The Fine Young Cannibals

Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals, 1990
Background information
Origin	Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Genres	Alternative rock, new wave
Years active	1984–1992, 1996
Labels	London, I.R.S.
Associated acts	The Beat Two Men a Drum Machine and a Trumpet
Past members	Andy Cox Roland Gift David Steele

Fine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham, England in 1984, by bassist David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox (both formerly of The Beat), and singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz). Their self-titled 1985 debut album contained "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of "Suspicious Minds", two songs that were top 40 hits in the UK, Canada, Australia and many European countries. Their 1988 album, The Raw & the Cooked, topped the UK and US album charts, and contained their two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing".

In 1990 the band won two Brit Awards: Best British Group, and Best British Album (for The Raw & the Cooked). Their name came from the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood.

The group was formed in 1984 after the dissolution of The Beat, with whom Cox and Steele previously played. The duo of Steele and Cox spent eight months listening to over 500 cassettes of potential singers before settling on Gift. They had difficulty obtaining a record contract but when a video of their song "Johnny Come Home" appeared on British TV show The Tube, recording contract offers flowed in immediately. The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1985, spawning two UK hit singles, "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" featuring additional vocals by Jimmy Somerville. These two songs also became hits internationally, charting in the top 40 in Europe, Canada and Australia, although they failed to make a significant impact on the US charts.