The Members

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The Members
Background information <tr><td>Origin</td><td colspan="2">Camberley, England</td></tr><tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">Punk rock</td></tr><tr><td>Years active</td><td colspan="2">1976 - 1983</td></tr><tr><td style="padding-right: 1em;">Label(s)</td><td colspan="2">Virgin, Arista</td></tr><tr><td>Website</td><td colspan="2">http://www.themembers.co.uk</td></tr><tr><th style="background: #b0c4de;" colspan="3">Former members</th></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;" colspan="3">Nicky Tesco Gary Baker Steve Morley Clive Parker Jean Marie Carroll Nigel Bennett Chris Payne Adrian Lillywhite Rudi Thompson Simon Lloyd</td></tr>

The picture cover of the 1979 The Sound Of The Suburbs single

The Members were formed in 1976 by Nicky Tesco. Tesco was a graduate who, having failed to emigrate to Canada, had returned to Camberley, Surrey UK, and had been working in a variety of jobs when the opportunity arose to form a band. Linking up with a friend and local guitarist Gary Baker an initial four piece was formed. Tesco soon added trainee merchant banker Jean Marie Carroll, known as JC, to the line up having been a long admirer of his style and songwriting abilities. Carroll was dismissed by other members of the band but it was the Tesco-Carroll axis that dominated the band and instigated the line up changes. The final line up was Nicky Tesco (vocals), JC (vocals & guitar), Nigel Bennett (guitar), Chris Payne (bass) and Adrian Lillywhite (drums).

The band recorded for the first time with Adrian's brother, Steve Lillywhite. The track, Fear On The Streets, appeared on the first record ever released by Beggars Banquet; a punk compilation called Streets. Steve Lillywhite went on to become one of the most successful producers to come out of this era. The Member's first single appeared on the Stiff Records One Off series. Titled "Solitary Confinement" the track was produced (or, in his word and due to the artistic conflict between Tesco and Carroll, 'umpired') by Larry Wallis.

From 1978 through to the end of 1979 the band became a mainstay on the London circuit and were regularly featured in all the music papers of the time. After signing with Virgin Records in 1978 they recorded "The Sound Of The Suburbs" (right), again with Steve Lillywhite, which was their biggest chart success and became their best known song in the UK. The follow up single, "Offshore Banking Business", did not cause the same commercial excitement. A wonderful reggae tune written by JC, complete with dub mix, about the then obscure world of offshore banking. It caused ripples around the world, particularly in countries where offshore banking thrived. The band were condemned as 'hop heads singing horse manure' in the Bahamian Houses of Parliament.

The band's first album, At The Chelsea Nightclub, was critically acclaimed but didn't set the world on fire. They went on to record a second album for Virgin, 1980 The Choice Is Yours. Once again this was well received but pretty much sank without a trace. The Members, however, were by this time enjoying a reasonable level of success in the USA; enough to make a living touring.

After some time without a recording deal they recorded their last album, Going West (In the US - Uprhythm Downbeat), that featured their high profile airplay hit "Working Girl". After their last tour of the USA in 1983 Tesco left the band. He went on to appear in the 1989 film Leningrad Cowboys Go America written and directed by Aki Kaurismaki, as well as working with the Leningrad Cowboys, the fictional band from the film which then became a real band. Tesco recorded with the band Thru the wire and The Doors classic L.A. Woman, as well as appearing in the critically acclaimed video for Thru the Wire directed by Kaurismäki. Tesco also later appeared in two other Kaurismäki films.

The Members soon broke up after Tesco's departure and have never officially reformed despite many requests and lucrative offers. Nevertheless, in 2006, The Members did briefly play together at a birthday party for JC. Guitarist on this occasion was Gary Baker, Nigel Bennet was invited but was in the US at the time. The band are considering a public reunion gig...

Nicky Tesco nowadays works as a music journalist for the UK magazine Musicweek.