Original Mirrors were a British new wave band formed in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

in 1979. Featuring members of several earlier punk/new wave bands, they signed to

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

and released two albums before splitting up in 1981, with members going on to play in

the Lightning Seeds The Lightning Seeds (also known as Lightning Seeds) are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1989 by Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar, producer), formerly of the bands Big in Japan, Care, and Original Mirrors. Originally a studio-based so ...

and

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...

History

The band was formed in 1979 by songwriters

Ian Broudie Ian Zachary Broudie (born 4 August 1958) is an English musician and singer-songwriter from Liverpool. After emerging from the post-punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to produce albums (somet ...

(formerly of Big in Japan and Secrets) and Steve Allen (formerly of

Deaf School Deaf School is an English art rock/ new wave band, formed in Liverpool, England, in January 1974. Overview Between 1976 and 1978, the year in which they split up, Deaf School recorded three albums for the Warner Brothers label. The first alb ...

).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 448 They recruited former

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

/Stadium Dogs keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Perkins,

Phil Spalding Philip Spalding (born 19 November 1957, London, England) is an English bass player. He is best known as a session musician and player of Fender Precision Bass guitars. He has played and appeared with performing artists such as Mick Jagger, Sea ...

, formerly bassist with

Bernie Tormé Bernie Tormé (born Bernard Joseph Tormey; 18 March 1952 – 17 March 2019) was an Irish rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, record label and recording studio owner. Tormé is best known for his work with Gillan, as well as his brief stints wit ...

, and drummer

Pete Kircher Peter Derek Kircher (born 21 January 1945, Folkestone, Kent) is a retired English rock/ pop drummer. Between 1982 and 1985 he was a member of Status Quo, performing with the band at Live Aid and on the albums '' Live at the N.E.C.'' and '' Back ...

.Sutton, Michael
Original Mirrors Biography
,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. Retrieved 22 March 2013 They were signed by Mercury Records and their first release was the single "Could This Be Heaven" in November 1979. A second single, "Boys Cry", preceded a self-titled debut album in February 1980. Jimmy Hughes replaced Spalding prior to the band's second album, ''Heart, Twango & Raw Beat'' (1981). A final single, "20,000 Dreamers", followed before the band split up. Spalding left to join Toyah then later GTR and

Mike Oldfield Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...

's band. Broudie went on to form

Care Care may refer to: Organizations and projects * CARE (New Zealand), Citizens Association for Racial Equality, a former New Zealand organisation * CARE (relief agency), "Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere", an international aid and ...

and later the Lightning Seeds, also establishing himself as a successful producer. Kircher joined Status Quo in 1982, staying in the band until 1985. Allen went on to be Senior A&R Director at

WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...

's Eternal label.du Noyer, Paul (2007) ''Liverpool - Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture'', Virgin Books, , p. 114 Hughes joined Department S.

Discography

Albums

*''Original Mirrors'' (1980) *''Heart-Twango & Raw-Beat'' (1981) ;Compilations: *''Heartbeat - the Best of the Original Mirrors'' (1996)

Singles

*"Could This Be Heaven" (1979) *"Boys Cry" (1980) *"Flying" (1980) - Italy-only release *"Dancing with the Rebels" (1981) *"20,000 Dreamers" (1981)

References

External Links

* * {{Authority control English new wave musical groups Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups from Liverpool Musical groups disestablished in 1981 Mercury Records artists