Dead Famous People

Dead Famous People were a New Zealand indie pop band formed in Auckland, active from the latter half of the 1980s.

History

The band formed in 1986 and comprised Donna Savage (vocals), Elizabeth (Biddy) Leyland (keyboards and vocals), Wendy Kjestrup (guitar and vocals), Jenny Renals (bass guitar) and Robyn Tearle (drums).^[1] After a couple of releases in New Zealand, including an EP on Flying Nun Records, giving them some success in their homeland, they relocated to London, where they signed for Billy Bragg's Utility Records label, with Gill Moon replacing Tearle.^[2] Utility issued the band's Arriving Late in Torn and Filthy Jeans mini-LP in 1989, and it became the label's biggest-selling release.^[2] They received regular airplay from John Peel and recorded a session for his BBC Radio 1 show in 1989.^[3] The band split up in mid-1990. Savage joined Saint Etienne on their cover version of The Field Mice's "Let's Kiss and Make Up", and subsequently recorded as a solo artist, as did Leyland.^[1] Savage also provided backing vocals on The Chills' "Heavenly Pop Hit".^[4]

The band contributed a version of "True Love Leaves No Traces" to the 1991 Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan.^[5]

Savage continued with the Dead Famous People name, with various collaborators, and another album, Secret Girls Business, was issued in 2002, featuring six previously-unreleased tracks.

Discography

Singles, EPs

• "Drive Away" (1987), Craft - split Flexi-disc with Screeming Custard
• Lost Persons Area (1987), Flying Nun - 12-inch vinyl EP

Albums

• Arriving Late in Torn and Filthy Jeans (1989), Utility
• All Hail The Daffodil (1994), La-Di-Da - 'best of' compilation
• Secret Girls Business (2002), Global Routes

Compilation appearances

• In Love With These Times (1989), Flying Nun: "Barlow's House"
• Borobudur (1990), La-Di-Da: "All Hail The Daffodil"
• I'm Your Fan (1991), Atlantic: "True Love leaves No Traces"
• La Di Da..so far (1991), La-Di-Da: "With Wings We'll Soar The Heavens"
• La Di Bloody Da (1994), La-Di-Da: "Desperate Orange Love Plunge"
• 25 Years Box (2006), Flying Nun: "Barlow's House"

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 294
2. ^ ^{a b} Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0231-3, p. 118-9
3. ^ "11/06/1989 - Dead Famous People", Keeping It Peel, BBC, retrieved 2010-06-19
4. ^ "Dead Famous People All Hail The Daffodil (review), Option, 1992
5. ^ Wice, Nathaniel (1992) "Various Artists I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen", SPIN, January 1992, retrieved 2010-06-19