Flock of Seagulls

A Flock Of Seagulls may well be known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as much as their hit single ‘I Ran’. A Flock of Seagulls were one of prime movers in the 80’s new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement. Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later. The group released its debut EP on Bill Nelsons Cocteau Records early in 1981, and while the record failed to chart, its lead track, ‘Telecommunication,’ became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs.

The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. ‘I Ran (So Far Away)’ was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the U.K., ‘I Ran’ didn’t make the Top 40, but ‘Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)’ reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after ‘Space Age Love Song’ peaked at number 30. ‘Wishing’ was taken from the group’s second album, Listen in 1983. The band released 1984’s The Story of a Young Heart which fielded the minor hit ‘The More You Live, The More You Love’. Shortly after Paul Reynolds left the band.