KIRSTY MACCOLL is the daughter of folk singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl. She was signed to Stiff Records in 1979 but had to wait until 1981 for her first chart hit. Her composition "They Don't Know" was a hit for Tracey Ullman in 1979 and Kirsty actually sang on the high bits.

Recording for Polydor, she had a UK Top 20 hit with "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" and in 1984 recorded Billy Bragg's "A New England".

In the late-eighties she was also in demand as a session singer and appeared on albums by Simple Minds, The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison. A duet with The Pogues' Shane MacGowan brought her a No.2 chart placing in 1987.

Kirsty's albums -  a blend of sharp and often witty observation, country and pop - include the critically-acclaimed Desperate Character (1984), Kite (1989) and Electric Landlady (1991) which yielded the Top 40 hit "Walking Down Madison". The latter two albums featured collaboration with Johnny Marr from The Smiths.

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Around this time, also, there was a definitive line-up change with the addition of John Perry (bass) and Geoff Richardson(viola/violin) joining founders Pye Hastings (guitar,vocals), Dave Sinclair (keyboards)and Richard Coughlan (drums). This line-up featured on the albums "For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night" (whose controversial original sleeve was hastily withdrawn after complaints from Boots The Chemist amongst others) and Caravan and The New Symphonia, an adventurous blend of rock and classical orchestra.

In 1991 original bassist Richard Sinclair formed "Caravan Of Dreams" with former members of Caravan and Camel.

The first two albums in 1976, "Howlin' Wind" and "Heat Treatment", received critical acclaim and Parker's upfront style  and songwriting drew comparisons with US contemporaries Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes. Graham Parker's most successful UK chart album, "The Up Escalator"(1980), marked the end of his partnership with the Rumour.

It wasn't until the album "The Mona Lisa's Sister"(1988 )that Graham Parker provided a dramatic return-to-form and the following year's "Human Soul" featured ex-Rumour bassist Andrew Bodnar and former Elvis Costello sidemen Steve Nieve (keyboards) and Pete Thomas (drums).

In the '90s, Parker has continued to perform to large audiences including solo concerts with acoustic guitar.

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The first single, "I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys" was released in 1981. According to Charlie Higson, "We were often accused of trying to be the English Talking Heads, which we always strenuously denied, but let's face it, that's what we were trying to be." The band's blend of high energy funk and groove brought them some chart success.

The Higsons folded "some time in 1986". Charlie Higson (lead vocals, harmonica, piano) found fame as a comedy writer and actor in "The Fast Show", Terry Edwards (guitar, trumpet, sax,piano,vocals) now fronts his own band and is a prolific session player, Simon Charterton (drums, vocals) is in Camden based "The Aftershave". Stuart McGeachin (guitar,vocals) and Colin Williams (bass, vocals) have now got proper jobs.

DuCann and Hammond then joined Bullet, later Hard Stuff, and Crane recruited new members, guitarist Steve Bolton, and drummer Rick Parnell (son of the orchestra leader, Jack Parnell). The new line-up was completed by bassist Bill Smith and singer Chris Farlowe who had a top-charting single in 1966 with "Out Of Time". However, this line-up only lasted until 1974 when Crane dissolved the band.

Vincent Crane - who had suffered bouts of depression for many years - attempted to revive Rooster in the late seventies but in 1989 he took his own life.

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In 1970 Ayers formed the Whole World, with saxophonist Lol Coxhill, 17-year old guitarist Mike Oldfield and pianist/arranger David Bedford. This  line-up recorded "Shooting At The Moon", released in March of that year. Described as "a landmark in British progressive rock" it alternated between the folky personal ballads intoned in Ayers' distinct bass voice, and  longer jams which owe much to avant-garde jazz and electronics.

Oldfield and Bedford, and old friends Gong, contributed to the third album "Whatevershebringswesing" (Jan 1971) and while a fourth collection, Bananamour, was a solid, enjoyable set  of songs, Ayers' later offerings received a mixed press.

In the '90s Kevin Ayers retains a dedicated cult following, as well as his individualism, and continues to perform his unique and personal music.

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"Live! In The Air Age" became their only Top Ten UK album. By 1978 they had split and Nelson briefly formed Red Noise. In the ensuing years he recorded a series of experimental, ambient albums sometimes veering into new age territory and was in demand as a producer. 

Nelson has been called "one of the most powerfully elegant lead guitarists of the '70s" and Be Bop Deluxe were among the early exponents of "techno-rock".