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Pete Shelley (born Peter Campbell McNeish; 17 April 1955 – 6 December 2018) was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
band
Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...
with
Howard Devoto Howard Devoto (born Howard Andrew Trafford, 15 March 1952) is a retired English singer and songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for punk rock band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, one of the first post-punk bands. After M ...
in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when Devoto left. The group released their biggest hit "
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group Buzzcocks. It was a number 12 hit on the UK Singles Chart and was included on the album '' Love Bites''. Background and writi ...
" in 1978. The band broke up in 1981 and reformed at the end of the decade. Shelley also had a solo career; his song " Homosapien" charted in the US in 1981.


Biography

Shelley was born to Margaret and John McNeish at 48 Milton Street, in
Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staf ...
,
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
. His mother was an ex-mill worker in the town and his father was a fitter at Astley Green Colliery. He had a younger brother, Gary. Shelley's stage name is inspired by
Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...
, his favourite
Romantic poet Romantic poetry is the poetry of the Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. It involved a reaction against prevailing Enlightenment ideas of the 18t ...
.


Buzzcocks

Shelley formed
Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...
with
Howard Devoto Howard Devoto (born Howard Andrew Trafford, 15 March 1952) is a retired English singer and songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for punk rock band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, one of the first post-punk bands. After M ...
after they met at the Bolton Institute of Technology (now the
University of Bolton , established = 2004 – gained University Status 1982 – Bolton Institute of Higher Education , type = Public , endowment = £160,000 (2009) , administrative_staff = 700+ , chancellor ...
) in 1975 and subsequently travelled to
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...
, near London, to see the Sex Pistols. The band included bass guitarist Steve Diggle and drummer John Maher; they made their first appearance in 1976 in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, opening for the Sex Pistols. In 1977 Buzzcocks released their first EP, ''
Spiral Scratch ''Spiral Scratch'' is an EP and the first release by the English punk rock band Buzzcocks. It was released on 29 January 1977. It is one of the earliest releases by a British punk band (preceded by The Damned's " New Rose" in October 1976, a ...
'', on their independent label, New Hormones. When Devoto left the band in February 1977, Shelley took over as the lead vocalist and chief songwriter. Working with the producer
Martin Rushent Martin Charles Rushent (11 July 1948 – 4 June 2011) was an English record producer, best known for his work with The Human League, The Stranglers and Buzzcocks. Early life Rushent was born on 11 July 1948 in Enfield, Middlesex. His father ...
, the band created the punk/new wave singles "
Orgasm Addict "Orgasm Addict'" is a song by the English punk rock band Buzzcocks. It was the A-side of the Buzzcocks' first single, with "Whatever Happened To...?" as the B-side, which was released on 4 November 1977 by record label United Artists. Cover im ...
", " What Do I Get?" and "
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group Buzzcocks. It was a number 12 hit on the UK Singles Chart and was included on the album '' Love Bites''. Background and writi ...
", along with three LPs: ''
Another Music in a Different Kitchen ''Another Music in a Different Kitchen'' is the first studio album by the English punk rock band Buzzcocks. It was released in March 1978 by the United Artists record label. This was the third line-up of Buzzcocks, with the guitarist Pete Shelley ...
'' (1978), '' Love Bites'' (1978) and ''
A Different Kind of Tension ''A Different Kind of Tension'' is the third studio album by English punk rock band Buzzcocks. It was released in September 1979 by record label United Artists. It charted at number 26 in the United Kingdom and number 163 in the United States ...
'' (1979). Difficulties with their record company and a dispute with
Virgin Publishing Virgin Books is a British book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Group, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company. History Virgin established its book publishing arm ...
over the UK release of their greatest hits record, ''
Singles Going Steady ''Singles Going Steady'' is a compilation album by English punk rock band Buzzcocks, first released on I.R.S. Records in the United States on 25 September 1979. Background ''Singles Going Steady'' was the first Buzzcocks album to be released ...
'', brought the band to a halt in 1981. Shelley developed a different personal image from many of his rebellious 1970s punk contemporaries, telling ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' in 1978, "I won't be nasty. We’re just four nice lads, the kind of people you could take home to your parents."


Solo career

Shelley's solo debut album '' Sky Yen'' was recorded in 1974, but remained unheard until it was released on 12" vinyl on Shelley's own label, Groovy Records, in March 1980. It was recorded as a continuous piece of music using a purpose-built
oscillator Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum ...
, and used layered electronics and playback speed manipulation to achieve its experimental feel. Rooted in
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
, it has been compared with
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
. Also released on Groovy Records was the soundtrack LP ''Hangahar'' by
Sally Timms Sally Timms (born 29 November 1959) is an English singer and lyricist. Timms is best known for her long involvement with The Mekons whom she joined in 1985.Sally Timmsat Allmusic Career Born in Leeds, in 1959,Wallenfeldt, Jeffthe Mekons in ...
and Lindsay Lee, which included Shelley as a musician, and an album by artists Eric Random,
Barry Adamson Barry Adamson (born 11 June 1958)Biography
. Barryadamson.com. is an English pop and rock music ...
and Francis Cookson under the name ''Free Agents''. Groovy Records did not release any other records. In 1981, Shelley released his first solo single, " Homosapien", produced by Rushent. On this recording he returned to his original interests in electronic music and shifted emphasis from guitar to synthesiser; Rushent's elaborate drum machine and synthesiser programming laid the groundwork for his next production, the chart-topping album '' Dare'' by
the Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
. "Homosapien" was banned by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
for "explicit reference to gay sex". "Homosapien" peaked at number fourteen in the US dance chart. Shelley talked openly about his
bisexuality Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
at this time, which had been implicit in many of the songs he had written, but now came to wider attention due to "Homosapien" and the BBC ban. The single was followed by an LP of the same title. Shelley released his second LP ''
XL1 ''XL1'' is the second solo album by Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley. It reached number 42 in the UK Albums Chart, remaining in that listing for four weeks. The single "Telephone Operator" charted at No. 66 in the UK Singles Chart, making it hi ...
'' in 1983 on Genetic Records. As well as the minor hit "Telephone Operator", the album included a computer program for the
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...
with lyrics and graphics that displayed in time to the music. ''XL1'' was produced by Rushent and Shelley. In mid-1984, Shelley released the single "Never Again", followed by the album ''Heaven and the Sea'' in 1986. In 1987, he followed the album with a new song, "Do Anything", for the film '' Some Kind of Wonderful''. He composed the theme music for the intro of the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, which was used from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Shelley recorded a new version of "Homosapien", called "Homosapien II", in 1989. The single featured four mixes of the new recording. He played with various other musicians during his career, including
the Invisible Girls The Invisible Girls were a British rock band, formed in Salford, Greater Manchester in 1978, to provide a musical backdrop to the recorded output of Salford punk poet John Cooper Clarke. The band's nucleus was Joy Division and New Order produc ...
who backed punk poet
John Cooper Clarke John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a " punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with se ...
. Shelley also formed a short-lived band called the Tiller Boys. He briefly reunited with Howard Devoto to make the LP '' Buzzkunst'', released in 2002. Shelley appeared on the 2005 debut EP by the Los Angeles band
the Adored The Adored were an American power pop, garage and punk band based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Until 2007, they were signed to V2 Records in North America (reportedly signed by former Black Flag and Circle Jerks frontman Keith Mo ...
, who toured with Buzzcocks the following year.


Buzzcocks reform

Buzzcocks reunited in 1989 and released a new full-length album, ''
Trade Test Transmissions ''Trade Test Transmissions'' is the fourth studio album by English pop punk band Buzzcocks. It was released on 2 June 1993 by record label Castle and was their first release in fourteen years, following up 1979's '' A Different Kind of Tension ...
'', in 1993. They continued to tour and record and released the album '' The Way'' in 2014. In 2005 Shelley re-recorded "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" with an all-star group, including
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...
,
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...
, Peter Hook,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
, Robert Plant and several contemporary bands, as a tribute to
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
; proceeds went to
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
. Shelley performed the song live at the 2005
UK Music Hall of Fame The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The hall of fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five mor ...
.


Personal life and death

He was married in 1991 and divorced in 2002. His son was born in 1993. Shelley continued to identify as
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
throughout his life. Shelley moved to
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
, Estonia, in 2012 with his second wife, Greta, an Estonian, preferring the less-hectic pace there to London where he had lived for nearly thirty years. He died there of a suspected heart attack on the morning of 6 December 2018. His brother, Gary McNeish, announced his death on Facebook. Tributes to Shelley came from a diverse range of music industry professionals, including Pearl Jam,
Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964), sometimes credited as Duff "Rose" McKagan, is an American musician. He played bass for twelve years in the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late ...
,
Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...
,
Billy Talent Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...
, Peter Hook,
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
,
Billie Joe Armstrong Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for t ...
, Mike Joyce,
Gary Kemp Gary James Kemp (born 16 October 1959) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the New Romantic band Spandau Ballet. Kemp wrote the lyrics and music ...
,
Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
,
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,
Ginger Wildheart Ginger Wildheart (born David Leslie Walls; 17 December 1964 in South Shields, England), sometimes known simply as Ginger, is an English rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career as a guitarist in The Quireboys, b ...
,
Glen Matlock Glen Matlock (born 27 August 1956) is an English musician, best known for being the bass guitarist in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He is credited as a songwriter on 10 of the 12 songs on the Sex Pistols' only alb ...
and
Stuart Braithwaite Stuart Leslie Braithwaite (born 10 May 1976) is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter. He is the guitarist of post-rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums. He is also a member of the British alternative rock supergrou ...
. Musician Billy Bragg paid tribute to Shelley, covering Buzzcocks', "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)", on 7 December 2018 at the
Meredith Music Festival The Meredith Music Festival (otherwise known simply as Meredith or MMF) is a three-day outdoor music festival held every December at the "Supernatural Amphitheatre", a natural amphitheatre located on private farmland near the town of Meredith i ...
. Following his death, the Pete Shelley Memorial campaign was established in order to raise funds to create a lasting memorial in his hometown for his achievements and contributions to the music industry.


Discography


Albums

* '' Sky Yen'' (1980) Groovy Records * ''Hangahar'' (1980) by Sally Smmit (aka Sally Timms of
The Mekons The Mekons are a British band formed in the late 1970s as an art collective. They are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. The band's style has evolved over time to incorporate aspects of ...
) musicians group included Pete Shelley) Groovy Records * '' Homosapien'' (1981) Genetic-
Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
/ Arista * ''
XL1 ''XL1'' is the second solo album by Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley. It reached number 42 in the UK Albums Chart, remaining in that listing for four weeks. The single "Telephone Operator" charted at No. 66 in the UK Singles Chart, making it hi ...
'' (1983) Island/Arista * ''Heaven and the Sea'' (1986) * ''Buzzkunst'' (2002) as shelleydevoto (with Howard Devoto)


Singles

* " Homosapien" (1981), Genetic-Island/Arista - AUS No. 4, CAN No. 6, US Dance No. 14 * "I Don't Know What It Is" (1981), Genetic-Island/Arista - US Dance No. 22 * "Witness the Change" (1981) - US Dance No. 63 * "Qu'est-Ce Que C'est Que Ça" (1982) * "Homosapien" (1982), Genetic-Island/Arista * "Telephone Operator" (1983), Island/Arista - US Dance No. 22, UK No. 66 * "Millions of People (No One Like You)" (1983) - UK No. 94 * "Never Again" (1984), Immaculate * "Waiting for Love" (1986), Mercury * "On Your Own" (1986), Mercury - US Dance No. 10 * "Blue Eyes" (1986), Mercury * "I Surrender" (1986), Mercury * "Your Love" (1988) * "Homosapien II" (Pete Shelley vs. Power, Wonder and Love) (1989), Immaculate


References


Sources

* * *


External links


Interview with Pete ShelleyPete Shelley Memorial campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelley, Pete 1955 births 2018 deaths Deaths in Estonia English male singers English songwriters 21st-century English singers English male guitarists English punk rock singers English new wave musicians Bisexual men Bisexual musicians LGBT singers from the United Kingdom LGBT songwriters Buzzcocks members LGBT musicians from England People from Leigh, Greater Manchester Alumni of the University of Bolton British expatriates in Estonia English punk rock guitarists 21st-century British guitarists 20th-century English singers 20th-century British guitarists Island Records artists