Genres Jazz-funk Labels Virgin Records Genre Jazz-funk | Years active 1983–1986 Active until 1986 Members Michael Ward | |
Associated acts Everyday People, Carroll Thompson, Desi Campbell Origin Sheffield, United Kingdom (1983) Albums Into the Hot, Weak in the Presence of Beauty Similar Anthony and the Camp, Carroll Thompson, Jolley & Swain, Was (Not Was), David Was | ||
Floy Joy was an English group formed in Sheffield, England, who recorded two albums and had minor success with a small few singles.
Contents
History
The band formed in 1983, consisting of Elana Harris, Michael Ward and Shaun Ward. This line-up released only one single that year titled "Answer Through Me", produced by Andy Hernandez.
By 1984, Elana Harris was replaced by Carroll Thompson. The group released three singles, with two of the three being minor hits in the UK. "Until You Come Back to Me" peaked at No. 91 whilst "Operator" peaked at No. 86. The album which the singles came from was released that year titled Into the Hot, produced by Don Was at The Sound Suite in Detroit. The album peaked at No. 40 in New Zealand.
After the album, Thompson and Shaun Ward subsequently left the band, leaving Michael Ward to draft singer Desi Campbell and bassist/drum programmer/co-writer Robert E. Clarke and put together a new all-male Floy Joy. An album came out in 1986 titled Weak in the Presence of Beauty, which was also produced by Don Was, like the last album. Although the album was overall unsuccessful, the lead single, also called "Weak in the Presence of Beauty" peaked at No. 29 in Australia and No. 85 in the UK. The song was later covered by Alison Moyet which became a large European hit, including reaching the top 10 in the UK.
The group split shortly after due to the commercial failure of the album. By 1990, Desi Campbell and Shaun Ward worked under the name Everyday People with Lloyd T Richards and producer Stewart Levine, releasing one album titled You Wash... I'll Dry. Two singles in 1990, "Headline News" and "I Guess It Doesn't Matter", reached the charts in both the UK and Germany. The group released two more singles in Germany and toured Europe extensively.
After the demise of the group Desi Campbell started a solo career which resulted in the release of two self produced singles "Stranger" and "L.O.V.E Poem". Having previously sung backing vocals with Was (Not Was) on the album What Up, Dog? he went on to work with Errol Brown, the dance outfit Fraud Squad, Bludog and Concrete Nation.
1983
1984
1985
Albums
Singles
Songs
Weak in the Presence of BeautyWeak in the Presence of Beauty · 1986
Until You Come Back to MeInto the Hot · 1984
Burn Down a RhythmInto the Hot · 1984