Fatal Charm
| Fatal Charm | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Nottingham, England |
| Genres | Post-punk |
| Website | www |
| Past members |
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Fatal Charm (also known as The Fatal Charm from 1978–1979) were a post-punk then rock/pop band from Nottingham, England.
From 1980 onwards, their musical style was difficult to define; a variation on the rock/pop genre that defied comparison with other emerging UK acts such as Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure, New Order and Ultravox, who were darker and more introspective. Neither were they as 'poppy' as the female fronted bands that followed, such as T'Pau, The Primitives, and The Darling Buds.
Formed in 1978 by Paul Arnall, they quickly became a three-piece and then a four-piece. Over the years, recording deals came and went, due mainly to a great deal of uncertainty and volatility that existed in the music industry at that time. By 1980, the line-up was;
The four-piece released four tracks on the 1980 compilation LP East. As might be expected, the collapse of various recording contracts precipitated frequent changes to the personnel, but the addition of vocalist Sarah Simmonds in the same year breathed new life into the band and enabled Arnall to concentrate on his writing and musicianship. On occasion, the band was even reduced to the Arnall/Simmonds duo and yet, they continued to perform live with the aid of reel to reel tapes and Simmonds playing keyboards.
Supporting big name acts like Ultravox and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on tour, ensured that the band got some media coverage, including an appearance on Channel 4's groundbreaking music programme The Tube in 1983. They also played two Radio 1 In Concert shows, supporting Ultravox and The Cult.
The third single, 1984's "Summer Spies" (previous singles "Paris" and "Christine" had not attracted much interest) was something of a turning point. The song's hypnotic driving rhythm and occasional whispered vocals captured the imagination of UK indie music fans and despite disappointing sales, proved to be a catalyst for 1985's debut album, Endangered Species. The singles "King of Comedy" and "You Know (You'll Never Believe)" were also released in the lead up to the album launch, but were poorly promoted. The album was however, well received and prompted more radio work.
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