Black Lace (band)
Encyclopedia
Black Lace is a British
Euro pop band
, best known for novelty
party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo
". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK
in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest
, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"
. With numerous line-up changes, Black Lace went on to have success with a number of lightweight party anthems such as "Superman
", "Agadoo" and "Do The Conga".
A duo still performs under the name of Black Lace, but neither current band member was in the group when it was formed or when it enjoyed its biggest chart success.
and school friend Ian Howarth formed The Impact, as a five-piece pop group in 1969, with Alan Barton
, Steve Scholey and Nigel Scott. The group also performed under the names Penny Arcade and Love or Confusion.
Howarth left the band for a short while but returned to the line-up in 1974, Dobson also left to be replaced briefly by Neil Hardcastle. Dobson then re-joined and Scott left in 1974; that same year the band adopted the name Black Lace. Howarth left the band for good in 1976, and was replaced by Colin Gibb (born Colin Routh, 8 December 1953).
The now professional four members of Black Lace from 1976 to 1981 were:
The band was managed by Keith Mills, and played their first summer season at the Beer Garten, Bottons Fun Park in Skegness
, Lincolnshire
1976. In 1977, they enjoyed a number of successes playing a summer season at Butlins
in Skegness and Filey
, North Yorkshire
. They released an EP
to be sold at shows, and were voted Yorkshire Band of the Year by BBC Radio Leeds
, and voted best clubland group at a show in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool
.
In 1978, Black Lace recorded their first single
, "Mary Ann", for ATV music and a recording contract
followed with EMI
. The song won the BBC Television
's A Song For Europe. Other television appearances around this time included Nationwide, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
, Top of the Pops
and Juke Box Jury
. At the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest
, held in Israel, the band finished seventh and "Mary Ann" peaked at #42 in the UK Singles Chart
, one of the lowest chart positions for any Eurovision entry at that time.
The band's follow-up single, "So Long Suzy Baby", failed to stir interest but Black Lace continued live performances, notably at the festivals Sopot in Poland
and Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria
, and TV shows in East Germany, West Germany
and Spain
. By this time Black Lace is said to have played to an international TV audience estimated at over 2.5 million people, but the success was tarnished by a rift between the band and its manager, and a split from their record label
.
The band toured Denmark in 1980, supporting Suzi Quatro
and working with Tommy Seebach
, a Danish entertainer. Black Lace and Seebach recorded "Hey Hey Jock McRay" for the Danish singles market, but an intended 1980 tour of Poland was called off because of political unrest in the country.
. Scholey also departed, leaving the band as a duo of Gibb and Barton. It was this line-up that would give the band its biggest chart
success.
The duo played the northern clubs using pre-recorded backing tracks. Initially they used the name Lace, but soon reverted to Black Lace and recruited a new manager, John Wagstaff. They released the single "The Birdie Song
" under the name Busby in 1981, recorded at Neil Ferguson's Woodlands recording studio in Castleford
. However, the record was beaten to the charts by a recording of the song by The Tweets.
Black Lace's 1983 "Superman" single was released on manager Wagstaff's own Flair label, and a promotional video
was shot at Casanova's nightclub
in Wakefield. One of the hired dancers was the then unknown singer Jane McDonald
. "Superman" reached #9 in the UK chart, but an attempt at a follow-up single "Hey You" failed to reach the chart. Black Lace received a silver disc
for sales of "Superman," toured Denmark with Danish stars Laban
and Snapshots, and secured a product endorsement deal with the Bose Corporation.
The band's biggest success came in 1984 with the single "Agadoo
" selling over one million copies worldwide, and reaching #2 in the UK chart. "Agadoo" was also a hit in Europe, South Africa and Australia. Having been presented with a gold disc for sales in the UK, the duo recorded its first album Black Lace at Stuck Ranch Studios in Denmark. Around this time their record distribution company went into receivership, leading to Black Lace and Flair Records losing hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid royalties
for "Agadoo".
The band's follow-up single was "Do The Conga", written by Peter Morris, who had also penned the Eurovision song "Mary Ann". "Do The Conga" reached #10 in the UK chart, and their album Party Party - 16 Great Party Icebreakers sold over 650,0000 copies in the first five weeks, reaching double platinum status, and leading to the band doing TV shows in Germany, Luxembourg, France and Denmark.
In 1985, the BBC proclaimed that Black Lace was the world's hardest working band — performing more than 65 shows a month — but the punishing schedule meant that the group's equipment truck was involved in several accidents, and Black Lace chartered a private plane to meet TV schedules. As the strain began to show and rifts formed, Barton, Gibb and the road crew stayed in separate hotels. Another single, "El Vino Collapso" was released, with the video shot at the Happy Days Caravan Park in Skegness. The record reached #42 in UK Singles Chart. Further releases "I Speaka Da Lingo" and "The Hokey Cokey" got to #49 and #31, respectively.
Black Lace also participated in recording of the UK
#1 hit "You'll Never Walk Alone
" as part of the charity ensemble, The Crowd, to raise funds for the families of the victims of the Bradford City stadium fire.
Black Lace's second album Party Party 2 was released for Christmas 1985, and television appearances included a Black Lace special on the BBC Two
rock show The Old Grey Whistle Test, plus on 3-2-1
, ITV Telethon
, Miss Yorkshire, International Disco Dance Championship, Pebble Mill at One
and Top of the Pops Christmas Special, but the band's success led to a tax demand of over £100,000.
In 1986, Gibb took a year out of live work with Black Lace, to concentrate on other projects. He returned to playing live gigs with Barton the following year. During this time, Gibb promoted Party Party with the singer and guitarist John Strike, playing two tours of Germany, after which Gibb disbanded his new act.
Barton was joined by the singer Dene Michael to continue as Black Lace. Another single, "Wig Wam Bam", reached #63 in the UK chart, but "Viva La Mexico", which was released to capitalise on the 1986 FIFA World Cup
football competition, flopped when England
was knocked out. Black Lace (Barton and Michael) appeared as themselves in the 1986 film
, Rita, Sue and Bob Too
, which featured "Gangbang" and "Have a Screw", which were recorded by Barton and Gibb the previous year. The band had a minor UK hit with their album Party Crazy.
. Michael became a full-time member of Black Lace and he and Gibb released the single "Jammin' the Sixties" under the name Barracuda. The record was BBC Radio One Record of the Week, but failed to hit the chart.
Summer seasons at the Blackpool Tower
followed in 1989 and 1990, along with the release of the single "I Am The Music Man", which peaked at #52 in the UK.
In 1991, Michael left the band, to be replaced by Rob Hopcraft. Black Lace released the single "Penny Arcade" penned by Sammy King, which had originally been a hit for Roy Orbison
. The band appeared on the BBC's Children in Need
programme. Meanwhile, former band member Michael formed a new group using the name Barracuda, but disbanded it shortly afterwards. In 1992, Black Lace toured Australia, but Hopcraft was unhappy with a hits album released by an Australian record company, as it featured a photograph of his predecessor, Michael.
1994 saw the release of the single "Bullshit (Cotton Eyed Joe)", but the race for the charts was won by the Swedish band Rednex
, with another version of the same song. An album, Saturday Night, followed.
In 1995, Barton died as a result of a coach crash in Germany while touring with Smokie. Also in that year Black Lace shot a promotional video for the single "Electric Slide" in Benidorm
, the first video not to be filmed in the UK, and played on British breakfast station GMTV
live from Torremolinos
in Spain.
Black Lace played one-off shows in 1996 at DJ
conventions in Canada
and Atlantic City, New Jersey
, United States
. Plus they released the Action Party and Best Of albums. Gibb was presented with special 'Agadoo' guitar to celebrate band's 20th anniversary, but in 1996 Gibb was also made bankrupt by the Inland Revenue
.
The 15 August 1997 was deemed 'Agadoo Day'. Black Lace played twenty concerts in twenty four hours in Manchester, London, Watford, Northampton, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, and Leeds, finishing at the Frontier Club, Batley. The event raised over £25,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care
. Peugeot
used "Agadoo" in a TV advertisement for the new 106
car, and Black Lace re-recorded the track which spent one week in the UK chart.
A 1999 Black Lace charity reunion concert was organised by their former drummer, Terry Dobson, to celebrate twenty years since the band represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. Live television interviews took place with ITV's Calendar, and the BBC's regional news programmes, on the day of the event. The late Alan Barton's son, Dean, took Alan's place in the band, but original member Steve Scholey declined to attend.
In 2000, Hopcraft left the band and Gibb was joined by the female singers and dancers 'Kat & Cameil'. Gibb also joined Eagles tribute band, The B-Eagles, playing bass guitar
In 2002, Gibb emigrated to Tenerife
. Semi-retired, he played Black Lace party shows in hotels and restaurants on the island, occasionally visiting the UK for TV appearances. In 2003, an adult-themed album called Blue, originally recorded in the UK years previously by Gibb and Michael, was released in Tenerife. In 2004, Gibb took his Black Lace show to mainland Spain, with a residency at The King Lives On cabaret bar on the Costa Blanca
, but after a few months moved back to Tenerife for shows in 2005. He returned to the Costa Blanca with another Black Lace show in 2006. Gibb was married in the UK in 2007 to his long-time girlfriend, Sue Kelly. In 2008, Gibb played bass in a Tenerife five-piece rock band called 'The Phoenix', and with the duo 'To The Limit', in addition to performing the Black Lace Show.
In 2009, Michael started performing again as Black Lace alongside a new addition, the Liverpudlian singer Ian Robinson. They released a new mambo version of "Agadoo". In the accompanying video Bruce Jones, played a cameo role and directed the event. Roy "Chubby" Brown and Kevin Kennedy
also made cameo appearances in the video, as did several members of the cast of the ITV situation comedy
, Benidorm
.
On 4 November 2009, the new incarnation of Black Lace was filmed by the British airline easyJet
, performing a re-written version of "Agadoo", launching a new air service between Gatwick Airport and Agadir
in Morocco
, for release on the video-sharing website, YouTube
.
Founder member Terry Dobson is still playing the drums in the Wakefield band, Mr Twister. His book And Then Came Agadoo was published by Authorhouse in November 2009. In it Dobson described starting up the band with Howarth in 1969, Dobson's life and times and his continued friendship with band members past and present. Gibb remains in Tenerife, continues to play the Black Lace shows, and is still represented by Now Music and his manager John Wagstaff.
Michael and Robinson recorded a new version of "I Am The Music Man" for the BBC Children in Need appeal in 2009. In 2010, they recorded yet another version of "I Am The Music Man", this time entitled "We Are The England Fans", as an unofficial England supporters' song to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. However, the record flopped.
Gibb still performs the 'original' Black Lace show.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Euro pop band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, best known for novelty
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo
Agadoo
"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...
, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"
Mary Ann (song)
"Mary Ann" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in English by Black Lace.The song is about a man who loves a woman called Mary Ann, but can't express his sentiment to her....
. With numerous line-up changes, Black Lace went on to have success with a number of lightweight party anthems such as "Superman
Superman (Black Lace song)
"Superman" is a 1981 novelty song written by Italian musicians Claudio Cecchetto and Claudio Simonetti, most famous for the 1983 recording by Black Lace....
", "Agadoo" and "Do The Conga".
A duo still performs under the name of Black Lace, but neither current band member was in the group when it was formed or when it enjoyed its biggest chart success.
Early years (1973-1981)
Terry DobsonTerry Dobson (singer)
Terry Dobson was a founding member of the worldwide pop band, Black Lace, with Ian Howarth. Their most well known hits include The Birdie Song, Superman, Agadoo, Do The Conga, Hokey Cokey, Wig Wam Bam and Music Man, although Dobson had left the band by the time of those releases.They also...
and school friend Ian Howarth formed The Impact, as a five-piece pop group in 1969, with Alan Barton
Alan Barton
Alan Barton was a member of the hit-making duo Black Lace, alongside Colin Routh. Their hits included: "The Music Man", "Agadoo" and "Superman"...
, Steve Scholey and Nigel Scott. The group also performed under the names Penny Arcade and Love or Confusion.
Howarth left the band for a short while but returned to the line-up in 1974, Dobson also left to be replaced briefly by Neil Hardcastle. Dobson then re-joined and Scott left in 1974; that same year the band adopted the name Black Lace. Howarth left the band for good in 1976, and was replaced by Colin Gibb (born Colin Routh, 8 December 1953).
The now professional four members of Black Lace from 1976 to 1981 were:
- Alan BartonAlan BartonAlan Barton was a member of the hit-making duo Black Lace, alongside Colin Routh. Their hits included: "The Music Man", "Agadoo" and "Superman"...
(lead singer and guitar) - Colin Gibb (guitar, bass and backing vocals)
- Steve Scholey (bass and backing vocals)
- Terry DobsonTerry Dobson (singer)Terry Dobson was a founding member of the worldwide pop band, Black Lace, with Ian Howarth. Their most well known hits include The Birdie Song, Superman, Agadoo, Do The Conga, Hokey Cokey, Wig Wam Bam and Music Man, although Dobson had left the band by the time of those releases.They also...
(drums and backing vocals)
The band was managed by Keith Mills, and played their first summer season at the Beer Garten, Bottons Fun Park in Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
1976. In 1977, they enjoyed a number of successes playing a summer season at Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
in Skegness and Filey
Filey
Filey is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. They released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
to be sold at shows, and were voted Yorkshire Band of the Year by BBC Radio Leeds
BBC Radio Leeds
BBC Radio Leeds is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of West Yorkshire.- Frequencies :It broadcasts from its studios at St...
, and voted best clubland group at a show in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
.
In 1978, Black Lace recorded their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Mary Ann", for ATV music and a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
followed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The song won the BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's A Song For Europe. Other television appearances around this time included Nationwide, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, more commonly known simply as Swap Shop, is a UK children's television programme. It was broadcast on Saturday mornings on BBC1 for 146 episodes in six series between 1976 and 1982...
, Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury was a musical panel show which originally ran on BBC Television from 1 June 1959 until December 1967. The programme was based on the American show Jukebox Jury, itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series....
. At the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...
, held in Israel, the band finished seventh and "Mary Ann" peaked at #42 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The 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 ...
, one of the lowest chart positions for any Eurovision entry at that time.
The band's follow-up single, "So Long Suzy Baby", failed to stir interest but Black Lace continued live performances, notably at the festivals Sopot in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and TV shows in East Germany, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. By this time Black Lace is said to have played to an international TV audience estimated at over 2.5 million people, but the success was tarnished by a rift between the band and its manager, and a split from their record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
The band toured Denmark in 1980, supporting Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
and working with Tommy Seebach
Tommy Seebach
Tommy Seebach , born Tommy Seebach Mortensen in Copenhagen, Denmark, was a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer. He is best known as front man of Sir Henry and his Butlers and for numerous contributions to the Danish version of the Eurovision Song contest, Dansk Melodi...
, a Danish entertainer. Black Lace and Seebach recorded "Hey Hey Jock McRay" for the Danish singles market, but an intended 1980 tour of Poland was called off because of political unrest in the country.
Chart success (1981-1987)
In 1981, Dobson left Black Lace and joined the Castleford rock band Stormer (formerly known as Method), who had a recording contract with Ringo StarrRingo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
. Scholey also departed, leaving the band as a duo of Gibb and Barton. It was this line-up that would give the band its biggest chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success.
The duo played the northern clubs using pre-recorded backing tracks. Initially they used the name Lace, but soon reverted to Black Lace and recruited a new manager, John Wagstaff. They released the single "The Birdie Song
Chicken Dance
The "Chicken Dance" is an oom-pah song and its associated fad dance is now a contemporary American folk dance. The song was composed by accordion player Werner Thomas from Davos, Switzerland, in the 1950s....
" under the name Busby in 1981, recorded at Neil Ferguson's Woodlands recording studio in Castleford
Castleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
. However, the record was beaten to the charts by a recording of the song by The Tweets.
Black Lace's 1983 "Superman" single was released on manager Wagstaff's own Flair label, and a promotional video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was shot at Casanova's nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Wakefield. One of the hired dancers was the then unknown singer Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald is a British singer, actress and media personality and broadcaster, who first became famous following her appearance on the BBC docusoap The Cruise...
. "Superman" reached #9 in the UK chart, but an attempt at a follow-up single "Hey You" failed to reach the chart. Black Lace received a silver disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for sales of "Superman," toured Denmark with Danish stars Laban
Laban (artist)
Laban was a 1980s Synthpop duo consisting of Lecia Jønsson and Ivan Pedersen. Both members were born in Denmark and originally sang in Danish, before moving onto English language releases...
and Snapshots, and secured a product endorsement deal with the Bose Corporation.
The band's biggest success came in 1984 with the single "Agadoo
Agadoo
"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
" selling over one million copies worldwide, and reaching #2 in the UK chart. "Agadoo" was also a hit in Europe, South Africa and Australia. Having been presented with a gold disc for sales in the UK, the duo recorded its first album Black Lace at Stuck Ranch Studios in Denmark. Around this time their record distribution company went into receivership, leading to Black Lace and Flair Records losing hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
for "Agadoo".
The band's follow-up single was "Do The Conga", written by Peter Morris, who had also penned the Eurovision song "Mary Ann". "Do The Conga" reached #10 in the UK chart, and their album Party Party - 16 Great Party Icebreakers sold over 650,0000 copies in the first five weeks, reaching double platinum status, and leading to the band doing TV shows in Germany, Luxembourg, France and Denmark.
In 1985, the BBC proclaimed that Black Lace was the world's hardest working band — performing more than 65 shows a month — but the punishing schedule meant that the group's equipment truck was involved in several accidents, and Black Lace chartered a private plane to meet TV schedules. As the strain began to show and rifts formed, Barton, Gibb and the road crew stayed in separate hotels. Another single, "El Vino Collapso" was released, with the video shot at the Happy Days Caravan Park in Skegness. The record reached #42 in UK Singles Chart. Further releases "I Speaka Da Lingo" and "The Hokey Cokey" got to #49 and #31, respectively.
Black Lace also participated in recording of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
#1 hit "You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone is a song from the musical Carousel, a pop standard and football club anthem, for example that of Liverpool F.C.You'll Never Walk Alone may also refer to:* You'll Never Walk Alone , studio album...
" as part of the charity ensemble, The Crowd, to raise funds for the families of the victims of the Bradford City stadium fire.
Black Lace's second album Party Party 2 was released for Christmas 1985, and television appearances included a Black Lace special on the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
rock show The Old Grey Whistle Test, plus on 3-2-1
3-2-1
3–2–1 was a popular British game show that was made by Yorkshire Television for ITV. It ran for ten years, between 29 July 1978 and 24 December 1988. Throughout its run, the show was hosted by former Butlins Redcoat Ted Rogers. It was based on a Spanish gameshow called Un, dos, tres.....
, ITV Telethon
ITV Telethon
The ITV Telethons were three charity telethons organised and televised in the UK by the ITV network. They took place in 1988, 1990 and 1992. Each lasted for 27 hours and all were hosted by Michael Aspel.- Thames Telethon :...
, Miss Yorkshire, International Disco Dance Championship, Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
and Top of the Pops Christmas Special, but the band's success led to a tax demand of over £100,000.
In 1986, Gibb took a year out of live work with Black Lace, to concentrate on other projects. He returned to playing live gigs with Barton the following year. During this time, Gibb promoted Party Party with the singer and guitarist John Strike, playing two tours of Germany, after which Gibb disbanded his new act.
Barton was joined by the singer Dene Michael to continue as Black Lace. Another single, "Wig Wam Bam", reached #63 in the UK chart, but "Viva La Mexico", which was released to capitalise on the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
football competition, flopped when England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
was knocked out. Black Lace (Barton and Michael) appeared as themselves in the 1986 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Rita, Sue and Bob Too
Rita, Sue and Bob Too
Rita, Sue and Bob Too is a 1986 British film directed by Alan Clarke about two West Yorkshire teenaged schoolgirls who have a sexual fling with a married man. It was adapted by Andrea Dunbar, based on two of her stage plays; Rita Sue and Bob Too and The Arbor...
, which featured "Gangbang" and "Have a Screw", which were recorded by Barton and Gibb the previous year. The band had a minor UK hit with their album Party Crazy.
Later career (1987-present)
1987 saw a switcharound; Gibb returned whilst Barton left to join SmokieSmokie (band)
Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...
. Michael became a full-time member of Black Lace and he and Gibb released the single "Jammin' the Sixties" under the name Barracuda. The record was BBC Radio One Record of the Week, but failed to hit the chart.
Summer seasons at the Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
followed in 1989 and 1990, along with the release of the single "I Am The Music Man", which peaked at #52 in the UK.
In 1991, Michael left the band, to be replaced by Rob Hopcraft. Black Lace released the single "Penny Arcade" penned by Sammy King, which had originally been a hit for Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
. The band appeared on the BBC's Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
programme. Meanwhile, former band member Michael formed a new group using the name Barracuda, but disbanded it shortly afterwards. In 1992, Black Lace toured Australia, but Hopcraft was unhappy with a hits album released by an Australian record company, as it featured a photograph of his predecessor, Michael.
1994 saw the release of the single "Bullshit (Cotton Eyed Joe)", but the race for the charts was won by the Swedish band Rednex
Rednex
Rednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...
, with another version of the same song. An album, Saturday Night, followed.
In 1995, Barton died as a result of a coach crash in Germany while touring with Smokie. Also in that year Black Lace shot a promotional video for the single "Electric Slide" in Benidorm
Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain, by the Western Mediterranean....
, the first video not to be filmed in the UK, and played on British breakfast station GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
live from Torremolinos
Torremolinos
Torremolinos is a municipality on the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean, immediately to the west of the city of Málaga, in the province of Málaga in the autonomous region of Andalusia in southern Spain...
in Spain.
Black Lace played one-off shows in 1996 at DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
conventions in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Plus they released the Action Party and Best Of albums. Gibb was presented with special 'Agadoo' guitar to celebrate band's 20th anniversary, but in 1996 Gibb was also made bankrupt by the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
.
The 15 August 1997 was deemed 'Agadoo Day'. Black Lace played twenty concerts in twenty four hours in Manchester, London, Watford, Northampton, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, and Leeds, finishing at the Frontier Club, Batley. The event raised over £25,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care
Marie Curie Cancer Care
Marie Curie Cancer Care is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which provides nursing care, free of charge, to terminally ill people, giving them the chance to choose to be cared for at home...
. Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
used "Agadoo" in a TV advertisement for the new 106
Peugeot 106
The Peugeot 106 is a supermini produced by French automaker Peugeot from 1991 to 2004.-Phase I:The Peugeot 106 was introduced on 12 September 1991, as the French marque's entry level car slotting in beneath the 205 - although it is now largely considered the 'true' replacement to the 205. It was a...
car, and Black Lace re-recorded the track which spent one week in the UK chart.
A 1999 Black Lace charity reunion concert was organised by their former drummer, Terry Dobson, to celebrate twenty years since the band represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. Live television interviews took place with ITV's Calendar, and the BBC's regional news programmes, on the day of the event. The late Alan Barton's son, Dean, took Alan's place in the band, but original member Steve Scholey declined to attend.
In 2000, Hopcraft left the band and Gibb was joined by the female singers and dancers 'Kat & Cameil'. Gibb also joined Eagles tribute band, The B-Eagles, playing bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
In 2002, Gibb emigrated to Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. Semi-retired, he played Black Lace party shows in hotels and restaurants on the island, occasionally visiting the UK for TV appearances. In 2003, an adult-themed album called Blue, originally recorded in the UK years previously by Gibb and Michael, was released in Tenerife. In 2004, Gibb took his Black Lace show to mainland Spain, with a residency at The King Lives On cabaret bar on the Costa Blanca
Costa Blanca
Costa Blanca refers to the over 200 kilometres of coastline belonging to the province of Alicante in Spain. The name "Costa Blanca" was devised as a promotional name used by BEA when they launched their air service between London and Valencia in 1957. It has a well-developed tourism industry...
, but after a few months moved back to Tenerife for shows in 2005. He returned to the Costa Blanca with another Black Lace show in 2006. Gibb was married in the UK in 2007 to his long-time girlfriend, Sue Kelly. In 2008, Gibb played bass in a Tenerife five-piece rock band called 'The Phoenix', and with the duo 'To The Limit', in addition to performing the Black Lace Show.
In 2009, Michael started performing again as Black Lace alongside a new addition, the Liverpudlian singer Ian Robinson. They released a new mambo version of "Agadoo". In the accompanying video Bruce Jones, played a cameo role and directed the event. Roy "Chubby" Brown and Kevin Kennedy
Kevin Kennedy (actor)
Kevin Kennedy is an English actor, writer, producer, singer, and guitarist, best known for playing the bottle-lensed Curly Watts in ITV's long running soap opera Coronation Street between 1983 and 2003.-Early life:Kennedy was born in Manchester. He attended St Paul's RC Secondary High School...
also made cameo appearances in the video, as did several members of the cast of the ITV situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, Benidorm
Benidorm (TV series)
Benidorm is an award-winning British television comedy-drama that is produced by Tiger Aspect for ITV and written by Derren Litten, co-writer of The Catherine Tate Show, exploiting the working-class stereotype of this popular tourist destination....
.
On 4 November 2009, the new incarnation of Black Lace was filmed by the British airline easyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
, performing a re-written version of "Agadoo", launching a new air service between Gatwick Airport and Agadir
Agadir
Agadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, for release on the video-sharing website, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Founder member Terry Dobson is still playing the drums in the Wakefield band, Mr Twister. His book And Then Came Agadoo was published by Authorhouse in November 2009. In it Dobson described starting up the band with Howarth in 1969, Dobson's life and times and his continued friendship with band members past and present. Gibb remains in Tenerife, continues to play the Black Lace shows, and is still represented by Now Music and his manager John Wagstaff.
Michael and Robinson recorded a new version of "I Am The Music Man" for the BBC Children in Need appeal in 2009. In 2010, they recorded yet another version of "I Am The Music Man", this time entitled "We Are The England Fans", as an unofficial England supporters' song to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. However, the record flopped.
Gibb still performs the 'original' Black Lace show.
Singles
- 1979: "Mary AnnMary Ann (song)"Mary Ann" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in English by Black Lace.The song is about a man who loves a woman called Mary Ann, but can't express his sentiment to her....
" (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 ...
#42) - 1979: "So Long Susie Baby"
- 1980: "Hey Hey Jock McRay" [Denmark only]
- 1981: "The Birdie SongChicken DanceThe "Chicken Dance" is an oom-pah song and its associated fad dance is now a contemporary American folk dance. The song was composed by accordion player Werner Thomas from Davos, Switzerland, in the 1950s....
" - 1982: "Superman (Gioca Jouer)Superman (Black Lace song)"Superman" is a 1981 novelty song written by Italian musicians Claudio Cecchetto and Claudio Simonetti, most famous for the 1983 recording by Black Lace....
" (UK #9) - 1983: "Hey You"
- 1984: "AgadooAgadoo"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
" (UK #2) - 1984: "Do The Conga" (UK #10)
- 1985: "El Vino Collapso" (UK #42)
- 1985: "I Speaka Da Lingo" (UK #49)
- 1985: "Hokey Cokey" (UK #31)
- 1986: "Viva La Mexico"
- 1986: "Wig Wam Bam" (UK #63)
- 1990: "I Am The Music Man" (UK #52)
- 1994: "Bullshit"
- 1995: "She'll Be Coming 'Round the MountainShe'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain"She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" is an American folk song often categorized as children's music. It is a derivation of a Negro spiritual known as "When the Chariot Comes"....
" - 1996: "The Electric Slide"
- 1998: "Agadoo" (re-recording) (UK #64)
- 2000: "Follow The Leader"
- 2009: "Mega-Mega Mix" [Spain only]
- 2009: "Agadoo Mambo"
- 2009: "Music Man 2009"
- 2010: "We Are The England Fans"
Albums
- 1984: Black Lace
- 1984: Party Party - 16 Great Party Icebreakers (UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#4) - 1985: Party Party 2 (UK #18)
- 1986: Party Crazy (UK #58)
- 1987: 16 Greatest Party Hits
- 1990: 20 All Time Party Favourites
- 1993: Action Party
- 1995: Saturday Night
- 1997: Greatest Hits
- 1998: What a Party
- 2000: Black Lace's Greatest Ever Party Album
- 2006: Black Lace: Greatest HitsBlack Lace: Greatest HitsBlack Lace: Greatest Hits is a 2006 compilation album by Black Lace.-Track listing:# "Agadoo" - 3:12# "Macarena" - 3:25 # "Birdie Dance" - 2:40 # "Electric Slide" - 4:09# "Superman" - 3:34# "Do The Conga" - 3:02...
- 2007: The Blue Album [Spain only]
- 2010: The Blue Album - Banned in the UK [World-wide distribution]