In May 1981, B-Movie and Soft Cell packed their bags and headed to London’s Advision Studios with the renowned producer Mike Thorne—yes, the man who’d worked with Wire, Bronski Beat, China Crisis, and The Communards—to record singles for the label they shared.
Phonogram had its sights set on B-Movie, but things got a little tangled when they also signed Soft Cell, thanks to the clever Stev0, who managed both bands and wouldn’t let one have the spotlight without the other.
While B-Movie was busy laying down the dark, moody, anti-fame vibe of Marilyn Dreams, Soft Cell embarked on a cover of a little-known Northern Soul classic. When the singles dropped in July 1981, Soft Cell’s Tainted Love exploded onto the scene, turning them into international superstars and the biggest act of the year. Unfortunately for B-Movie, Marilyn Dreams resonated with their loyal fans but never cracked the charts, leaving the band to slip quietly back into the shadows.
B-Movie’s journey began in 1979 in Mansfield, a gritty northern town nestled in the heart of Nottinghamshire’s coalfield. Starting out as a trio—vocals/bass, guitar, and drums—they soon added a keyboardist to expand their post-punk sound. Their early days saw them featured on Dead Good Records’ compilation LP ‘East,’ followed by the Take 3 EP and the Nowhere Girl 12-inch EP. The Nowhere Girl release, with its quirky mix of 45RPM on one side and 33RPM on the other, became a rare gem with only about 900 copies pressed.
The turning point came when Stev0, spinning records at the iconic Chelsea Drugstore, began playing their tracks at his nights and championed them in his weekly Futurist Chart for the ‘Sounds’ music paper. His new venture, Some Bizarre, promptly roped B-Movie into its legendary debut compilation alongside acts like Blancmange, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, and The The—an album often hailed as the ‘dead sea scrolls’ of the new wave and post-punk scene.
The buzz from live shows and that compilation soon attracted major label and press attention. This led Phonogram to whisk B-Movie off to Scorpio Sound Studios in London with Mike Thorne to re-record the live favourite Remembrance Day. The single reached No. 61 in the UK and even earned a nod from BBC Radio 1’s John Peel, who featured it in his Festive 50 for two consecutive years.
Riding on this momentum, B-Movie’s fanbase grew as they sold out shows and anticipation built for their next move. However, the sensational rise of Soft Cell and the mixed fate of Marilyn Dreams put a temporary damper on their trajectory.
Not one to back down, B-Movie returned to the studio with the late producer Steve Brown (known for his work with The Cult and Manic Street Preachers) to re-record Nowhere Girl—a track originally from that Dead Good 12-inch single. Critics dubbed it the perfect 80s anthem, a bona fide smash hit in the making. Yet, despite glowing reviews, steady radio airplay, and a UK tour in March 1982, the single stalled at No. 67 on the charts.
This setback signaled the beginning of the end for the original B-Movie. With Soft Cell dominating the charts, Some Bizarre’s roster expanding, and new competitors like The The emerging with their own stellar singles for CBS, the band’s momentum waned. Plans for a debut album were shelved, key members left, and although B-Movie regrouped and later signed with Sire Records—releasing a few more singles and the ‘Forever Running’ album in 1985—their journey eventually ended in 1986.
Decades later, all the recordings from their Phonogram period, long consigned to the Universal Music vault, were finally returned in 2024 after persistent negotiations. The tapes were digitised and restored, culminating in the creation of a 1982 debut LP that had long been forgotten—a collection of ten tracks featuring the three singles along with seven unreleased gems. The CD version even adds seven more tracks, including 12-inch versions, single B-sides, and “Moles” from the Some Bizarre compilation.
Now, at last, the long-awaited debut album ‘Hidden Treasures’ by B-Movie is here—four decades overdue but perfectly at home next to the likes of The Chameleons and The Sound. This album is a journey into a darker, brooding, and almost psychedelic realm—more in tune with the gothic vibes of The Bunnymen or Joy Division than the pop star image Phonogram once imagined.
As one of the great “lost” bands of the early 80s, B-Movie finally steps into the light. “It’s nice to hear B-Movie are finally getting a chance to release their forgotten gems,” says Matt Johnson of The The.
Discover more at www.b-movie.org.b
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