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Black Laceare a British pop band, best known fornoveltyparty records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo".The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the1979 Eurovision Song Contest,in which they finished seventh with the song"Mary Ann".The band had numerous line-up changes, with Colin Gibb being the longest serving original member, until retiring in 2024. Currently Black Lace[1]are composed of Phil Temple[2]and 2008Britain's Got Talentcontestant Craig Harper.[3]
| Black Lace | |
|---|---|
 Black Lace in 1979. Colin Gibb, Alan Barton, Terry Dobson and Steve Scholey | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Novelty,pop |
| Years active | 1973–2024 |
Over the years, Black Lace toured around the world, playing party shows throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Canada and the US, and are known for their novelty party anthems such as "Superman"and" Do the Conga ".
Pre-Black Lace (1969–1973)
editTerry Dobsonand school friend Ian Howarth formed The Impact as a five-piece pop group in 1969, withAlan Barton,Steve Scholey and Nigel Scott. The group also performed under the names Penny Arcade and Love or Confusion.
Ian Howarth left the band for a short while but returned to the line-up in 1973, and Dobson also left, to be replaced briefly by Neil Hardcastle. Dobson then re-joined, and Scott left in 1973, that same year the band adopted the name Black Lace. Ian Howarth left the band for good in 1976, and was replaced byColin Gibb(born Colin Routh, 8 December 1953).[4]
Black Lace (1976–1981)
editIan Howarth was replaced by Colin Gibb during late spring of 1976 and after turning professional, the band toured the majority of the UK, managed by Keith Mills, commencing their first summer season at the Skegness Central Pier Bier.
The following year their summer season would take them toButlins in Filey, North YorkshireandSkegness, Lincolnshire.AnEPwas recorded and produced by comedianFreddie 'Parrot face' Daviesat his studio, which was to be sold at their shows. The group were voted Yorkshire Band of the Year byBBC Radio Leeds,and best clubland group playing at theWinter Gardens, Blackpool.
In 1979, Black Lace recorded their first single, "Mary Ann", forATV musicand a recording contract followed withEMI.As the song required a more 'throaty' vocal, Alan Barton was moved to being lead singer, with Steve Scholey on backing vocals for the band's recordings, but remaining as lead singer on live performances. The song won theBBC Television'sA Song For Europeand the band went on to represent the UK at the 1979Eurovision Song Contestheld in Israel, with the band finishing seventh. Other television appearances around this time includedNationwide,Multi-Coloured Swap Shop,Top of the PopsandJuke Box Jury."Mary Ann" reached No. 42 in theUK Singles Chart.[4][5]
The band's follow-up single, "So Long Suzy Baby", failed to chart in the UK (as EMI could not decide on which track should be used, and delayed the planned release date), but achieved success in Europe. Black Lace found success with live performances and TV shows, notably theSopot International Song Festivalin Poland, theGolden Orpheus festivalin Bulgaria, and on TV in East Germany, West Germany and Spain.
The band toured Denmark in 1980, supportingSuzi Quatroand working withTommy Seebach,a Danish entertainer. Black Lace and Seebach recorded "Hey Hey Jock McRay" for the Danish singles market, but an intended 1980 tour of Poland was called off because of political unrest in the country.
Chart success (1981–1987)
editIn 1981, the band split. Dobson joined theCastlefordrock band Stormer, who had a recording contract withRingo Starr.Scholey departed and the band had to settle huge debts incurred whilst touring. The band became a duo, consisting of Gibb and Barton.[4]It was this line-up that would give the band its biggestchartsuccess.
The duo played theNorthern club circuitusing pre-recorded backing tracks, which was controversial at the time. Initially, they used the name Lace, but soon reverted to Black Lace and recruited a new manager, John Wagstaff. They recorded an instrumental single based on the "Chicken Dance",released as" Birds Dance "in 1981 (using the name Buzby[6]instead of Black Lace).[7]However, the record was beaten to the charts by another version of the song by The Tweets, released as "The Birdie Song". "Birds Dance" has since been retitled "The Birdie Song" and included on Black Lace albums.
Black Lace's 1983 "Superman"single was their first one under their own name on the Flair label,[4]and a promotionalvideowas shot at Casanova'snightclubinWakefield.One of the hired dancers was the then unknown singerJane McDonald."Superman" reached No. 9 in the UK chart,[5]but an attempt at a follow-up single, "Hey You!", failed to chart, despite beingBBC Radio One's Record of the Week. Black Lace received asilver discfor sales of "Superman". They proceeded to tour Denmark with Danish starsLabanand Snapshots.
The band's biggest success came in 1984 with the single "Agadoo",selling over one million copies worldwide, and reaching No. 2 in the UK chart.[8][9]"Agadoo" was a hit in Europe, South Africa and Australia. Having been presented with a gold disc for sales in the UK, radio interview presenterRichard Whiteleyforgot Gibb's name and referred to him as 'Mr Agadoo' (the name Dene Michael later adopted for himself, despite having no connection to the record). The duo recorded their first album,Black Lace,at Stuck Ranch studios in Denmark. Around this time, their record distribution companyPinnaclewent into receivership, leading to Black Lace and their record company losing an estimated quarter of a million pounds in unpaidroyaltiesfor "Agadoo".
The band's follow-up single, "Do The Conga", reached No. 10 in the UK chart,[5]and the accompanying albumParty Party – 16 Great Party Icebreakerssold over 650,000 copies in the first five weeks, reaching double platinum status and leading to the band doing TV shows in Germany, Luxembourg, France and Denmark.[4]
In 1985, another single, "El Vino Collapso", was released, with the video shot in Skegness. It failed to reach the top 40, stalling at No. 42 in the UK Singles Chart due to it being 'banned' by the BBC in the wake of theHeysel Stadium disaster.As it had references to "drinking whilst abroad", it was deemed unsuitable for radio play.[5]Further releases "I Speaka Da Lingo" and "Hokey Cokey" reached No. 49 and No. 31 respectively.[5]
Black Lace also participated in the recording of the UK No. 1 hit "You'll Never Walk Alone"as part of the charity ensemble,The Crowd(which included members of10cc,Thin Lizzy,Motörhead,The Hollies,Argent,The Who,The Nolans,The Searchers,Smokie,Gerry and the Pacemakers,plus many more) to raise funds for the families of the victims of theBradford City stadium fire.[4][10]
Black Lace's second albumParty Party 2was released for Christmas 1985, and television appearances includedThe Old Grey Whistle Test,3-2-1,ITV Telethon,Miss Yorkshire Television,International Disco Dance Championship,Pebble Mill at Oneand theTop of the PopsChristmas Special. Because of such a demanding work schedule, Barton and Gibb found it necessary to charter a private aircraft to meet the deadlines, but the band's success led to a tax demand in excess of £100,000.
In 1986, Dene Michael Betteridge[11](a club singer also known as Michael Dene, as well Dene Michael) replaced Gibb, who took time out of live work with Black Lace (remaining an official member of the band) to concentrate on other projects, including promoting pop act Party Party and participating in two tours of Germany, concentrating on a part-time photography business, setting up a food retail outlet, and a music equipment retail and installation business.
Another single, "Wig Wam Bam", (featuring Barton, Gibb and Betteridge) reached No. 63 in the UK chart,[5]but "Viva La Mexico", which was released to capitalise on the1986 FIFA World Cupfootball competition, flopped whenEnglandwere knocked out. Black Lace (Barton and Betteridge) appeared as themselves in the 1987 filmRita, Sue and Bob Tooperforming "Gang Bang", which had been recorded by Barton and Gibb the previous year. The pair were also immortalised as caricatures in the TV showSpitting Imageand the hit single "The Chicken Song".The band had a UK hit with their albumParty Crazy.[5]
Later career (1987–2023)
editSeptember 1987 saw a switch round: Gibb returned 'full-time' with the band, whilst Barton left to joinSmokie.[4]Dene Michael Betteridge became a full-time member of Black Lace, and he and Gibb released the single "Jammin' the Sixties" under the name Barracuda. The record was BBC Radio One's Record of the Week, but it failed to chart.
A summer season at theBlackpool Towerfollowed in 1989 and 1990, plus performances at theBBC Radio One Roadshowin the town, along with the release of the single"I Am The Music Man"which peaked at No. 52 in the UK.[5][4]
In 1991, Betteridge was replaced by Rob Hopcraft,[12]with Betteridge going on to launch his rival version of the band before re-joining the official Black Lace.
In 1995, Barton died as a result of a coach crash in Germany while touring with Smokie.[13]
Black Lace played one-off shows in 1996 at DJ conventions in Canada andAtlantic City, New Jersey,United States. They also released theAction PartyandBest Ofalbums that year. Gibb was presented with a special Agadoo guitar to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary, but he was also made bankrupt by theInland Revenue.[14]
15 August 1997 was dubbed Agadoo Day. Black Lace played 20 shows in 24 hours in Manchester, London, Watford, Northampton, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield and Leeds, finishing at the Frontier Club, Batley. The event raised over £25,000 forMarie Curie Cancer Care.Peugeotused "Agadoo" in a TV advertisement for the new106car, and Black Lace re-recorded the track, renaming it "Agadoo 106 mix", donating all their royalties toMarie Curie Cancer Care.The record spent a week in the UK chart.[5]
In 2001 Hopcraft was replaced by Camille Wagstaff,[15]with this line-up releasing a cover of The Soca Boys' Dutch hit "Follow the Leader", a song which would become a Top 10 hit by Nigel & Marvin when remixed, as "Follow Da Leader", with the tune fromChocolate Puma'shit "I Wanna Be U".[16]
In 2002, Colin Gibb took the Original Black Lace show to Tenerife, playing the now internationally famous 'party shows' in hotels and restaurants on the island, occasionally visiting the UK for TV appearances.[4]Due to this, Flair Records launched a TV reality show in the style ofThe X FactorcalledAgadoo: The Search for the New Black Lace.[17]The 4-episode show featured Gibb and manager John Wagstaff as the judges and was shown on ITV's regionalYorkshire TVservice, with the winners releasing a version of Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" as their winners single.[18]
In 2015, a television advertisement forWalkers crispswas shown on British TV, featuring Betteridge and Robinson (under the name 'Old Lace') performing alongsideGary Linekersinging along to "Agadoo".[19]In this year, Betteridge had also appeared alongsideEsmée Denters[20]and Eurovision hopefulJoe Woolford[21]on an episode of BBC One'sThe Voice UK.[22][23]By this time, Gibb had started to perform Black Lace shows inPlaya de las AméricasandLos Cristianoswith Scottish singer and Oasis FM radio presenter Gordon King, an artist who had issued a solo album under his real name, Gordon Quinn, in the 1970s.[24]
In 2016, Dene Michael Betteridge[25]was jailed for six months for benefit fraud after falsely claiming almost £25,000 for his sciatica, with his wife and 'carer' Karen getting 12-month community order for her role in the scam, with the judge sentencing her to 100 hours of unpaid work.[26]
By 2018, Betteridge was back performing in the clubs, having teamed up with a Kylie Minogue tribute act called Vikki B in a duo called Party Crazy.[27]Betteridge had been billing himself as 'Mr Agadoo' by this point in his career, even though he did not appear on the original record, and would find himself back in the Wagstaff managed version of Black Lace later in the year.
In 2019, Gibb's Tenerife based version of Black Lace became associated with UK dressage team The Agadoo Girls, consisting of seven members, with Gibb's cousin Debbie Cox as team captain. They came top at their debut Team Quest competition at Richmond Equestrian Centre in June that year.[28]
Colin Gibb - retirement and death
editOn 13 May 2024, Colin Gibb announced his retirement on Facebook. His last performance was at the San Eugenio Villa Adeje Beach Hotel in Spain, on 16 May.[29]On 3 June 2024, the band, alongside Gibb's wife, revealed Gibb had died aged 70 the previous day.[30]
Recent Career (2024-)
editAs of 2024, the official Flair Entertainments/N.O.W. Music Co. version of Black Lace[31]comprises Phil Temple[32]and Craig Harper, a vocalist and comedian, who has previously appeared onBritain's Got Talent,Michael Barrymore's TV showandJane McDonald'sStar for a Night.
On 8 September 2024, the duo appeared as special guests[33]atRadio 2 in the Park, Preston 2024as part ofPaddy McGuinness’ Sunday School Disco[34]
In November 2024, the duo appeared on the BBC One Children in Need programmePaddy: The Ride of My Life,[35]where they were seen performing "Agadoo"alongsidePaddy McGuinness[36][37]and Sir Chris Hoy[38]in the car park of Westmorland'sCairn Lodge Services.[39]
Personnel
edit- Craig Harper
- Phil Temple
- Former members
- Alan Barton– guitar, lead and backing vocals(1973–1987; died 1995)
- Terry Dobson– drums, backing vocals(1973–1981)
- Colin Gibb(Colin Routh) – guitar – lead vocals(1976–2024; died 2024)(Official version and Tenerife version)
- Ian Howarth – lead guitar, bass guitar, vocals(1973–1976)
- Steve Scholey – lead vocals(1973–1981)
- Dene Michael (Betteridge) – lead vocals(1987–1991, 2018-2023)(Official version)(1991–2018)(rival version)
- Rob Hopcraft – lead vocals(1991–2000; died 2020)
- Gordon King (Gordon Quinn) – lead vocals and guitar(2015–2024)(Tenerife version)
Discography
editAlbums
edit- 1984:Black Lace
- 1984:Party Party – 16 Great Party Icebreakers(UKNo. 4)
- 1985:Party Party 2(UK No. 18)
- 1986:Party Crazy(UK No. 58)
- 1987:16 Greatest Party Hits
- 1989:20 All Time Party Favourites
- 1993:Action Party
- 1995:Saturday Night
- 1997:Greatest Hits
- 1998:What a Party
- 2000:Black Lace's Greatest Ever Party Album
- 2006:Black Lace: Greatest Hits
- 2010:The Blue Album– Banned in the UK [world-wide distribution]
- 2013:The Blue Album– Banned in the UK – 're-release' [world-wide distribution][5]
- 2014:Black Lace 'Live Beach Party'(limited edition)
- 2023:The Party Album (24 All Time Party Favourites)
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS[40] | FRA[41] | IRE[42] | NZ[43] | SA[44] | UK[45] | ||
| 1979 | "Mary Ann" | — | — | 19 | — | — | 42 |
| "So Long Suzi Baby" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | "Hey Hey Jock McRay" (Denmark-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982 | "Birds Dance" (aka "The Birdie Song") (As 'Buzby') | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983 | "Superman (Gioca Jouer)" | — | — | 25 | — | — | 9 |
| "Hey You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1984 | "Agadoo" | 16 | 48 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 2 |
| "Do the Conga" | — | — | 12 | — | — | 10 | |
| 1985 | "El Vino Collapso" | — | — | — | — | — | 42 |
| "I Speaka da Lingo" | — | — | — | — | — | 49 | |
| "Hokey Cokey" | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | |
| 1986 | "Viva la Mexico" | — | — | — | — | — | 79 |
| "Wig-Wam Bam" | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | |
| 1989 | "I Am the Music Man" | — | — | — | — | — | 52 |
| 1990 | "Gang Bang" | — | — | — | — | — | 90 |
| "Jammin' the 60's" (as 'Barracuda') | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | "Penny Arcade" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994 | "Bullsh*t (Cotton-Eyed Joe) " | — | — | — | — | — | 83 |
| 1996 | "The Electric Slide"(featuring The Electric Boogie Line Dance) | — | — | — | — | — | 83 |
| 1997 | "Macarena" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | "Agadoo (106 Dance Mix)" (re-recording) | — | — | — | — | — | 64 |
| 2000 | "Follow the Leader" | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009 | "Mega-Mega Mix" (Spain-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Agadoo Mambo" (Dene Michael) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Music Man 2009" (Dene Michael) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | "We Are the England Fans" (Dene Michael) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | "Do the Conga (Trainline Mix)" (Dene Michael)[5] | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | "Agadoo 2015 (Crisp Mix)" (Dene Michael) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Agadoo (The Space Mix)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | |||||||
References
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- ^Bromley, Tom (2012).Wired for Sound: Now That's What I Call An Eighties Music Childhood.Simon and Schuster.ISBN9780857203236.
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- ^EveryHit- search for "Black Lace" as "Name of artist" and "Agadoo" as "Title of song"
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