The Birthday Party, originally known as The Boys Next Door, is an Australian band formed in 1977 and originally made up of Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Phil Calvert and Tracy Pew.
The group released his first Single "These boots are made for walking" a year later in 1978, a single that went somewhat unnoticed. Ditto for the title "Shivers" in 1979, title which will be outright banned from broadcasting by the radios because of lyrics inciting suicide. Two titles that will be released under the group name 'The Boys Next Door'.
We will find the title "Shivers" on the album "Door, door" which will be released in 1979 and which will be a little more talked about but especially for its rather dark side...
Following this relative immobility, the group decided to emigrate to England in 1980 and officially took the name of 'The Birthday Party' at the same time. He released a first eponymous album under his final name the same year and finally managed to land two first successes with "The friend catcher" and "Mr. Clarinet". Certainly in the Independent Charts but all the same…
It was the following year that the group obtained its best planetary ranking on the albums side with the release of "Prayers on fire", an album which paradoxically did not manage to produce a hit worthy of the name...
On the other hand, it is an off-album title "Release the bats" which will offer them the same year their biggest success on the Singles side. A somewhat ambiguous title that talks about vampire sex and has the following promotional phrase : 'Dirtiness is next to antigodliness'. An entire program…
New album "Junkyard" in 1982, album strongly influenced by Gothic imagery and which speaks in particular of the assassination of the daughter of an evangelist. Album that will produce a single Single "Dead Joe", a Single that will go completely under the radar...
A poor performance which will precipitate the fall of the group which will end up separating the following year...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others...) :
These boots are made for walking 1978
Shivers 1979
Happy birthday 1980
Mr. Clarinet 1980
The friend catcher 1980
Nick the stripper 1981
Release the bats 1981
Dead Joe 1982
Wildworld 1983
Mutiny in heaven 1983
Jennifer's veil 1983
Clips :
1978...as his first title, this band, which came out of nowhere, decides to revisit Nancy Sinatra's ultra-famous title dating from 1966. And my faith, their rock version is not devoid of interest, that's clear...
1979...a second title full of finesse which in no way suggests a continuation of a career that will be anything but finesse and lightness. We have been warned...
1980...the shift into the new decade also rhymes with shifting in terms of sound and style. Nick Cave and his acolytes will show a face that is surprising to say the least and...destabilizing to say the least...
1980... sensitive souls abstain as they say. And yet despite a sound reserved only for insiders, they will still win their first ranked title here...
1980...certainly they will only classify their titles in the Independent Charts but given what they offer it is already a feat in itself, that's for sure...
1981...a tortured band that does more experimental stuff than anything else. Afterwards, that's also the 80s, greatness and excess...
1981...which will stay as their highest ranked title of all. Once again a title reserved for an audience that is at least initiated, even very initiated...
1982...sometimes we are almost at the limit of inaudible as they push the sound delirium to its limits. We won't remake them again as they say...
1983...several bands will stray into the same tortuous musical paths. And just like them, few will survive beyond the mid-1980s...
1983... after that will have at least allowed the young Nick to do his classes as they say. Because we know the career that awaits him behind and what a career !
1983...as they say, you have to start well one day. The young Nick will have started in a way that is surprising to say the least, but that will at least have taken him where he had to go...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :
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