Vice Versa (band)

Vice Versa is a synthpop band from Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. Vice Versa originally consisted of Stephen Singleton, Mark White and David Sydenham, all of whom would go on to later found the successful 1980s pop group ABC. The band was active from 1977 to 1980 with the afore-mentioned line-up, and reformed in 2015 without Sydenham. Vice Versa are considered as one of the 'Big Four' late-'70s minimalistic electronic/synth-based bands from Sheffield. They share this title with Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA and The Human League, the latter whom they supported in 1978.[1]

History

Vice Versa 2015 line-up
Vice Versa's 2015 line up of Stephen Singleton (left) and Mark White

The band was formed in 1977 by Stephen Singleton, Mark White and David Sydenham, with Singleton and Sydenham on synthesisers and White on vocals. Their first concert took place at the Doncaster Outlook club supporting Wire. Their first major Sheffield gig was with The Human League at the Now Society at Sheffield University, called 'Wot, no Drummers', in reference to the fact that drum machines were used by all participating bands in place of real drums.[2]

In late 1978 Stephen and Mark founded their own independent record label called Neutron Records to release their music, as synth-based music was still being ignored by the major music labels and music industry as a whole at the time.

Their first release came in the form of 1979's EP 'Music 4', which was followed up by the release of a set of prints and a manifesto.

In 1980, the group released a six-sided fold-out EP named '1980: The First Fifteen Minutes'. Alongside Vice Versa, Clock DVA, The Stunt Kites and I'm So Hollow (all then-local groups) each contributed one track to the EP, providing each of the bands their first proper vinyl exposure before getting their own record deals ever after. The EP was also named 'single of the week' by NME, much to the surprise of the group.

At that time and after Sydenham had decided to leave the band, the group played a numerous amount of gigs in the UK. Sydenham was eventually replaced by Martin Fry, who at that time was writing for his fanzine 'Modern Drugs', where he interviewed Stephen and Mark and then 'never left'. During 1980 Vice Versa made two more releases; the cassette-only album '8 Aspects of', followed by their only single release, 'Stilyagi' (with 'Eyes Of Christ' as the B-side). The tracks were taken from the afore-mentioned cassette album and remixed (apparently from the very cassette at the Backstreet/Backlash Studio in Rotterdam), and this would peove to be the group's final release in their initial incarnation.

When touring in the Netherlands they were invited to jam in a studio in Rotterdam, where Martin Fry started to improvise on vocals. Everybody was surprised by the quality of his voice, and decided to make him the lead singer of the band. The group then spent about a year writing new songs and thinking of a new name and concept; this progress being the Vice Versa-to-ABC transformation.[1][3]

In 2014, German label VOD Records released a box-set named 'Electrogenesis 1978-1980',[4] which was compiled by the original band members Singleton and White. The box set included 4 LPs and a bonus 7" ('Genetic Warfare' by Vice Versa and Adi Newton). The set also includes an extensive 48 page LP-sized history of Vice Versa and Neutron Records with many unpublished photographs, unseen original artwork, a metal enamel badge, four full-colour printed innersleeves and, in honour of the venue that gave Vice Versa their first opputunities, the box also includes a paper kit synthesiser called 'nowsoc78', which could assembled with scissors and glue.

The 4 LPs compiled in the box-set are:

Creating the box set led to the reformation of Vice Versa in 2015. In December of the same year the duo released a Christmas single called 'Little Drum Machine Boy', which was available to download for free on Soundcloud. They are currently writing and recording new material.

Discography

Year Title Product Label Catalogue number
1979 Music 4 7" EP Neutron Records NT001
1979 Neutron Datapack Data Neutron Records NT002
1979 1980: The First 15 Minutes 7"EP Neutron Records NT003
1980 8 Aspects Of Vice Versa CAS album Neutron Records Neutron cassette
1980 Stilyagi / Eyes Of Christ 7" Backstreet Records (NL) BBR003
2014 Electrogenesis 1978-1980 4LP box VOD Records (GE) VOD116
2015 Little Drum Machine Boy Single download White label N/A

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Vice Versa at sheffieldvision.com
  2. ↑ "Vice Versa biography on VOD Records".
  3. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (2005) Rip it up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, Faber & Faber, ISBN 0-571-21570-X
  4. ↑ VOD Records at VOD Records Germany

External links

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