However, original Department S keyboard player and now frontman Eddie Roxy insists it’s not a pop millstone around their necks. The single reached No 22 in the charts and eventually sold more than 200,000 copies, meaning that now the band has been revived, it’s a must-play part of their set. Anyone who was around in 1981 will remember the Department S single, Is Vic There? Meanwhile, the origin of Department S as Guns For Hire parallels that of the novel Naked Came The Stranger, or that of the fictional recreational downer mint Vip in the movie Lover Come Back.IT WAS a classic one-hit wonder. This was a clever way of alluding to the plot's partial derivation from episodes of the TV series Department S. Former keyboard player Eddie Roxy replaces Vaughan Toulouse on vocals.ĭepartment S lived on in spirit as the fictional band Drive Shaft on the TV serial Lost. 3:53 AM Anonymous said.ĭepartment S are playing a gig in Brighton on Saturday December 10th at The Green Door Store, BN1 4FQ. No other music can take place Live Music Band. Thanks for all Music stuffs that you always shared. i have their only release and it's fucking decent. the second guns for hire single was a joke and does not exist.
The single was i'm going to rough my girlfriend's boyfriend up tonight. it started as buttons and press, so they finally did a single and played around a bit. They had a great sound, love the video as well, admittedly i know very little about this band. Paul Weller once listed him as one of his favourite guitarists. Mike Herbage was the lead guitar player and co-song writer. Very 80s too!!!!! 5:46 AM Anonymous said. Very enigmatic and atmospheric and original. The b-side of "Going Left Right" is a real classic too - "She's Expecting You". One Of The Really Lost Bands Of The New Wave. I got it from EMusic where lots of other obscurities lurk so it's well worth a visit. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. Keep up the good work 5:20 PM Anonymous said. Any chance of hosting the MP3 again as I'd love to get this track. Good cover of T-Rex's Solid Gold Easy Action on the b-side too. I bought 'Is Vic There' single and loved it. Thank you for keeping the New Wave alive! (I got my Police tickets for July in Chicago!) For a great fiction read with heavy New Wave overtones, check out "Gutter Boys." Best, Bill S. Was very disappointed that they never made it.
Go to the download page to get Department S - "Going Left Right" 12" version Hear some more music and watch some videos at the Department S myspace page.
Sadly vocalist Vaughn Toulouse died of AIDS-related illness in 1991
Increased friction between band members and lack of management support was the final undoing.Mau Mau Records released a CD collection in 1993 but a thorough release of the Department S material came out in 2003. Then Stiff decided to stiff the band and didn't release the record. The band experienced some line-up changes and a shift in musical styles. They recorded an album called "Sub-Stance" with producer David Tickle who engineered Blondie's "Parallel Lines". The band appeared on Top of the Pops and a Smash Hits cover. Formed from the ashes of faux ska band Guns For Hire, and named after a tv detective spoof, London's Department S released three singles between 19 including "Is Vic There? ","Going Left Right" and "I Want" on Stiff Records.