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The Teardrop Explodes

In 1978, Liverpudlian Juian Cope formed The Teardrop Explodes with drummer Gary Dwyer, organist Paul Simpson and guitarist Mick Finkler, with himself as singer, bass player and principal songwriter.

 Drawing on a post-punk version of West Coast pop music, the band became part of a wave of such Liverpool bands. Cope and Dwyer (and later their manager-turned-keyboard player David Balfe) were the only band constants, although seven other members passed in and out of the line-up during the band's fractious four-year existence. 

Several well-received early singles (including "Treason") culminated in the band's biggest hit, "Reward", which hit number 6 in the UK singles chart and took their "Kilimanjaro" album to number 24 in the album charts. Cope's photogenic charm and wild, garrulous interview style helped keep the band in the media eye, and made him a short-lived teen idol during the band's peak.

"Reward", I remember having the words to this track buzzing around my head for days


"Treason"

"Passionate Friend", a personal favourite

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