Following the 40th anniversary release of their iconic single “Pagan Lovesong” for this year’s Record Store Day, the music Virgin Prunes is, at long last, easily available to listen to for established and new fans alike.
During their brief but prolific stint, Virgin Prunes released five albums. Now, for the first time ever, all albums will be available via BMG to Global Streaming Services.
The band was formed in 1977 by a group of childhood friends in Lypton Village in Dublin, Ireland. They featured Gavin Friday and fellow vocalist Guggi, along with third vocalist Dave-iD Busaras, guitarist Dik Evans (who happens to be the brother of U2’s The Edge), bassist Strongman (Trevor Rowen, brother of Guggi), and original drummer Pod (Anthony Murphy).
Pod was later replaced by Haa-Lacka Binttii (Daniel Figgis). After the recording of three songs, Figgs left the band and formed Princess Tinymeat. Binttii was then replaced by Mary D’Nellon (né David Kelly) on drums, solidifying the band’s classic lineup.
Their stage performances conveyed a hybrid mix of glam-rock and theatrics bordering on ‘Hammer Horror,” carrying the torch from shock rock stalwarts of the 60s, but with them their distinctive poetical stamp on the genre, as seen with their 1979 televised performance ‘Theme for Thought’, whose lyrics include a quote from ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ by Oscar Wilde.
The Virgin Prunes released their first EP in January of 1981, featuring the single “Twenty Tens”, which was followed up by “Moments and Mine (Despite Straight Lines)” in June of that year. In 1982, the band released back-to-back iconic singles with “Pagan Lovesong” in April, and “Baby Turns Blue” in October, heralding the release of their full-length album …If I Die, I Die that November.
Between 1983 and 1985, Virgin Prunes released several EPS and compilation albums. Dik and Guggi would then depart the band before the release of the final Virgin Prunes album The Moon Looked Down and Laughed. Gavin followed suit in 1986, and the band saw its dissolution in 1988.
Despite their short time in existence, the Virgin Prunes have obtained an undying legacy as of the best and most influential avant-garde bands of the post-punk era.
You can listen to the Virgin Prunes discography here.
- A NEW FORM OF BEAUTY (1981)
- IF I DIE, I DIE (1982)
- HERESIE (1982)
- OVER THE RAINBOW (A COMPILATION OF RARITIES 1981-1983) (1985)
- THE MOON LOOKED DOWN AND LAUGHED (1986)
The Virgin Prunes have also opened a brand new Merch Store with exclusive t-shirts and tote bags.
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