Act (band)
Encyclopedia
Act were a short-lived synthpop
group signed to ZTT Records
in the late 1980s, and comprising Thomas Leer
and ex-Propaganda
vocalist Claudia Brücken
. Besides electro-pop and disco
the group were also influenced by psychedelic rock
and musical theatre
. Lyrically their songs tended to be concerned with decadence
and the moral bankruptcy of the world as they saw it, as summed up in the title of their debut single "Snobbery and Decay
" — the cover of which featured pictures of Quentin Crisp
and Liberace
. The band dissolved shortly after the release of their first album Laughter, Tears and Rage
in 1988.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
group signed to ZTT Records
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....
in the late 1980s, and comprising Thomas Leer
Thomas Leer
Thomas Leer is a British musician who as well as releasing a number of albums and singles in his own right, was also one half of the 1980s electropop band Act...
and ex-Propaganda
Propaganda (band)
Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish....
vocalist Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
. Besides electro-pop and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
the group were also influenced by psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Lyrically their songs tended to be concerned with decadence
Decadence
Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"...
and the moral bankruptcy of the world as they saw it, as summed up in the title of their debut single "Snobbery and Decay
Snobbery And Decay
"Snobbery and Decay" is the first single by Act. It was released by ZTT Records in a number of formats on and reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart....
" — the cover of which featured pictures of Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp , was an English writer and raconteur. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant.- Early life :...
and Liberace
Liberace
Wladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
. The band dissolved shortly after the release of their first album Laughter, Tears and Rage
Laughter, Tears and Rage
- CD :*UK: ZTT / ZQCD1- Cassette :* UK: ZTT / ZQMC1- CD :* UK: ZTT / ZTT185CD- Box set :* UK: ZTT / ZTT185CDXDisc one: " Laughter, Tears and Rage"Same tracks as 2004 CD.- Personnel :Act...
in 1988.
Albums
- Laughter, Tears and RageLaughter, Tears and Rage- CD :*UK: ZTT / ZQCD1- Cassette :* UK: ZTT / ZQMC1- CD :* UK: ZTT / ZTT185CD- Box set :* UK: ZTT / ZTT185CDXDisc one: " Laughter, Tears and Rage"Same tracks as 2004 CD.- Personnel :Act...
(1988, reissued in 2004 as CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and a 3CD box set)
Singles
- "Snobbery and DecaySnobbery And Decay"Snobbery and Decay" is the first single by Act. It was released by ZTT Records in a number of formats on and reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart....
" (1987) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#60, Italy #38 - "Absolutely ImmuneAbsolutely Immune"Absolutely Immune" is the second single from Act. It was released by ZTT Records on . Unlike the previous single "Snobbery and Decay" and its myriad of release formats, "Absolutely Immune" was only released on one 7" and two 12" single formats...
" (1987) - "ChanceChance (Act song)"Chance" is the third single by Act. It was released by ZTT Records in February 1988, but was quickly withdrawn. This may have something to do with the 12" mix containing an unauthorised sample of ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me"...
" (1988) (single withdrawn prior to release, due to copyright issues surrounding an AbbaAbbaABBA is the name of a former Swedish pop music group.Abba may also refer to:* ABBA , a self-titled album by the Swedish pop music group ABBA* "Abba ", a song by Christian pop and rock artist, Rebecca St...
sampleSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
) - "I Can't Escape from YouI Can't Escape From You"I Can't Escape from You" is the fourth and final single from Act. Due to previous single "Chance" being withdrawn, ZTT Records hurriedly released "I Can't Escape from You" on . The single reached #90 in the UK Singles Chart....
" (1988)