Red Box (band)

Red Box
Red Box in Warsaw 2013
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	New wave, alternative, acoustic, orchestral, art rock, world music
Years active	1983–1990, 2010–present
Labels	Cherry Red, WEA, EastWest, Sire/Warner Bros. Records (US)
Associated acts	SPA Plenty
Website	www.redboxband.com
Members	Simon Toulson-Clarke Derek Adams Paul Bond David Jenkins Sally-Jo Seery Karin Tenggren Associate members: Emily Maguire Alastair Gavin
Past members	Julian Close

Red Box are a British pop group founded by Simon Toulson-Clarke and Julian Close. Active from the early 1980s to the early 1990s, they scored two UK Top Ten hits with the singles "Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" in 1985 and "For America" in 1986, both of which were included on their debut album, The Circle & the Square.

Red Box returned briefly in 1990 with the single "Train" and second album Motive and again in 2010 with third album Plenty released in October 2010. The group is now led by singer-songwriter Simon Toulson-Clarke with a third line-up of supporting players.

Simon Toulson-Clarke formed his first band at age thirteen with school friend Paddy Talbot, playing covers of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple as well as some self-penned material. Other early influences are cited as being Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Cream, Pink Floyd, Cat Stevens and particularly Buffy Sainte-Marie. On leaving school he moved to Middlesbrough and formed another band in the vein of New York Dolls.

In the late 1970s, he travelled south to study at the Polytechnic of Central London where he formed a band with Bristolian Julian Close. Initially the band performed under the name Harlequins and comprised Toulson-Clarke (vocals/guitar) and Close (saxophone) together with Paddy Talbot (keyboards), Rob Legge (bass) and Martin Nickson (drums).