Uropa Lula was a British

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...

 pop

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 group

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...

, consisting of David Lloyd

David Lloyd (musician)

David Lloyd is an English singer, musician, songwriter, currently living in Newcastle upon Tyne.-Biography:David Lloyd is a multi-media artist/composer/singer from South Shields in the North East of England. Lloyd moved to London in 1976, to study at Central St Martins College of Art...

 (vocals and guitar), Allan Dias

Members of Public Image Ltd.

Public Image Ltd.'s ever-changing structure allowed a large number of people to pass through its ranks. This listing is based on data found on the website, especially the and sections.-Fulltime members:* John Lydon – vocals and miscellaneous, 1978-92 and 2009-10...

 (bass guitar), Pete Fromm (keyboards), Andrew Edge

Andrew Edge

Andrew Edge is a musician from Leeds, England who has played pop music, dance, synth pop and ballads. After playing in local Leeds jazz-rock bands and Working Men's Club bands, he moved to London in the late 1970s, and joined the Thompson Twins...

 (drums/percussion), Chester Kamen (guitar), and Carol Isaacs (keyboards).

The group were managed by Hilde Swendgaard, who had previously worked for Mute Records

Mute Records

Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...

, dealing with artists such as Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...

 and Yazoo

Yazoo (band)

Yazoo are a British synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex. They had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK charts in the early 1980s...

. The group signed 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...

 with Arista Records

Arista Records

Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

 in 1982, releasing three singles

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...

 in 7" and 12" formats.

Formation

Lloyd formed Uropa Lula with Kevin Smith (drums), Peter Fromm (keyboards), Colin Prior (bass), and Swendgaard as manager in 1980. Dias replaced Prior in September 1981, and Edge replaced Smith in November 1981 (after an audition at the Blackwing Studios

Blackwing Studios

Blackwing Studios was an English recording studio, most notable for early Depeche Mode and Yazoo recordings in the early 1980s.-Background:The Blackwing Studios complex was housed inside a deconsecrated church in South-East London. All Hallows church was partly destroyed during The Blitz in 1941...

 in South East London). Although forming in London, Lloyd was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, Dias in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, Fromm in London, and Edge in Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

. Fromm left the band after the group signed a contract with Arista Records and was replaced by Kamen and Isaacs. Kamen is the brother of pop singer Nick Kamen

Nick Kamen

Nick Kamen is an English male model, songwriter and musician, and brother of session guitarist Chester Kamen and artist Barry Kamen.-Career:...

. Isaacs and Kamen were both born in London.

Concerts

The group played a headlining tour of the Eastern United States for six weeks in early 1983, performing at The Ritz

Ritz (rock club)

-History:The Ritz was founded in 1980 by Jerry Brandt on 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. Formerly a ballroom known as Webster Hall, The Ritz still retained some of its previous incarnation's Art Deco style. As a venue, it focused...

 in New York (1 February 1982), Mudd Club

Mudd Club

The Mudd Club was a TriBeCa nightclub that was opened in October 1978 by Steve Mass, art curator Diego Cortez and Anya Phillips, a figure in the downtown punk scene...

 (7 February 1982), the 9:30 Club

9:30 Club

Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...

 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 and shared the bill with Holly and the Italians

Holly and the Italians

Holly and the Italians were a short-lived American pop punk band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1978 by Chicago born singer and guitarist Holly Beth Vincent, bassist Mark Sidgwick, and drummer Steve Young...

 at the Brooklyn Zoo (26 February 1982). Upon their return to the UK, on 2 June 1982 the group played at the Camden Palace (now called Koko), opened for Big Country

Big Country

Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...

 at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool

Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool

The Royal Court Theatre is a theatre at 1 Roe Street, Liverpool, England. It was built in 1938 in an Art Deco style.-History:Built in the 12th Century, the site of the current Royal Court Theatre was originally a water well...

 (19 June 1982), and John Cale

John Cale

John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....

 at the The Venue

The Venue (Victoria Street, London)

The Venue was a Music club at 33 Victoria Street, London, England, owned by Virgin Records. It opened its doors in October 1978. The first act to play there was Graham Parker and The Rumour, followed by the last live performances by Alex Harvey before his death.Other acts that played in the early...

, Victoria, London (5 July 1982).

They also toured with Big Country in June 1983:
12 June 1983, Swansea Brangwyn Hall

Brangwyn Hall

The Brangwyn Hall is a concert venue in Swansea. It is named after the artist Frank Brangwyn, whose famous "panels", originally intended for the House of Lords, are displayed there....

.
13, Bath Pavilion.
14, St Austell Coliseum.
15, Salisbury City Hall.
16, Dunstable Queensway Hall.
17, Poole Arts Centre

The Lighthouse (Poole)

The Lighthouse is an arts centre in Poole, Dorset, England. According to the Arts council of England it is the largest arts centre in the United Kingdom outside London....

.
22, Llandudno Astra Theatre.
23, Redcar Coatham Bowl.
24, Hull City Hall

Hull City Hall

Hull City Hall is a Civic Building in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.The City Hall does not perform an administrative function for Hull's council, as this is based in the Guildhall....

.
25, Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...

.
26, Oldham Queen Elizabeth.
27, Mansfield Leisure Centre, and on 2 July 1983, Leicester De Montfort Hall

De Montfort Hall

De Montfort Hall is a music and performance venue in Leicester, England. It is situated adjacent to Victoria Park and is named after Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester.-History:...

.

Singles

Arista Records released three singles by the group:

• "Our Love Has Just Begun" b/w "I've Suddenly Remembered Something" (ARIST476, 1982) as Uropa Lula.
• "Fell Upon A Jewel" b/w "She Appears to Vanish" (ARIST498, 1983) as Uropa Lula.
• "Dad Sings The Blues" b/w "Surely There Must Be Some Mistake" (ARIST 540, July 1983) as Viva Lula.

After Uropa Lula

After Uropa Lula, Lloyd embarked on a solo career, albeit continuing to work with Kamen and Dias throughout the 80’s. Dias joined Public Image Ltd in 1986 (becoming one of their longest serving band members outside of John Lydon

John Lydon

John Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...

) whilst Kamen worked with a number of artists, most notably Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...

, Madonna

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

 (Like a Prayer

Like a Prayer

Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and fellow icon Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the...

), Massive Attack

Massive Attack

Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...

 (Protection

Protection (album)

-Sound:Protection was featured in the top ten of Rolling Stone magazine's 'Coolest Albums of All Time List,' calling it "great music for when you're driving around a city at 4 am," due to the 'chill out' nature of the album...

), Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams

Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...

 (Angels) and Roger Waters

Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...

 (Dark Side of the Moon Tour). Edge and Isaacs played together in Savage Progress

Savage Progress

Savage Progress was a pop group in the 1980s from England that had hits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band was founded by Rik Kenton Glynnis Thomas Ned Morant Carol Isaacs and Andrew Edge...

 before Edge moved to Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 to begin a solo career with YOYO, solo and Drumsing

Drumsing

Drumsing is a duo of musicians featuring Andrew Edge and Josef 'Judy' Klausner. The duo perform with percussion and vocals, and no other musical instruments. Drumsing was formed in Linz, Austria, in 2008. It took two years to write songs and record their first CD, which was released in Austria, in...

. Isaacs went on to play with Sinead O’Connor, Ian Dury

Ian Dury

Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...

 and the Indigo Girls

Indigo Girls

The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...

.

In 1992, Lloyd co-wrote and recorded "Really Something" with Kamen (under the name The Playground) for the film Split Second

Split Second (1992 film)

Split Second is a 1992 British science fiction film starring Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, and Neil Duncan. The film is directed by Tony Maylam and Ian Sharp.-Plot summary:...

starring Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall

Kim Cattrall

Kim Victoria Cattrall is an English actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones in the HBO comedy/romance series Sex and the City, and for her leading roles in the 1980s films Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China, Mannequin, and Porky's...

 and Peter Postlethwaite. The film was directed by Tony Maylam

Tony Maylam

Tony Maylam is an English-born filmmaker for cinema and television.- Biography :Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he began his career as an actor and then television presenter for ZDF Bermuda and the UK’s ITV , before concentrating solely on filmmaking...

 and featured Alun Armstrong

Alun Armstrong (actor)

Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...

, Ian Dury

Ian Dury

Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...

 and Sarah Stockbridge. In 1994, "The Sacrifice of Love" (written and recorded by Lloyd, with Kamen on guitar) was featured on the soundtrack of the film Funny Man

Funny Man (film)

Funny Man is a 1994 British film written and directed by Simon Sprackling.-Plot:When Max Taylor wins the ancestral home of Callum Chance in a game of poker, little does he realise that the game is far from over...

. The film was directed by Simon Sprackling.

Lloyd is currently writing and producing the Dumb Baby Sounds debut album 'He Had it Coming,' due for release in 2011.

External links

• Reverb Nation: Singles by Uropa Lula/Viva Lula

Dumb Baby Sounds official site