Originally formed in 1985 by lead vocalist and guitarist Nick Van Eede, lead guitarist Kevin MacMichael, bassist Colin Farley, and drummer Martin Beedle, frontman Van Eede had formally found success with the group, The Drivers. It was during a Canadian tour with The Drivers, Nick Van Eede happened upon Kevin MacMichael, and following The Drivers’ disbandment in 1983, the two began collaborating. The pair subsequently relocated to London, recorded a series of demos, and invited bassist Farley and drummer Beedle to complete the lineup.
In 1986 Cutting Crew signed with the major label Virgin Records and before long were catapulted to UK and U.S. consciousness with their debut single “(I Just) Died in Your Arms”. The single proved Virgin Records’ first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, and also charted within the Top 10 in the UK, Canada, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Boasting addictive synths, easy-grooves and candid lyricism the single paved the way for their debut full-length album “Broadcast” in July 1986. Rising to No. 16 on the Billboard 200, No. 11 in Canada and No. 41 in the UK, the album was a worldwide success, and spawned the subsequent singles “One for the Mockingbird” and “I’ve Been in Love Before”.
Following disputes with their management, Cutting Crew’s sophomore album wasn’t released until early 1989. Led by the single “(Between a) Rock and a Hard Place”, the album was a comparative flop in light of its predecessor, however produced the singles “Everything But My Pride” and “The Last Thing”. After the release Colin Farley and Martin Beedle left the band and were not replaced for Cutting Crew’s third full-length “Compus Mentus” released in 1992. Continuing the trend of non-charting albums, the band’s fourth full-length “Grinning Souls” appeared in 2005, followed by “Add to Favourites” in 2015.
Strobe lights flash, smoke machines mask everything in thick fog, multicolored bulbs send sparks of light glinting across the stage, and the beginning of “I've Been In Love Before” envelopes the chaotic scene. This is how a Cutting Crew concert begins, and the sound only grows as the instruments are joined with a thousand clapping hands and Nik Van Eede's voice is matched by hundreds of others.
Cutting Crew is a pop/rock group formed in England in 1985. They were made famous by their debut song “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight”, which came off of their first album, Broadcast. That premier album rocketed the formerly unknown band up to No. 1 in the major US, Canadian, Norwegian and other markets. “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight” was number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and was rated number one in eighteen countries. This romantic tune is a clean example of classic 80s rock. Cutting Crew followed their first album with three more, and their quality never paled.
Cutting Crew are great live both playing low key acoustics and full blown rock n roll, and their ability to jump between the two make them a remarkable band to see light up the stage. Nearly twenty years after their debut, they still know how to rock it, and seeing one concert will leave you compulsively checking sites for the next time they're in town.
ZoeWhittall
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