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Career Overview

 * Scottish indie band fronted by Clare Grogan. Active from 1979-83, during which time the group issued three albums: 'Happy Birthday' (1981), 'Pinky Blue' (1982) and 'Bite' (1983).
 * Their early style was spiky, reminiscent at times of Siouxsie & The Banshees, whom the group had supported on tour in 1980. This was soon smoothed into a more mainstream pop sound that brought them 6 Top 40 hit singles, 3 of which made the top 10.
 * Peel famously contributed backing vocals and whistling to the group's cover of the Neil Diamond tune 'Song Sung Blue', issued on their second album, 'Pinky Blue' (1982). He would give this an airing every so often.
 * 'Dead Pop Stars' was one of the selections chosen for the Peelenium of 1981.
 * Featured on the 1981 Christmas edition of Top of the Pops.

Sessions
1. Beckoning Strings / Legionnaire (Instrumental) / Insects / Dead Pop Stars

Recorded 1980-10-07. First broadcast 16 October 1980. Repeated 10 November 1980, 14 June 1983.

2. A Day's Wait / Idols / Midnight / Jeepster

Recorded 1981-03-02. First broadcast 10 March 1981. Repeated 23 March 1981.

3. Yellow And It Might / Pinky Blue / Little Brown Head / Song Sung Blue

Recorded 1981-09-04. First broadcast 22 September 1981. Repeated 30 December 1981, 25 February 1985.

Festive 50 Entries

 * 'Dead Pop Stars' FF 1981 #15.
 * 'Happy Birthday' FF 1981 #50.
 * 'Dead Pop Stars' All-Time 1982 #21.

Featured in shows
1981 1982 1983 Later years
 * 07 April 1981: Leave Me Alone (b-side 'Dead Pop Stars' cassette single) Epic
 * 12 May 1981: A Day's Wait (7 inch) Epic
 * 28 April 1982: Pinky Blue (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 28 April 1982: Forgotten (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 28 April 1982: Little Brown Head (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 28 April 1982: Jump Jump (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 28 April 1982: See You Later (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 28 April 1982: Song Sung Blue (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 03 May 1982: Little Brown Head (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 03 May 1982: Goodnight And I Wish (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 04 May 1982: Song Sung Blue (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 29 July 1982: Idols (LP - Happy Birthday) Epic
 * 13 June 1983: Another Lost Look (LP - Bite) Epic
 * 13 June 1983: Now That You're Here (LP - Bite) Epic
 * 13 June 1983: Stand So Quiet (LP - Bite) Epic
 * 15 August 1989: Beckoning Strings (LP - Happy Birthday) Epic
 * 06 August 1990: Dead Pop Stars (7 inch) Epic
 * 14 October 1990: Dead Pop Stars (7 inch) Epic
 * 07 July 1991: Song Sung Blue (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic
 * 05 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): I Could Be Happy
 * 01 October 1997: I Could Be Happy
 * 07 December 1999: Dead Pop Stars (7 inch) Epic - Peelenium
 * 20 August 2002: Insects (b-side 'I Could Be Happy' 7 inch) Epic
 * 05 November 2003: Song Sung Blue (LP - Pinky Blue) Epic