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Clare Grogan at Sixty: The Best of Altered Images
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ALTHOUGH her band’s…
IN THIS PHOTO: The legendary Scottish band, Altered Images
most recent studio album was released the year I was born, Altered Images are back with a new album this year. Mascara Streakz is going to be one of the most anticipated albums for many years (it is due in August). Fronted by the incredible Clare Grogan, Altered Images are a group that has a huge and passionate fanbase. Grogan turns sixty on 17th March. I wanted to celebrate that by uniting the very best Altered Images tracks. I feel their 1981 album, Happy Birthday, is one of the all-time best. As the band’s lead, Grogan exuded such personality, energy and confidence. An amazing songwriter and performer, she is a definite icon of the late-1970s and 1980s. Before getting to the playlist, AllMusic provide a biography of the inimitable and amazing Grogan:
“The bouncy, little-girl voice of Altered Images belongs to Clare Grogan, who was working as a waitress at the Spaghetti Factory in Glasgow, Scotland when she was discovered by director Bill Forsyth. Only 17 years old at the time, Grogan was asked by Forsyth to star in his film Gregory's Girl. Both the movie and her band were suddenly tossed into the media spotlight. Born on March 17, 1962, Grogan is as well known for her acting jobs -- her performance in Gregory's Girl acquired countless raves -- as her innocuous, bubbly personality with Altered Images. Grogan formed Altered Images in 1979 with Tony McDaid (guitar), Johnny McElhone (bass), and Tich Anderson (drums).
After recording a demo, the group mailed it to Siouxsie & the Banshees, who then asked the band to be their opening act on a number of gigs. In late 1980, with Grogan's acting in Gregory's Girl receiving international attention, Altered Images was signed to Portrait. In 1981, the group released their debut LP, Happy Birthday. The title track landed at number two on the U.K. charts. With her schoolgirl vocals, Grogan was the antithesis of early-‘80s new wave heroines, completely unlike the streetwise grit of Blondie's Debbie Harry or the witches' coven gloom of Siouxsie Sioux. Altered Images weren't as successful in the U.S. as they were in England, but Grogan's appealing looks and cute voice were perfect for early-‘80s MTV. In 1983, Steve Lironi was introduced to Grogan by the group's manager. Lironi joined the band and became a good friend of Grogan's. Six years later, they became lovers; she married him in 1994. After Altered Images broke up in 1984, Grogan went solo, recording Trash Mad in 1987 with Lironi. She continued her acting career, appearing in several British TV series. In 2000, she sang on the 6ths' "Night Falls Like a Grand Piano." Two years later, Altered Images were added to the Here and Now tour of ‘80s new wave veterans such as the Human League, Visage, and Dollar”.
To honour the sensational Claire Grogan and her band, Altered Images (whose comeback album is not too far away), below is a selection of songs that shows why she is such an amazing artist and beloved person. These songs are sung and brought to life by…
A music icon.