Harman Patil (Editor)

Dead Famous People

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Active until
  
1990

Record label
  
Flying Nun Records

Active from
  
1986

Dead Famous People httpsimgdiscogscomYiwJ0mVS1vXmaZCjbhypjuw3w

Albums
  
All Hail the Daffodil, Arriving Late in Torn and Filthy Jeans

Members
  
Donna Savage, Biddy Leyland

Similar
  
Bill Pritchard, Peter Astor, David McComb, The Fatima Mansions, That Petrol Emotion

Dead famous people take your leather jacket off


Dead Famous People are a New Zealand indie pop band formed in Auckland, active from the latter half of the 1980s onward. Dead Famous People are still active today, Savage using various collaborators, with a new album being recorded in Auckland New Zealand, following an extended break taken to raise her son, Harry.

Contents

History

The band formed in 1986 and comprised Donna Savage (vocals), Elizabeth (Biddy) Leyland (keyboards and vocals), Wendy Kjestrup (guitar and vocals), Jenny Renals (bass guitar) and Robyn Tearle (drums). After a couple of releases in New Zealand, including an EP on Flying Nun Records, giving them some success in their homeland, they relocated to London, where they signed for Billy Bragg's Utility Records label, with Gill Moon replacing Tearle. Utility issued the band's Arriving Late in Torn and Filthy Jeans mini-LP in 1989, and it became the label's biggest-selling release. They received regular airplay from John Peel and recorded a session for his BBC Radio 1 show in 1989. The band split up in mid-1990. Savage joined Saint Etienne on their cover version of The Field Mice's "Let's Kiss and Make Up", and subsequently recorded as a solo artist, as did Leyland. Savage also provided backing vocals on The Chills' "Heavenly Pop Hit".

The band contributed a version of "True Love Leaves No Traces" to the 1991 Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan.

Savage continues with the Dead Famous People name, with various collaborators, and another album, Secret Girls Business, was issued in 2002, featuring six previously-unreleased tracks.

Singles, EPs

  • "Drive Away" (1987), Craft - split Flexi-disc with Screeming Custard
  • Lost Persons Area (1987), Flying Nun - 12-inch vinyl EP
  • Albums

  • Arriving Late in Torn and Filthy Jeans (1989), Utility
  • All Hail The Daffodil (1994), La-Di-Da - 'best of' compilation
  • Secret Girls Business (2002), Global Routes
  • Compilation appearances

  • In Love With These Times (1989), Flying Nun: "Barlow's House"
  • Borobudur (1990), La-Di-Da: "All Hail The Daffodil"
  • I'm Your Fan (1991), Atlantic: "True Love leaves No Traces"
  • La Di Da..so far (1991), La-Di-Da: "With Wings We'll Soar The Heavens"
  • La Di Bloody Da (1994), La-Di-Da: "Desperate Orange Love Plunge"
  • 25 Years Box (2006), Flying Nun: "Barlow's House"
  • Songs

    True Love Leaves No Traces1991
    Barlow's HouseArriving Late in Torn and Filthy Jeans · 1989
    All Hail the DaffodilAll Hail the Daffodil · 1991

    References

    Dead Famous People Wikipedia