Virginia Astley
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Virginia Astley (born 26 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter most active during the 1980s and 1990s. Her songwriting career started in 1980. Her classical training influenced her as did a desire to be experimental with her music. Although most popular in Asia, most notably Japan, she remains a cult artist in her native England.


Early life

Virginia Astley was born in
Garston, Hertfordshire Garston is a suburban village in Hertfordshire, England. Garston is contiguous with Watford and now, despite retaining a local identity, is effectively a suburb. It is within the Stanborough, Woodside and Meriden Ward (politics), wards of the bor ...
, England, alongside her twin, Alison in 1959,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 207-8 the second daughter of composer Edwin Astley, noted for TV themes such as ''
The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
'', and his wife Hazel Balbirnie, who married in 1945. Virginia Astley's family was from the
Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
area and lived in
Grappenhall Grappenhall is a suburb of Warrington in the civil parish of Grappenhall and Thelwall, which had a population of 9,377 at the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census. History Grappenhall is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 with the name '' ...
, where her elder sister Karen was born in 1947. The family relocated to
Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...
,
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
because of Edwin's work as a film and TV writer. In the early 1960s, he was musical director at
ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...
in
Borehamwood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly known ...
, the company responsible for TV series such as ''The Saint'' and ''
Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...
''. In 1968, her sister Karen married
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...
of
The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
. In the 1970s, Virginia's elder brother,
Jon Astley Jon Astley is a British record producer who has also recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. His most commercially successful song was "Jane's Getting Serious", later popularized by a Heinz ketchup television ...
, became a tape operator for
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
, and worked his way up to becoming a re-masterer and record producer.


Music career

Virginia began learning piano at the age of six and flute at 14. After leaving school, she studied at the
Guildhall School Of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...
. Her first professional appearance in public was as a busker outside
South Kensington tube station South Kensington is a London Underground station in the district of South Kensington, south west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines it is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Squa ...
. In 1980, she auditioned for a new band from
Clapham Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Early history T ...
, the Victims of Pleasure. Astley, playing keyboards, worked with them for a short while playing in clubs and pubs around London. The band released three singles between 1980 and 1982 before splitting up. Afterward, Astley wrote, arranged and performed music with
Skids __NOTOC__ Skid or Skids may refer to: * Skid, a type of pallet * Skid (aerodynamics), an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn * Skid (automobile), an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road * Skid, ...
frontman Richard Jobson for the album ''The Ballad Of Etiquette''. Their collaboration continued when Jobson moved to Belgian label
Les Disques Du Crépuscule Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label founded in Belgium. The label was founded in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré. It also had a prominent associated sublabel, Factory Benelux. Both are now run by former employee Ja ...
, and Astley contributed to the Crépuscule compilation ''The Fruit of the Original Sin''. She also contributed as part of The Dream Makers (in collaboration with filmmaker Jean Paul Goude) for a cover version of "La Chanson d'Helene" (Helen's Song), showcasing an early example of her distinctive vocal style. It was during this early period that Astley started to give serious consideration to releasing her own material; however, nothing immediately came of these plans. Then in 1981, she signed to the small UK label Why-Fi and recorded a series of songs. A school friend, Jo Wells (
Kissing the Pink Kissing the Pink are an English new wave and synth-pop band that formed in London in 1980. The current members are lead singer and guitarist Nick Whitecross, keyboardist Jon Kingsley Hall, second keyboardist George Stewart, and guitarist Simon ...
) and a university friend Nicky Holland both contributed as did Tony Butler,
Mark Brzezicki Mark Michael Brzezicki ( , ; born 21 June 1957) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Scottish rock band Big Country. He has also played with the Cult, Ultravox, From the Jam, Procol Harum, Rick Astley, the Crazy World of A ...
and
Peter Hope-Evans Medicine Head were a British blues rock band – initially a duo – active in the 1970s. Their biggest single success was in 1973 with " One and One Is One", which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The group recorded six original album ...
. Astley then received an offer from another Why-Fi artist,
Troy Tate Troy Tate is an English musician and record producer who was a member of several bands including The Teardrop Explodes and Fashion as well as working as a solo artist, for which he is best known for the single "Love Is ..." Biography Born in Liv ...
, for a supporting band position with
The Teardrop Explodes The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward", the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. T ...
. In the 1990s, finding that her musical style was popular in Japan, she went on to collaborate with Asian artists.


Ravishing Beauties

She recruited
Nicky Holland Nicky Holland (born 20 February 1959) is an English musician and singer-songwriter, notable for being a previous backing pianist/keyboardist, vocalist and co-songwriter for the band Tears for Fears during the 1980s. Early life Nicky Holland ...
and another university friend,
Kate St. John Kate St John (born October 2, 1957) is an English composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Classically trained on oboe, she gained a music degree at City University London. Her first band was The Ravishing Beauties with Virginia A ...
to form the band the Ravishing Beauties. The trio joined The Teardrops 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 ...
during the winter of 1981 for a series of dates at a small clubs and a UK tour in early 1982. They also recorded with Echo & the Bunnymen,
Skids __NOTOC__ Skid or Skids may refer to: * Skid, a type of pallet * Skid (aerodynamics), an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn * Skid (automobile), an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road * Skid, ...
, and
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...
. Kate St. John and Nicky Holland went on to maintain solo careers in the 1990s at the time of Astley's re-emergence in Japan. The Ravishing Beauties did not record as a band, but appeared on radio shows, including a
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 ...
Session on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
in April 1982. The Ravishing Beauties first played at Club Zoo in Liverpool and followed this with the support tour with The Teardrop Explodes. Astley wrote most of the band's songs, some of which appeared on her first solo project with Why-Fi. The band was short lived, with St. John first becoming a model, and then eventually a member of
The Dream Academy The Dream Academy were a British band consisting of singer/guitarist Nick Laird-Clowes, multi-instrumentalist (chiefly oboe, cor anglais player) Kate St John, and keyboardist Gilbert Gabriel. The band is most noted for their 1985 hit singles ...
, while Holland did session work and joined
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
.


Solo work

One of the first musicians Astley recorded with was Richard Jobson. Together with
John McGeoch John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977-1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980-1982). He has been described as one o ...
and Josephine Wells, they created a musical backdrop for Jobson's poetry. This work was released as ''The Ballad of Etiquette'' in late 1981. Later, Astley went with Jobson to perform in Japan. She also worked on other people's projects, including work for
Les Disques Du Crépuscule Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label founded in Belgium. The label was founded in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré. It also had a prominent associated sublabel, Factory Benelux. Both are now run by former employee Ja ...
label, playing piano and arranging music for Richard Jobson and
Anna Domino Anna Domino (born 1955, Anna Virginia Taylor) is an American indie rock artist based in New York and Los Angeles who released several albums for Les Disques du Crepuscule and Factory Records in the 1980s and 1990s. Domino has collaborated with ...
. She also had a track on ''From Brussels with Love'' in 1982. Sessions followed with Richard Jobson and Russell Webb for the final
Skids __NOTOC__ Skid or Skids may refer to: * Skid, a type of pallet * Skid (aerodynamics), an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn * Skid (automobile), an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road * Skid, ...
album, ''
Joy The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness. Dictionary definitions Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
'', which featured Astley on flute and as a backing singer. Astley recorded a solo album, ''She Stood Up And Cried'' for Crépuscule but this was withdrawn, eventually being released three years later as ''Promise Nothing''. She signed with Why-Fi in mid-1981 and recorded an EP called ''
A Bao A Qu A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...
'', the title taken from a Malayan legend featured in
Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known bo ...
's 1967 ''
Book of Imaginary Beings The ''Book of Imaginary Beings'' was written by Jorge Luis Borges with Margarita Guerrero and published in 1957 under the original Spanish title ''Manual de zoología fantástica''. The subsequent English version contains descriptions of 120 myt ...
''. This was produced by Jon Astley and Phil Chapman. Using a demo studio in
Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...
called Elephant Studios, Astley recorded the song that was to place her in the indie top 10 (No. 8) in 1983: "Love's a Lonely Place to Be", a song of despair and anxiety in spite of its
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...
sound. The song would later form part of the 1986 LP '' Hope in a Darkened Heart''. In 1982, Astley also played piano on her brother-in-law Pete Townshend's album, ''
All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes ''All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes'' is the third solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, released on 14 June 1982 by Atco Records. Chris Thomas produced the album (who had also produced Townshend's previous album, ''Em ...
''. The album '' From Gardens Where We Feel Secure'' was released in August 1983, and was recorded on Astley's own label Happy Valley and distributed by Rough Trade, which has since reissued it. The album achieved a placing of No. 4 in the indie chart, but neither single nor album was listed in the mainstream charts. In 1983, Astley established a more permanent line-up with string players
Audrey Riley Audrey Riley is an English cellist and string arranger, based in the UK. Career Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn. She was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of The Fam ...
,
Jocelyn Pook Jocelyn Pook (, rhyming with "book"; born 14 February 1960) is an English composer and viola player. She is known for her scores for many films, including ''Eyes Wide Shut'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and '' The Wife''. Education Pook gradua ...
and Anne Stephenson, with guests such as drummer Brian Nevill and composer Jeremy Peyton Jones. In 1984, Astley played keyboards on tour with
Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they r ...
around the time of their first album, and she also did sessions for their
Kitchenware Records Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective a ...
labelmates,
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees Martin Stephenson & the Daintees are a British rock/folk/pop band combining elements of "rockabilly, show tunes, rootsy pop, straight-ahead rock and punk". The band is fronted by songwriter/guitarist Martin Stephenson. Career The band were ...
,
Vic Godard Vic Godard (born Victor John Napper) is an English singer-songwriter formerly of the punk group Subway Sect. He is now also a solo performer, while continuing to appear with various incarnations of Subway Sect. Biography Born Victor John Napper ...
and
Zeke Manyika Zeke Manyika (born 23 February 1955 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland) is a drummer, vocalist and songwriter. Career Manyika was born in Zimbabwe, but has lived in Britain for most of his life. From 1982 to 1984 he was a member of the pop gro ...
. In 1984, she signed to Arista but left to join
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
. "Darkness Has Reached its End" and "Tender" were both recorded at this time. When Elektra UK folded she went to
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 ...
where she subsequently recorded the album '' Hope in a Darkened Heart'', with
Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto inf ...
producing in 1986. In 1989, Astley collaborated with
Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...
member Dave Stewart on a track called "Second Chance", included on the ''
Lily Was Here "Lily Was Here" is an instrumental duet by English musician David A. Stewart and Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer. It was released as a single in 1989 from the soundtrack of the same name for the Dutch movie ''De Kassière'', also known by the E ...
'' soundtrack. The success of her 1986 album ''Hope in a Darkened Heart'' in Japan meant that Astley was asked to sign to
Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...
with whom she recorded a further two albums, ''All Shall Be Well'' in 1992 and ''Had I The Heavens'' in 1996. The following year, the first track from the album, "Some Small Hope" was released, a collaboration with
David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...
. Since then, Astley has guested on CDs by both Hideaki Matsuoka and the
Silent Poets Silent Poets is a Japanese electronic duo (now solo project). They have released six original albums and more than seven remix albums/EPs until now. Gaining international recognition, Silent Poets has been featured in countless music/fashion mag ...
. ''From Gardens Where We Feel Secure'' was re-issued with a new cover in 2003, and in 2006 she released her first album of new material in ten years, entitled ''The Words Between Our Words''. This mini album features Astley reciting her own poetry to a backing of
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
music. In 2007, she premiered a long poem "
Ecliptic The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of the Earth around the Sun. From the perspective of an observer on Earth, the Sun's movement around the celestial sphere over the course of a year traces out a path along the ecliptic again ...
", with flute, harp and
birdsong Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalizations) are distinguished by func ...
.


Discography


With Victims of Pleasure

*"When You're Young" (1980), P.A.M. – 7" *"Slave to Fashion" (1981), Rialto – 7" *"Jack and Jill" (1982), Rialto – 7"


Solo

;Albums *''She Sat Down and Cried'' (1981), Crépuscule — withdrawn before commercial release, issued in 1984 as ''Promise Nothing''. *'' From Gardens Where We Feel Secure'' (1983), Rough Trade – UK Indie No. 4Lazell, Barry (1998) ''Indie Hits 1980–1989'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 12 *'' Hope in a Darkened Heart'' (1986), WEA *'' All Shall Be Well'' (1992), Nippon Columbia *''Had I The Heavens'' (1996), Nippon Columbia *''The Words Between Our Words'' (2006) – online release credited to Virginia and her daughter Florence Astley *''Maiden Newton Ecliptic'' (2007), Artension ;Singles and EPs *''A Bao A Qu'' (1982), Why-Fi – 10-inch EP *"Love's a Lonely Place to Be" (1983), Why-Fi — UK Indie No. 8 *"Melt The Snow" (1985), Rough Trade — UK Indie No. 27 *"Tender" (1985), Elektra *"Darkness Has Reached Its End" (1985), WEA *"Le Song" (1986) *"Charm" (1986), WEA Japan *"Some Small Hope" (1987), WEA — with David Sylvian


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Astley, Virginia 1959 births English women singer-songwriters Living people Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama People from Grappenhall and Thelwall English women in electronic music