Au Pairs (band)
Encyclopedia
The Au Pairs were a British
post-punk
band that formed in Birmingham
in 1979. Music historian Gillian G. Gaar noted in her history of women in rock that the band mingled male and female musicians in a revolutionary collaborative way, as part of its outspoken explorations of sexual politics.
is considered a post-punk classic with strong, sarcastic songs like "It's Obvious" and "We're So Cool" taking a dry look at gender relations. Other songs, such as "Armagh" with its refrain, "we don't torture" took a pro-republican look at the then ongoing Troubles
in Northern Ireland
, which caused some controversy at the time. The band performed in 1980 for the concert film
Urgh! A Music War
.
The band's second album, Sense and Sensuality (1982), showed an even greater influence of jazz
, soul
, funk
and disco
on the band's sound, but was less well received.
Following the departure of Jane Munro in 1983, she was replaced by Nick O'Connor (who also played piano / synthesizers in the group). At this time the group were further augmented by Jayne Morris (percussion and backing vocals) and Graeme Hamilton (trumpet). The band broke up in 1983, just before they were about to go into the studio to record an album with producer Steve Lillywhite
.
Woods formed an all woman band called the Darlings in the late 1980s, but then left the music industry. She now works as a lawyer in London. Guitarist Paul Foad remains an active musician, playing with Andy Hamilton
and the Blue Notes, a Jamaican jazz band, and teaching guitar in and around Birmingham. He has also published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled The Caged Guitarist (2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist (aromatherapy, reflexology and Indian head massage) in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band that formed in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1979. Music historian Gillian G. Gaar noted in her history of women in rock that the band mingled male and female musicians in a revolutionary collaborative way, as part of its outspoken explorations of sexual politics.
Career
Their first album Playing with a Different SexPlaying with a Different Sex
Playing with a Different Sex was the first album of British post-punk band Au Pairs. In its review, Allmusic described the album as "one of the great, and perhaps forgotten, post-punk records." The album peaked at #33 in Britain and launched the single "It's Obvious", which reached #37 on the Club...
is considered a post-punk classic with strong, sarcastic songs like "It's Obvious" and "We're So Cool" taking a dry look at gender relations. Other songs, such as "Armagh" with its refrain, "we don't torture" took a pro-republican look at the then ongoing Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, which caused some controversy at the time. The band performed in 1980 for the concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
Urgh! A Music War
Urgh! A Music War
Urgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1982 featuring performances by punk rock, New Wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. Among the artists featured in the movie are Magazine, The Go-Go's, The Fleshtones, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, XTC, Devo, The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Dead...
.
The band's second album, Sense and Sensuality (1982), showed an even greater influence of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
on the band's sound, but was less well received.
Following the departure of Jane Munro in 1983, she was replaced by Nick O'Connor (who also played piano / synthesizers in the group). At this time the group were further augmented by Jayne Morris (percussion and backing vocals) and Graeme Hamilton (trumpet). The band broke up in 1983, just before they were about to go into the studio to record an album with producer Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
.
Woods formed an all woman band called the Darlings in the late 1980s, but then left the music industry. She now works as a lawyer in London. Guitarist Paul Foad remains an active musician, playing with Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton (saxophonist)
Andy Raphael Thomas Hamilton MBE is a Jamaican-born British jazz saxophonist and composer.Hamilton was born in Port Maria, Jamaica, and learnt to play saxophone on a bamboo instrument...
and the Blue Notes, a Jamaican jazz band, and teaching guitar in and around Birmingham. He has also published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled The Caged Guitarist (2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist (aromatherapy, reflexology and Indian head massage) in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.
Singles
- "You" / "Domestic Departure" / "Kerb Crawler" (021 Records, OTO 2, 1979)
- "It's Obvious" / "Diet" (021 Records, OTO 4, 1980)
- "Inconvenience" / "Pretty Boys" (Human Records, HUM 8, 1981)
- "Inconvenience" / "Pretty Boys" / "Headache For Michelle" (remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
) (Human Records, HUM 8/12, 1981)
Albums
- Playing with a Different SexPlaying with a Different SexPlaying with a Different Sex was the first album of British post-punk band Au Pairs. In its review, Allmusic described the album as "one of the great, and perhaps forgotten, post-punk records." The album peaked at #33 in Britain and launched the single "It's Obvious", which reached #37 on the Club...
(Human Records, HUMAN 1, 1981) (#33 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) - Sense and SensualitySense and SensualitySense and Sensuality was the second album of British post-punk band Au Pairs. The album reached #79 in Britain. No singles were released from the album. The album cover wasn't approved by the band. There were errors on the recording, including it being recorded at too fast a speed, these were...
(Kamera Records, KAM 010, 1982) (#79 UK) - Live in Berlin (AKA Records, AKA6, recorded 1982, released 1983)
- Shocks to the System: The Very Best of the Au Pairs (Cherry Red, CDMRED161, 1999)
- Equal But Different - BBC Sessions 79-81 (RPM, RPM139)
- Sense and Sensuality (Remastered) (Castle Music, CMRCD 470, 2002)
-
- The Castle version corrects severe errors on the original version, including the too-fast speed of the Kamera Records release.
- Stepping Out of Line: The AnthologyStepping Out of Line: The AnthologyStepping Out of Line: The Anthology is a 2006 compilation cd containing every available track recorded by the brief-lived 1980s British post-punk band Au Pairs, described by All Music's reviewer as "one of the smartest, sharpest bands of the post-punk era."...
(Castle Music, CMQDD1338, released May 2006 in the UK)
- Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology
- The Castle version corrects severe errors on the original version, including the too-fast speed of the Kamera Records release.
Original members
- Lesley Woods - guitar/vocals
- Paul Foad - guitar/vocals
- Jane Munro - bass
- Pete Hammond - drums
External links
- Photos of the band
- VH1 page on the band
- Au Pairs Trouser Press Guide.