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Mar 09, 2021 Web Exclusive By Dom Gourlay

If one band typifies the whole glamour and synthetic era of the early 1980s it would probably be Classix Nouveaux. They were pioneers of the whole New Romantic and Futurist scenes in some respects, having formed in 1979 out of the ashes of new wave outfit The News and legendary punk band X Ray Spex, whose iconic singer Poly Styrene had recently left.

Inspired by David Bowie and Roxy Music but far more in tune with electronic pop than punk rock, Classix Nouveaux were heralded as the next big thing by sections of the music press alongside the likes of Ultravox, Japan, and Spandau Ballet. Unashamedly pretentious and grandiose in their outlook, it wouldn’t be amiss to suggest they were too outlandish for a UK market wanting something more familiar and relatable.

What set them apart from their peers was undoubtedly founder member, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sal Solo. He was a striking presence whose imposing demeanor was equal parts Nosferatu and Telly Savalas, yet utterly stylish and flamboyant all the same. His vocals were also among the most distinctive from the decade, Solo’s falsetto ranking alongside that of The Associates’ Billy MacKenzie or Jimi Somerville from Bronski Beat then later The Communards in being instantly recognizable after the first few bars.

The Classix Nouveaux story is one of a band that never quite broke through in their native UK. “Is It a Dream” off their second album La Verite proving to be the band’s only Top 20 single. Yet by the same token Classix Nouveaux went onto have immeasurable success in other parts of the world, particularly Eastern Europe and Scandinavia which was relatively unheard of for an overseas band back then.

The Liberty Recordings (1981-1983) documents their entire recorded output across four CDs. Housed in a sophisticated box sleeve along with a 20-page booklet containing a recent interview with Sal Solo and artwork spanning the band’s career. It’s a lavish assortment but one that befits its subject matters graciously, even if some of the recordings haven’t dated that well.

Debut album Night People and its American counterpart Classix Nouveaux—released in 1981 to unsuspecting audiences on both sides of the Atlantic—retain an innocence about them that fully justifies the hype surrounding the band at the time. Singles “Inside Outside” and “Guilty” would still fill any dancefloor today while the more intuitive likes of “No Sympathy, No Violins” and “The Protector Of Night” rival any of their contemporaries from the same era for elegance and drama.

Follow-up La Verite was undoubtedly their highpoint, its three singles all receiving heavy rotation on both radio and the newly launched MTV. Even if curiously the weakest of the three (the aforementioned “Is It a Dream”) proved a bigger hit than the far superior “Never Again” and “Because You’re Young.”

By the time third and final album Secret landed in 1983, the writing was already on the wall as far as breaking the UK was concerned. Several line up changes ensued before the band were eventually dropped by their label, and while continuing to fill stadiums in Poland and Yugoslavia (as it was back then) among others, Classix Nouveaux split up with Sal Solo going onto have a relatively successful solo career (if you’ll pardon the pun).

Listening to The Liberty Recordings (1981-1983) today, it’s clear Classix Nouveaux were a band ahead of their time even if their 15 minutes in the sun pretty much amounted to that. Nevertheless, this is a fitting epitaph for a band whose music is often criminally omitted from any discussion about that said decade. (www.cherryred.co.uk)

Author rating: 7.5/10