Following the 1980 tour and with the support of John Peel, Britain’s most influential DJ, the band signed with Epic. The first two singles, Dead Pop Stars and A Day's Wait, saw the band beginning to develop their own sound. Epic wanted the band to add one more element to the mix: chart success. With this in mind they brought in producer Martin Rushent, who had an established track record of crafting left-of-centre hits with the Buzzcocks, the Stranglers, and Generation X. The addition of Rushent, along with second guitarist Jim McKinven, resulted in the single Happy Birthday, which managed to channel AI's sound in a more commercial direction without losing their distinctive sound. The remainder of the album, also titled Happy Birthday, was produced by Severin, but it was Rushent who had charted the course for the remainder of the band's career.
Rushent returned in 1982 to produce Pinky Blue, a much more upbeat album than its predecessor. The three singles released from the album, I Could Be Happy, See Those Eyes, and the frenetic Pinky Blue, all sounded more commercial than most of the band's early material, but Grogan's unique vocal style assured that AI would retain a slightly otherworldly quality. The band also contributed a cover of Del Shannon's Little Town Flirt to the Party Party soundtrack in 1982. Following Pinky Blue, the band replaced drummer Anderson and second guitarist McKinven with Steve Lironi (guitar, drums).
Production chores on the next album, 1983's Bite, were split between Tony Visconti and Mike Chapman. In an unexpected move, AI switched to a slick disco sound in an acknowledged effort to gain a wider audience. Changes in image were made as well, as the cover of Bite made clear - the black and white photo of Clare looking very sophisticated in a black evening gown was a radical switch from her previous portrayals, as well as a break with the previous tradition of featuring the entire band on album covers. In an interview with NME Clare noted that the image makeover was intentional, but would not be a new uniform: "We decided we'd have to do something pretty drastic to make people realise that I wasn't going to parade about in ra-ra skirts for the rest of the century. And I'm not going to parade about in black evening gowns on tour!" Nor on television, as the video for Don't Talk To Me About Love features Clare looking very comfortable in a sophistication-free jogging suit. Although the change in the band's sound did help them achieve greater radio exposure, with "Don't Talk To Me About Love" going Top 10, the group would not stay intact to enjoy their success. After a UK and North American tour in 1983 with added members David Wilde on drums and Jim Prime on keyboards, the group broke up.
Following the dissolution of AI, Clare returned to acting, appearing in Bill Forsyth's 1984 film Comfort And Joy, the Red Dwarf and East Enders series, and also served as the host for the Sky Movies television program. She would return to various musical endeavors from time to time, including hosting a UK video show, and recording a number of tracks in 1987 for a planned solo album called Trash Mad. Ultimately only the "Love Bomb" 12" single was released from these sessions, the rest of the tracks from the album remain unreleased. From 1989-1990 Grogan and Lironi performed occasionally under the name Universal Love School, but never released any recordings. Clare's guest appearances on other artists' recordings include "This Grudge" on Bionic in 1996 and "Night Falls Like a Grand Piano" on Hyacinths and Thistles in 2000.
After the first 2 Peel Sessions, Gerard “Caesar” McInulty went on to form The Wake.
Johnny McElhone formed the band Hipsway in 1984, which had some success with the Honeythief single from their self-titled 1986 album. Hipsway would break up following their second album, after which McElhone formed Texas, a group which would have intermittent UK success but is largely unknown in the U.S.
Steve Lironi became active in production, songwriting, and session work after AI, working with a great variety of artists including Dot Allison, Black Grape, Hanson, and Bon Jovi.
In 2002 the unexpected announcement was made that Altered Images would be reforming for a series of Christmas shows for the Here And Now 80's revival tour.
Insects
Altered Images Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my memories
Watching
Everything I do
When I walk
When I talk
You do too
I can see you
Living my life
Out for free
When I walk
When I talk
You do too
When I walk
When I talk
You do too
Hidden
Behind
The idols
You adore
Tell me
Tell me
Tell me
Which one
Are you
Today?
The lyrics to Altered Images' song Insects seem to be describing the feeling of being watched and controlled by someone who may not even be physically present. The singer says that they can see this person in their memories, watching everything they do even when they are walking or talking. They feel that this person is taking over their life and living it for free, and they are not sure who this person is or what their motivations are.
The second verse seems to suggest that this controlling person is hiding behind idols that they adore. The singer asks which one of these idols they are today, implying that this person is changing their identity or personality to suit their goals. It's an eerie and unsettling feeling, knowing that someone is watching your every move and trying to manipulate your life.
Overall, the lyrics to Insects are a haunting reminder of the ways in which we can be controlled and monitored by others, even when we don't realize it. The song's use of insects as a metaphor adds an extra layer of creepiness to the lyrics, as insects are often associated with being pests or annoyances that we can't get rid of.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see you
Despite being physically distant from you, I sense your presence.
In my memories
Your image is ingrained in my mind from past experiences.
Watching
You observe and monitor my actions closely.
Everything I do
My every move is being noticed by you.
When I walk
Even the way I walk is being analyzed by you.
When I talk
You listen to everything I say with great attention.
You do too
Your scrutiny of me is constant and unrelenting.
Taking over me
You have a strong hold on my thoughts and emotions.
Living my life
You seem to be controlling my life and dictating my decisions.
Out for free
You are taking advantage of this control without any consequences.
Hidden
Your true intentions are obscured from me.
Behind
You are using your admiration for certain things to mask your true self.
The idols
You are fixated on certain ideals or symbols.
You adore
You deeply admire and respect these ideals or symbols.
Tell me
I want to know the truth behind your facade.
Which one
Of the idols that you worship and cherish, which one are you portraying today?
Are you
I want to understand the real you behind your fake persona.
Today?
I am curious if today is the day you will finally reveal your true self to me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTHONY MCDAID, BRIAN KEEGAN, CLARE PATRICIA GROGAN, GERARD MCELHONE, GERARD MCINULTY, JOHN MCELHONE, MICHAEL ANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JulesB-zv9dp
Brilliant music and brilliant times. I really miss the early 1980's 👍
@maddogg63
Clare is so captivating...the song is completely understated...I call it genius! Insects! See them Crawling!
@berwickshiremike51
The Peel session Altered Images are superb. Like the Ants Peel captured their best stuff.
@zejarra
This song brings back so many memories of our little girl . It was one of the first ever videos we used to watch with her on YouTube back in 2008 . Nostalgia trip !!!!
@neonwind
Super, nice memories. Thank you for uploading this
@TheNouveauxdecadence
Clare is THE greatest, I so love her. SHe is still so fresh and so fun. AMAZING band
@j-pharrold5203
what a fantastically put together tune
@toddjohnson4269
She is darling and provided the right contrast with the SIOUXSIE guitar sound....brilliant.Sometimes she doesn't hit all the notes PERFECTLY but she does the job well .. and when Blondie vanished in the 80's i found the same enjoyment Debbie Harry provided in Altered Images..
@TheStrainers
Right on par. We could of had a beer or two back them for sure
@SavageAudits
These quirky songs strike me as being difficult to sing.