Their uncompromising, dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub music. Their lyrics were, more often than not, politically charged. In '79 they issued their debut single, "She is Beyond Good and Evil" on the Radar label.
The band reformed in 2010 for a reunion tour. In November 2014, the Pop Group announced that they would release an album of new material titled "Citizen Zombie" on 23 February 2015. The album was produced by Paul Epworth.
Their debut album Y, was produced by reggae veteran Dennis Bovell to critical acclaim but low sales figures. Although it did not chart, the album's success was sufficient to convince Rough Trade to sign the band, but not before more line-up changes, with Dan Katsis, formerly a guitarist in the Glaxo Babies, replacing Underwood on bass.
The band's career with Rough Trade commenced with what is possibly their best-known single "We Are All Prostitutes", which featuring a guest appearance by free improviser Tristan Honsinger on cello. This was followed the release of their second album, For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? in 1980, which included a contribution from US proto-rappers The Last Poets.
Shortly afterwards The Pop Group released a split single, "Where There's a Will There's A Way", with The Slits, a band with whom they now shared a drummer and managers (Christine Robertson and Dick O'Dell), as well as a growing interest in exploring dub and funk rhythms.
The band split in 1981, after legal wranglings and internal disagreements. Members of the group went on to form bands including Pigbag, Maximum Joy, Head and Rip Rig & Panic, the latter notable for the involvement of Neneh Cherry.
Singer Mark Stewart, meanwhile, collaborated with Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound posse, issuing records firstly as Mark Stewart and Maffia, then as a solo artist.
The Pop Group and associated bands started a Bristol 'scene' that would later spawn trip-hop.
It was reported on 24 May 2010 that the Pop Group would be reuniting. Stewart announced the first two dates of a reunion tour. Three members of the original line up were part of the reunion with two gigs in London and two in Italy initially confirmed. The band played live in Paris (for the first time) on 6 September 2010, at La Machine Du Moulin Rouge venue as part of "L'Etrange Festival" Film Festival which served as a kick off to their five date tour through Europe which included a London gig on New Year's Eve with Sonic Youth and Shellac.
In a 2010 interview, Stewart said that the reformed Pop Group was recording a new album, to be titled The Alternate. However, this album never materialized. The band were chosen to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festival curated by ATP & Portishead in September 2011 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
They have been cited as an important influence in the development of alternative music in the 1980s; Mike Watt, of Minutemen and, more recently, Nick Cave , have cited the Pop Group as an important source of inspiration on their own work. In November 2013, the band played the final holiday camp edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Camber Sands, England.
The Pop Group's 1980 LP We Are Time saw its first reissue worldwide (ex. Japan) on October 20, 2014. The band also released a brand new compilation of rarities titled Cabinet of Curiosities. In support of the reissues the band undertook a 7 day UK tour starting on October 20 in Edinburgh and ending on October 26 at the Islington Assembly Hall in London. Richard Williams - who championed the band and featured them on the front of Melody Maker on 24 March 1979 - wrote in his review of the London show: 'one of the most important British bands of the 1970s, the gig provided evidence of their continuing relevance'
She Is Beyond Good and Evil
The Pop Group Lyrics
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My little girl was born on a ray of sound
Sleeps on water, walks on ice (ice)
Sleeps on water, walks on ice
Got no father, immortal wife
I'd exchange my soul for her
There's no antidote for her
I'd exchange my life for her
There's no antidote for her
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
Like a dancing flame upon a bed of nails
She's one thing that you cannot buy
With zero reasons for living
With zero reasons for living
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
Our only defence is to gather as an army
I hold you like a gun
Our only defence is to gather as an army
I hold you like a gun
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
Western values mean nothing to her, nothing to her
Western values mean nothing to her
She's the girl of my dreams
She's the girl of my dreams
She is beyond good and evil
She is beyond good and evil
She is beyond good and evil (she is beyond)
She is beyond
good and evil
The Pop Group's "She Is Beyond Good and Evil" is a mystical and enigmatic song that celebrates the birth of a girl who is more than human. The opening lines, "My little girl was born on a ray of sound," suggest that the girl is born out of pure energy or vibration. The repeated refrain that the girl is "beyond good and evil" further reinforces the idea that she exists outside of human morality and social norms.
The song also highlights the girl's supernatural abilities, such as sleeping on water and walking on ice, as well as her lack of a traditional familial structure ("Got no father, immortal wife"). The singer of the song is enamored with the girl and would give up his life and soul for her, emphasizing her otherworldly allure.
The line "Our only defense is to gather as an army, I hold you like a gun" suggests that the girl is not safe in this world and that the singer is willing to protect her at any cost. The repeated line "With zero reasons for living" implies a sense of nihilism and desperation in the face of the girl's mystical power.
Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of a girl who exists outside of human understanding and societal expectations, and celebrates the allure and danger of such a figure.
Line by Line Meaning
My little girl was born on a ray of sound
My daughter's birth was like a beautiful sound, something miraculous and unique
Sleeps on water, walks on ice
My daughter is capable of extraordinary things, defying the laws of nature
Got no father, immortal wife
My daughter has no father figure, but something/someone eternal guiding her
I'd exchange my soul for her
There's no antidote for her
I'd exchange my life for her
There's no antidote for her
I love her so much that I would give up everything for her, and there's nothing that could undo that love
Like a dancing flame upon a bed of nails
She's one thing that you cannot buy
With zero reasons for living
My daughter is beautiful and precious, like fire on a painful bed, but she cannot be bought or replaced. She just exists, without any specific purpose
Our only defence is to gather as an army
I hold you like a gun
We need to come together to protect her, and I will do anything to defend her, even if it means holding her as closely as a weapon
Western values mean nothing to her, nothing to her
She does not care about or abide by traditional, Western values
She's the girl of my dreams
She is beyond good and evil
She is the epitome of perfection to me, and her goodness is unmatched by any human definition, as she transcends moral binaries
She is beyond good and evil (she is beyond)
She is beyond
She exceeds any standards or concepts of morality, and she is beyond our comprehension
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GARETH SAGER, BRUCE NEIL SMITH, MARK STEWART, SIMON UNDERWOOD, JOHN WADDINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind