An old New Wave act - anyone remember?

March 1, 2007 5:58 PM

I'm trying to recall an obscure New Wave record.

I bought it for a dollar in some delete bin somewhere around 1985. Dark blue cover with a letterboxed photo of 2 guys (I'm certain the band was a duo). I'm pretty sure the guys looked alike (brothers?) and were both dressed in white. The music was synth-based semi-commerical stuff with a slight edge. In my mind, the words "silent" and "motion" are connected to the album - could be the band name or song title(s). This was not a one-hit wonder act.

posted by davebush to media & arts (26 answers total)

I know this isn't the album you described, but could this be the band?

Sparks
posted by baltimore at 6:11 PM on March 1, 2007

The Proclaimers?
posted by iconomy at 6:13 PM on March 1, 2007

Sparks was my first thought as well. Here's a discography.
posted by scody at 6:19 PM on March 1, 2007

I don't know, but: Soft Cell and Naked Eyes were both "two guy" bands. Either of those ring a bell?
posted by crapples at 6:29 PM on March 1, 2007

Can you provide any more details, like whether you bought it in the UK or the States or elsewhere, and whether it might have been an album release, EP or compilation?
posted by ardgedee at 6:41 PM on March 1, 2007

Tears for Fears and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, too - 80s duos of two guys that looked somewhat alike.
posted by iconomy at 6:42 PM on March 1, 2007

Not Pet Shop Boys, surely.
posted by Kwantsar at 6:51 PM on March 1, 2007

Here's about as close as I can find. It came out in '87, and it's not that edgy...
posted by ardgedee at 7:07 PM on March 1, 2007

It was a full LP, quite likely on a major label. Purchased in Canada. Believe me, this band is far more obscure than Sparks, Tears for Fears or OMD. I wish I could recall more about the album but that's all I've got.
posted by davebush at 7:18 PM on March 1, 2007

Not dark blue, but maybe The Dolphin Brothers?
posted by biscotti at 7:36 PM on March 1, 2007

Gene Loves Jezebel?
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 8:18 PM on March 1, 2007

I bet this guy would know. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of that era.
posted by vronsky at 8:41 PM on March 1, 2007

Long shot here, but it wasn't Ebn-Ozn was it? "Motion" sort of sounds like "Ozn".
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:24 PM on March 1, 2007

Also, check this site:
http://www.abecedarians.com/
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 9:55 PM on March 1, 2007

China Crisis?

[however the look you describe: a couple of pasty looking dudes with moody lighting, big hair, clinical affiliation for white clothes and some synths in the background was pretty widespread at the time - I know cause I aspired to be one of those guys at the time]
posted by rongorongo at 1:32 AM on March 2, 2007

Kon Kan?
posted by Lucinda at 4:57 AM on March 2, 2007

So, are any of these the one you were looking for... ?
posted by iconomy at 5:41 AM on March 2, 2007

Mystery still unsolved.
posted by davebush at 7:15 AM on March 2, 2007

This is driving me crazy! Can you think of anything else that might help us find it?
posted by iconomy at 7:47 AM on March 2, 2007

is it wham
posted by baker dave at 8:43 AM on March 2, 2007

What first came to mind was the cover of OMD's Best of OMD, but that's been ruled out -- and its release date was 1990.

Try to get your hands on the book This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Album Covers.
posted by ericb at 9:12 AM on March 2, 2007

It's kinda driving me crazy as well. The problem is that all the suggestions offered are mostly well known bands. There were countless acts from that era who released one album then vanished, similar to Ricky Gervais' "Seona Dancing."

ericb - I've seen that book and it doesn't include the album in question.

If I had to guess, the band's name was two words.
posted by davebush at 11:02 AM on March 2, 2007

Success! The band was "Minor Detail" - I was right, 2 Irish brothers. Here's the cover
posted by davebush at 11:09 AM on March 2, 2007

how did u find this out?
posted by baker dave at 12:11 PM on March 2, 2007

yeah, how??
posted by vronsky at 12:23 PM on March 2, 2007

Via Google I found this page
posted by davebush at 2:11 PM on March 2, 2007