmo Distel]

The Ruts are treated as one band by Wiki across different lineups, styles and name variations, which raises a problem of whether an album by version 2.0 of a group is really a 2nd album or actually a debut by a new act.

[Sits]

Rain Tree Crow

Although everyone except David Sylvian agreed they should just be called Japan. Having as they did the same members.

[Ray de Galles]

Does that have Scuba Scuba on it? I remember that being on John Peel. I should give that a listen.

No, that was a non-album single in The Revillos period.

[Sits]

OK. I should still probably listen to that album.

[Jah Womble]

Not my thread, but I think if all/most of the musicians on an album have recorded together previously, it shouldn't really count. (Rain Tree Crow, as Sits says, is the most complete and transparent example of same.)

Burned by Elektrafixion - Bunnymen Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant, plus other musicians - I'd probably place in this category. But some might disagree.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Has Philosophy of the World by The Shaggs been mentioned? They're surely the only instance of a bunch of teenagers being forced into forming a rock band by their Dad.

[ale]

The Ruts are treated as one band by Wiki across different lineups, styles and name variations, which raises a problem of whether an album by version 2.0 of a group is really a 2nd album or actually a debut by a new act.

Always thought they continued without Owen under Ruts DC. But yes it does raise questions especially where bands are larger than say the standard 4 musicians typically associated with beat combos? Are The 3 Thompson Twins of significant commercial success far removed from those 7 or so that trod the college circuit with far little success? And what of Dexys-either with or without the Midnight Runners appelation.

[Jah Womble]

Well, the personnel of DMRs that topped the chart with Geno in 1980 was pretty far-removed from that that topped the chart with Come On Eileen two years later - but is obviously by all accounts considered the same act.

(Therefore the same should apply to ‘Dexys’, no?)

[ale]

Well, the personnel of DMRs that topped the chart with Geno in 1980 was pretty far-removed from that that topped the chart with Come On Eileen two years later - but is obviously by all accounts considered the same act.

(Therefore the same should apply to ‘Dexys’, no?)

Yea that is way I would see it on balance. Rowland is Dexys however much the line up, name, or style of music changes. Bit like Adam Ant say. Though not sure that applies to Ruts or Thompson Twins.

[Patrick Thistle]

I know this is in poor taste, but Viola Beach?

[Various Artist]

Ouch! Undeniably factually accurate, though.

Not my thread, but I think if all/most of the musicians on an album have recorded together previously, it shouldn't really count. (Rain Tree Crow, as Sits says, is the most complete and transparent example of same.)

Burned by Elektrafixion - Bunnymen Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant, plus other musicians - I'd probably place in this category. But some might disagree.

This corollary is intriguing as it's such a grey area. The Elektrafixion bit, specifically, reminded me of The Tears – the one-off reunion project of Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, a decade after the latter's acrimonious departure from Suede.

The key difference there, perhaps, is that unlike the McCulloch and Sergeant project that bled back into a 'proper' Bunnymen reunion and resumption of recording, Suede have reconvened since both live and on record with the same post-Butler lineup that made Coming Up etc. with no more input from Butler. So The Tears album (I have a feeling it was called Here Come The Tears) still stands separately, in that sense.

[Jah Womble]

Interesting one, VA. It starts to become a bit like Rock Family Trees - all the ducking out, returning. cross-pollination, etc. It's a bloody minefield.

Taking this to the nth degree, one could argue that This Mortal Coil's take on Song to the Siren was effectively the Cocteau Twins - despite the fact that it was a side-project, no break-up (by that point), numerous others were involved in the parent album...etc. (But it wasn't the only album anyway, so a moot point.)

Yea that is way I would see it on balance. Rowland is Dexys however much the line up, name, or style of music changes. Bit like Adam Ant say. Though not sure that applies to Ruts or Thompson Twins.

I think it applies to the Thompson Twins - which I'm pretty sure was always Tom Bailey's band. (The Ruts of course became Ruts DC after Malcolm Owen's death - so would then be the equivalent of New Order to Joy Division. Which has probably already been suggested.)

[DPDPDPDP]

Friends Again - Trapped & Unwrapped (1984) - one of my favourite albums

[ale]

Interesting one, VA. It starts to become a bit like Rock Family Trees - all the ducking out, returning. cross-pollination, etc. It's a bloody minefield.

Taking this to the nth degree, one could argue that This Mortal Coil's take on Song to the Siren was effectively the Cocteau Twins - despite the fact that it was a side-project, no break-up (by that point), numerous others were involved in the parent album...etc. (But it wasn't the only album anyway, so a moot point.)


I think it applies to the Thompson Twins - which I'm pretty sure was always Tom Bailey's band. (The Ruts of course became Ruts DC after Malcolm Owen's death - so would then be the equivalent of New Order to Joy Division. Which has probably already been suggested.)

Happy to accept those points. Saw the original TT line up in late 1970s and there was no indication at all there was within the group a unit ready to achieve massive global success within 3-4 years.

[Jah Womble]

No, absolutely. Early Thompson Twins seemed to exist in the same world as bands like Fashion, Leisure Process and maybe Heaven 17: synth-pop based, but perhaps a bit too arch for mass acceptance. (Obviously, the latter also went on to chart status thereafter, albeit briefly.)

[Gangster Octopus]

Early Thompson Twins were excellent live. Utterly different to their pop incarnation.