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Biography
Prior to forming Dead or Alive, Pete Burns had already gained a taste for the music industry, with the acts, Mystery Girl and the proto-goths Nightmares in Wax. In 1980, Dead or Alive took shape and Pete Burns was joined by keyboardist Martin Healey, drummer Joe Musker, bassist Mike Percy and guitarist Wayne Hussey.
Their first recordings, “I’m Falling” and “Number Eleven,” had a distinct Doors-feel, gradually gaining momentum in the charts. Yet their early sound fell out of favour after the new romantic scene arrived, with Burns attacking Boy George of Culture Club for stealing his androgynous image. Nonetheless, Dead of Alive continued, developing into a dance-pop act which quickly gained the attention of Epic Records, through their “Been Hours” EP and its single, “The Stranger.”
A number of singles appeared in 1983, notably “Many Circles” and “What I Want,” which laid the groundwork for the breakout success of their KC & The Sunshine Band cover, “That’s the Way (I Like It)” which threatened to break into the UK Top 20.
After lineup changes, leaving only Burns, Percy, new keyboardist Tim Lever and new drummer Steve Coy, Dead or Alive began work on their debut. In 1985, it was released and “Sophisticated Boom Boom” found the band a growing legion of fans. It was the single “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” which became their signature tune, storming to the top of the charts, signalling the start of the winning formula for the production team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman, it being their first number one success also.
The following album, “Youthquake,” again was a smash hit, bolstered by the success of the singles, “Lover Come Back to Me,” “In Too Deep” and “My Heart Goes Bang.” The next year, Dead or Alive were still riding on a wave of popularity which saw “Brand New Lover” find commercial success. However, in 1987, “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know,” was a huge flop which dampened the band’s momentum.
Following 1989’s “Nude,” Lever and Percy left the band, leaving the duo of Burns and Coy to continue. A steady string of albums followed, with “Fan the Flame,” “Part One” and “Nukleopatra,” yet Dead or Alive failed to reignite the heights of past successes. Later performances remained popular still, with Dead or Alive retaining a strong following well into their 30 year career, as well as being a popular act in Japan. This continued success was in part due to a resurgence of popularity following Pete Burns’ appearance on “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2006.
Live reviews
Even if it does conjure up images of Max and Paddy from Phoenix Nights singing along raucously to it as they drove a minibus through Bolton, Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’ is a genuine eighties classic, infusing the new wave stylings of the time with some genuine dance-pop energy. Their failure to repeat the success of that track has had them pegged as one-hit wonders ever since, though, with their musical output often overshadowed by the decidedly colourful private life of frontman Pete Burns; a controversial appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 saw their signature track re-released - in re-recorded form, to be fair - and reach number five in the charts. In 2011, Burns stated that Dead or Alive were permanently disbanded, after a planned tour in 2010 failed to materialise; that now means that they haven’t toured the UK properly since the eighties, when they’d lean heavily on their most successful record, Youthquake, as well as cuts from their other records, with a full live band. There’s still plenty of opportunity for bands like Dead or Alive to join their peers on the nostalgia circuit, but they’ve opted against taking the money; to be fair, though, they turned out one more pop classic than most bands manage in a lifetime.
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