The British New Wave hit American shores like a ton of hit-making bricks in the early 80s. But a look back at that time reveals that not all striking acts from Great Britain made a dent on the US pop charts. The Psychedelic Furs are Exhibit A.
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Even though most US music fans likely know plenty of the band’s work, only one of their songs made the Top 40. The song was a strong one. And timing certainly helped.
Furs on Parade
Over the years, many different guitarists, drummers, and other instrumentalists have cycled through the lineup of The Psychedelic Furs. But the two constants were the Butler brothers, Richard on vocals and Tim on bass.
The band chose their name in part because they hoped the insinuations of psychedelia would separate them from the punk movement. One quick listen to their material would disavow anyone of those notions anyway. After all, the band’s music tended toward more complexity than the typical punk approach.
That complexity sometimes worked against them in terms of their commercial popularity. Even though they quickly gained a solid following for their albums in the UK, their singles didn’t tear up the charts.
Folks who love that era of music will likely recognize many of the standout tracks that the Furs released in the first half of the 80s. Songs like “Love My Way”, “Heaven”, and “Ghost In You” captured a kind of dark romanticism that set the band apart from their peers. In the US, the best any of those songs did on the charts was No. 44. (“Love My Way” did that in 1982.)
Going to the Movies
The Furs just might have continued in that vein of being underappreciated by the mainstream were it not for a famous fan. Legend has it that actress Molly Ringwald played a tape of some of her favorite songs for director John Hughes. Hughes had already cast Ringwald in a couple of his films to that point.
One of the songs was “Pretty In Pink”. The Furs had originally released it as a single from their 1981 album Talk Talk Talk. Hughes was apparently so taken with the song that he created a whole film, starring Ringwald, inspired by the vibes.
Since their song was going to be prominently featured in the film, The Psychedelic Furs re-recorded “Pretty In Pink” for its inclusion in 1986. The exposure nearly gave the band their first-ever US Top 40 hit, but the song came up one spot short at No. 41. Regardless of that, the Furs were as popular as they’d ever been. Their record company wanted them to move quickly to capitalize.
Beautiful Heartbreak
After the fact, Richard Butler bemoaned the process by which the band made the 1987 album Midnight To Midnight. He felt they were rushed by the success of “Pretty In Pink”. And he also thought they reached too far for mainstream acceptance with the production choices.
Nonetheless, the song “Heartbreak Beat”, partly inspired by Richard Butler’s love of New York City’s melting pot culture, was an undeniable gem. And it achieved the desired result, landing at No. 26 on the American pop charts.
The Psychedelic Furs retreated to a more alternative sound on their next few albums, ensuring that another success like that wouldn’t be forthcoming. As a result, “Heartbreak Beat” stands as this fantastic band’s first and only Top 40 hit in America.
Photo by Bill McCay/Getty Images
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