The Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward", the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. The group also launched the career of group frontman Julian Cope as well as that of keyboard player and co-manager David Balfe (later a record producer, A&R man and founder of Food Records). Other members included early Smiths producer Troy Tate.
The Teardrop Explodes | |
|---|---|
Julian Cope performing on stage | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Teardrops |
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1978–1982 |
| Labels | Zoo Records Fontana |
| Past members | Julian Cope Mick Finkler Gary Dwyer Paul Simpson Ged Quinn David Balfe Alan Gill Alfie Agius Jeff Hammer Troy Tate Ronnie François Ted Emmett Andy Radek |
Along with other contemporary Liverpudlian groups, The Teardrop Explodes played a role in returning psychedelic elements to mainstream British rock and pop, initially favouring a modernised version of lightly psychedelic late 1960s-influenced beat-group sound (sometimes described as "bubblegum trance") and later exploring more experimental areas. In addition to their musical reputation, the band (and Cope in particular) had a reputation for eccentric pronouncements and behaviour, sometimes verging on the self-destructive, resulting in the band's breakup in 1982.