Big Bang (British band)

Big Bang were formed during the latter part of 1988.

From 1986–1988, Malice and Williams had previously been in the band You You You with the vocalist Karen O'Connor and backing vocalist Alice Shaw.[5][6][7] By late 1986, a new clique of club bands were beginning to make an impression in Europe and Scandinavia that were rediscovering and embracing past dance music and taking it forward onto a different level; Army of Lovers in Sweden, 'Angel' in London, Desireless in France, were all examples. You You You was part of this renaissance.[8]

You You You - Iain Williams (L) Laurence Malice (M) Karen O'Connor (R) promotional photo 1987

You You You gave their first concert at a secret location in Charing Cross Road, London, in early January 1987. the concert was so secret the band members have since forgotten where the venue was. The show was arranged as an unannounced warm-up gig before their debut at the Camden Palace on 13 January.[5][9] The band billed their first series of concerts as 'Stage 1' of their 'World Domination Tour' and enlisted the help of illustrator Mark Wardel to design their publicity.[10] Their appearance at the Camden Palace attracted over 1,000 people on what the Met Office[11] recorded as one of England's coldest nights of the 20th century.[5][12]

You You You built up a strong following performing concerts on the club scene including three nights at the Hippodrome, London (23 January,[13] 9 February[14] and 6 April),[15][16][17] a show at Fabrice Emaer's Le Palace in Paris – hosted by the performance artist Leigh Bowery,[18] several performances filmed for Japanese TV at The Fridge in Brixton (where they appeared on stage on a huge, white staircase with a troupe of synchronised dancers),[5][19] at Anarchy Club at London Astoria, as part of the event 'Return of the Django goes to Brighton' at The Zap Club on 18 April,[20][21][22][23][24] at Paradise Lost in Watford, and at The Limelight.[25]

The band received an invitation to appear at The Party – a benefit concert held at Wembley Arena on 1 April to help fund AIDS research and awareness.[26][27] It was the first such concert held.[5][28] On the bill were many well-known names from the music industry including Elton John, George Michael, Bob Geldof, Meat Loaf, Ben E. King and Kim Wilde. The show was televised globally to over 100 million viewers. Due to the volume of acts performing, You You You were allotted an appearance at the After-Party show held at a London West End theatre. The band appeared on stage alongside several pop stars, including George Michael, members from the cast of TV's Coronation Street and EastEnders, and performers from several West End musicals, including 42nd Street (musical) and Nunsense.[29]

On 2 June 1987, during the run-up to the general election, Karen O'Connor co-starred (as a magician's assistant) in the Conservative Party (UK)’s Election Broadcast aired nationally on UK TV. The 8.44 minute film was part of Saatchi & Saatchi's marketing campaign to help re-elect the Conservative Party.[30] On 12 July, You You You made a guest appearance on the Channel 4 TV show Network 7. Their new pop video for Head Over Heels,[31][32] directed by Steven Chivers,[33] was premiered on the show, and O'Connor was interviewed inside a caravan by presenter Magenta Devine. On 17 December, You You You gave a special Christmas Show at the Hippodrome, London, their 4th appearance at the venue that year.

In February 1988, You You You signed a deal with Orinoco to record a single for Major Productions under the guidance of Orinoco Studios owner Tom Astor. The Lager Brothers – Ken Thomas and Zeke Manyika (from Orange Juice) – produced two tracks with the band.[34] In July, the project came to a halt after O'Connor quit the band to concentrate on her acting career. Soon after the split, Malice and Williams created Big Bang as a duo, using session vocalists for recordings and live performances. The single You You You recorded, How Can This Be Love, was never released.[35]

Prior to You You You, Malice had hosted the Pyramid Club at Heaven,[36] and Williams had been a solo singer-songwriter and model[37] – as well as a member of the London-based bands Dance on a Telephone[38] and One by One, the latter of which he recorded the 1984 single I Kept My Promise.[39]

In January 1984, Williams recorded the dance track Love Is Suicide at Trident Studios in Soho under the provisional title Iain Williams & the 1984 Project.[40] The track was penned by Williams and co-produced along with Fiachra Trench. The 9-minute recording based on repetitive chord structures was an experiment in producing a rhythmic, minimalistic dance track explicitly aimed at dance clubs.[41]

Musicians appearing on the track included Hans Zimmer on Fairlight CMI synth and LinnDrum, guitarist Alan Murphy (later of the band Level 42), lead vocal by Lelo (of Lelo and the Levants), and backing vocals by Shirley and Dee Lewis, with Williams playing the Trident Studio grand piano on which Rick Wakeman played on David Bowie's recording of 'Life On Mars'.[40]

In 1985, Williams produced and co-wrote the single The Boys Were There for London-based performance artist Yvette the Conqueror. The single was released on the Fridge nightclub indie label Latex Records.[42]

Big Bang signed with Swanyard Records at the start of 1989. Margarita Hamilton, the owner of Walton Castle, founded the label. Big Bang were the first band signed to the company. In June 1989, Big Bang released an Arabic-inspired version of ABBA's Voulez-Vous, B-side Cold Nights In Cairo.[44][45] It reached #101 in the BBC national chart.[46] The single was produced by Big Bang and Steev Toth. 7" and 12" versions (plus a 12" extended 'Imagine Mix' version) were released. The band used session vocalists on all their recordings. Lead vocals on Voulez-Vous were shared by Jasmine Duggan Ventura[47] and Teresa Revill, with backing vocals shared by Williams and Malice. Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor plays guitar on the track.[48] A 12" white label had previously been released several months earlier.[49] Mixed by Democratic 3, Voulez-Vous (Democratic 3 Mix) reached #1 in certain club charts throughout the UK and #27 in the Record Mirror chart.[50] Also, a 'Voulez-Vous (Rare mix)' was distributed specifically to dance clubs. The single charted at #14 in London's 1989 end of year club chart.[51]

Iain Williams coined the musical term big beat to describe the band's sound. He explained the concept during an interview with the journalist Alex Gerry in London’s Metropolitan magazine (issue 132, page 9, 6 June 1989) under the heading, 'Big Bang in Clubland. Could Big Beat be the 1989 answer to Acid House?'.[52] Big Bang's sound consisted of various experimental musical elements, including heavy hard rock drum beats and synthesizer-generated loops, as well as an added suggestion of European influences that at times had a trance-like quality. Their agent, 10 x Better, released a press release detailing their musical influences that included Dalida, Warda Al-Jazairia, ABBA, Tamla Motown, and 70s Euro disco.[53] Big Bang always stated Cold Nights In Cairo gave a better impression of the big beat sound they were aiming for than their recording of Voulez-Vous did. Club DJs picked up on this, and both tracks became club floor-fillers. The concept of the big beat sound was later picked up on and adapted by many club DJs and went on to become widely used by many successful musicians throughout the 1990s.[54]

Big Bang - Arabic Circus Tour with circus performers and aerialists 1989-90

Iain Williams on stage, Arabic Circus Tour, 1989

During 1989, Big Bang publicised the release of Voulez-Vous by producing their lavish Arabic Circus Tour. On stage, the band was joined by the vocalists Teresa Revill and Jasmine Ventura and a company of circus acts, including acrobats, one-wheel bicycle riders, fire-eaters, jugglers, flying trapeze artists and a belly-dancing troupe.[55] Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood through her outfits, gave the band and the tour a strong distinctive image.[56]

The band performed shows at the Hippodrome in London's Leicester Square where Visage frontman Steve Strange hosted the night and, it was said, the singer Grace Jones threatened to jump on stage to upstage the band,[57] and at the Paramount City in Soho (formerly the Windmill Theatre), at the Hammersmith Palais in Hammersmith, and Heaven nightclub[58] with DJ's Mark Moore (of S'Express) and Colin Faver who on his Myspace page cites Big Bang as being one of his many musical influences.[55][59][60][61][62]

The Arabic Circus Tour also performed at a fetish Ball held in a massive disused West London warehouse hosted by the performance artist Leigh Bowery with experimental musician/vocalist Danielle Dax and American punk singer and former Andy Warhol protégé Jayne County appearing as supporting artists on the bill.

• 
  Big Bang on stage during their Arabic Circus Tour, 1989
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  Laurence Malice on stage at the Hippodrome during Big Bang's Arabic Circus Tour
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  Teresa Revill of Big Bang dressed in Vivienne Westwood
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  Iain Williams on stage at the Hippodrome during Big Bang's Arabic Circus Tour, 1989

1990: Throughout 1990, Big Bang concentrated on writing and recording new material with the intention of releasing an album. In October, Malice opened Trade nightclub at Turnmills in London. Trade was Britain’s first licensed all-night after-hours club.[63][64]

Also, in 1990, Malice had a guest appearance in the Dead or Alive video for "Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)" from Fan the Flame (Part 1). Malice appears in drag playing the cello in the nightclub scenes.[65]

On 16 November 1990, Big Bang, accompanied by vocalist Jasmine Ventura flew to Ireland to represent the UK in the 13th International Song Festival, where they performed their self-penned song One More Chance.[66] It was the first time the song had been heard in public. The festival was held in Cavan over two days and compered by the Irish commentators George Hamilton and Larry Gogan. The Romanian singer Ricky Dandel gave a guest performance. The final took place on 17 November. The Earl Gill Orchestra accompanied Big Bang on stage. Malta won the contest.[67] Big Bang came second in the competition and first for their performance.[68]

Upon their return to London, Big Bang parted company with Swanyard Records over musical differences. The band immediately secured interest from London Records, who commissioned them to record a single at The Music Station in Fulham. With a new producer at the helm, Big Bang laid down the backing track to One More Chance.

1991: Although Big Bang never officially disbanded, at the tail end of 1991, Malice and Williams decided to concentrate on their careers away from the band. The new material they wrote and recorded for their intended album titled Theory was never released.

1992: In 1992, Big Bang’s vocalist Teresa Revill released the single ‘Shine’[69] under the name Teresa Revelle on Subrosa Records.[70] The House track was written and produced by Leee John and Adam Pense and has a distinct Arabic feel to it.

2008: In 2008, one week before Malice's club Trade closed its doors for the final time, he was interviewed on Gaydar Radio by DJ Gary H in a two-hour, two-part documentary talking about his music career, Trade, and clubbing history—how it all started, the highs and lows, and everything else in between.[71][72]

2012: In July 2012, Big Bang uploaded the previously unreleased Voulez-Vous 2012 (12" Rare Mix) onto SoundCloud.[73]

Big Bang - "I Really Miss U" (ft. Teresa Revill)[74]

On 26 August 2013, Big Bang issued a press statement announcing the release of their first single in over two decades. I Really Miss U features lead vocals by Teresa Revill. The 'media' immediately dubbed it a 'nu-disco' track.

Arabic Circus // The Dawn Rising was released on WM Records in various countries worldwide in 2014.

On 28 July 2016, the media reported that Alice Shaw (former backing vocalist in You You You) committed suicide on 27 July 2016.[80][81][82][83]