Monday, September 26, 2011

Haircut One Hundred - Love Plus One

Haircut One Hundred.  Just the name brings us back to early 1982 MTV, when the station was new and fresh and they played a bunch of cool, slightly off-the-beaten-trail bands.

Technically a one-hit wonder (their first single, "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" did not chart in spite of heavy airplay on the aforementioned channel), the band nevertheless emerged as one of the biggest pop/new wave stars of 1982.  This was during the "nonthreatening English pop/new wave era" that included ABC, A Flock of Seagulls, Thomas Dolby, and Thompson Twins, among many others.

Interestingly, Haircut's first album, 1982's Pelican West did not chart in the U.S., but peaked at #2 in the U.K. (where it went platinum).  However, "Love Plus One" managed to break into the American top 40 at #37.  Ultra light and breezy, the singles (and videos) are still remarkably catchy, in a "Walking on Sunshine" kind of way.

With their new found success, the band fell apart almost immediately, as Nick Heyward (the songwriter, singer and guitarist for Haircut One Hundred) left to start a solo career.  While he did have a few minor hits in the U.K., he was basically never heard from again on this side of the Atlantic, and Haircut One Hundred slowly faded away ... until now.

1 comment:

  1. And by the way, "Love Plus One" really does have a cool bass line. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes. Or, you could just check it out:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rouMhpYVcX8

    ReplyDelete