The Flying Pickets is an English group formed by Brian Hibbard in 1982 from a group of actors from the '7:84 Theater Group' whose particularity is to sing A cappella. The group will thus be composed, in addition to its founder, of Rick Lloyd, Gareth Williams, David Brett, Ken Gregson and Red Stripe.
The name of the group is said to be a reference to the flying strikers who would have distinguished themselves during the famous miners' strike between 1972 and 1974. A group which from the start stood out from the others just by its unique style : the enormous Favorites of Hibbard, Stripe's eye makeup as well as the dress of the rest of the troupe to say the least.
Their first Single, released in 1983, is indeed a luxury cover of Yazoo's track "Only you" released the previous year. And what a cover ! The group will make a real worldwide hit and see himself propelled in a sensational way on the front of the stage.
Their first album "Lost boys" was released a year later in 1984. An album which in turn enjoyed considerable success but which already showed a certain decline in the public's enthusiasm for the group.
A year 1984 which coincides with the enormous strikes of miners across the Channel and during which the group will invest enormously to support them. A support which they will pay a high price because some radio stations, record companies and record stores will decide to boycott them outright.
A marginalization which will seriously undermine the career of the group and everything that will be released subsequently, Singles and albums, will find only a very weak response from the public.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Only you 1983
When you’re young and in love 1984
So close 1984
Who’s that girl 1984
Only the lonely 1985
Sealed with a kiss 1985
Take my breath away 1986
Porterhouse blue 1987
90s Decade :
I feel for you 1990
Looking down 1990
Englishman in New York 1991
Tainted love 1992
Breakfast with aliens 1992
The warning 1992
Don't dream it's over 1992
When you're young and in love 1994
Take my breath away 1994
She drives me crazy 1994
Girl you'll be a woman soon 1996
Set me down easy 1996
Every little things she does is magic 1998
Love is all around 1998
Time after time 1998
2000s Decade :
Everyday is a winding road 2005
Everybody's got to learn sometime 2005
Keep forgettin' 2005
Long train runnin' 2005
Mama used to say 2008
The only way is up 2008
Drive 2008
2010s Decade :
2000 miles 2010
Shine 2010
Very good king 2010
Burn it down 2015
She will be loved 2015
Use somebody 2015
2020s Decade :
Love runs out 2022
Human 2022
Chandelier 2022
Clips :
1983 ... just a single title, THIS title, was enough to bring the group One Shot into the musical legend of the 80s. All thanks to this revisited and above all particularly original version of Yazoo's title dating from 1982. MAS-TER-FUL !
1984 ... this time it's a title from the Marvelettes dating from 1967 that they bring up to date, at least to their liking. Unfortunately, this sequel will not really have the same level of success as the previous title ...
1984 ... the beginnings were sensational, the rest will be much more complicated to manage. Their totally offbeat style will have worked on one title, much less on the others unfortunately ...
1984 ... they do not demerit, it is clear, by cover one of the flagship titles of Eurythmics and dating from 1983. But at the time of synths and rhythm machines, their so particular style finds only little echo especially with young audiences ...
1985 ... that does not prevent them from moving forward anyway. Even if the success is mainly limited to England, they still believe in it. Not for long unfortunately ...
1985 ... this revisited version of one of the flagship titles of the Sixties and interpreted by Brian Hayland at the time is far from being ridiculous. But this time, mass is said, the group leaves the Charts for good ...
1986 ... this time, they tackle the flagship title of Berlin and which dates from the same year. Good job once again but with no more results ...
1987...here they are now in soundtrack mode for the series 'Porterhouse'. Well done because the series credits are often the ones we remember the most...
1990...while we seriously thought that the adventure would not go further than the 80s, yet here they are back at the start of the 90s...
1990...certainly the group will seriously evolve in terms of members over the years but it is clear that he is still there and for a few more years, that's for sure...
1991...here they decide to revisit Sting's title dating from 1988. Nice try again but what no longer worked at the end of the 80s is not likely to work during the 90s...
1992 ... they attack to finish with the enormous title of Soft Cell dating from 1981, version which was already a cover of the original title of Gloria Jones dating from 1965. A last title to close an adventure for the less original !
1992...one of their last officially released Singles but not the last Single far from it. Because there will be others and not just a few...
1992...and it's not the basic fans who are going to complain about it, far from it because as soon as the group releases a new opus they rejoice to the utmost...
1992...it is certain that continuing to offer titles in 'A cappella' form is a daring bet to say the least. Even very daring...
1994...here is a new opus which proves once again that the group intends to give up absolutely nothing and it doesn't matter whether there is success or not...
1994...a desire to believe in it until the end which undoubtedly commands respect. After how long will they still be able to hold on like that, good question...
1994...at least for the moment it holds up thanks to a more than certain qualitative level. Fortunately, he is still at this level...
1996...and it's still going strong ! They quietly revisit year after year a whole bunch of titles that have become references in contemporary musical history...
1996...and my faith, their revisited versions are doing pretty well. Certainly their titles are completely out of the musical standards of the moment but that's okay...
1998...they will have succeeded in producing a significant number of titles during this decade, it is clear...
1998...motivated as they are, we imagine that they will continue the adventure beyond the 90s. At least the core fans hope so...
1998...in any case there is quality in all that even if the 'A cappella' style totally denotes the end of the 90s...
2005...there they are again almost 7 years later. The members of the group will have changed a lot of times since the creation of the group but he is still there in any case...
2005...they are truly a UFO group in this early 21st century musical landscape. But they accept it perfectly...
2005...who could have imagined when they started in 1983 that they would still be here a little over 20 years later ? Not many people, that's for sure...
2005...an adventure that lasts, that lasts, that lasts. Not sure it will last for decades and decades but what is taken is no longer to be taken...
2008...and here they are again, faithful to the post ! A concept project that passes the years and especially the decades in a truly astonishing way...
2008...their revisited versions can really surprise more than one person and sometimes ordinary people will even have difficulty knowing what the original title is behind...
2008...but that's also what makes the concept so charming : knowing how to make something new out of something old, and without any musical instruments to support it...
2010...and one more decade on the clock, one ! Unstoppable and tireless the little guys, they will go as far as they can, that’s for sure...
2010...especially since they will feel less and less alone because more and more groups from the 80s are also starting to produce new songs...
2010...a revival of the 80s which will accelerate as the decade progresses in time. Who would've believed that...
2015...of course they don't release a new opus every year but they always come back again and again. The proof with this new album...
2015...they will have managed to resist the wear and tear of time as well as fashion thanks to not asking themselves any more questions than that. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else...
2015...because this refusal to reinvent themselves de facto marginalizes them. If they had known how to mix old and new influences a comeback could have been entirely possible...
2022...we will lose sight of them for almost 7 years but here they are again ! So will this new decade be one of return to grace ? Good question...
2022...an adventure that reaches 40 years, just that ! All based on a concept that has almost never evolved...
2022...so it's a real feat that the group will still be here in 2022, we're not going to lie. And we imagine that we risk seeing them again later...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :
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