This led to them signing a deal with London Records. Blancmange supported Nash the Slash on a London club tour in October and November 1980. Nash introduced the band to the Virgin subsidiary record label DinDisc, but they were ultimately signed by London Records, in 1982.
Their first success was the "Talking Heads" influenced single "Feel Me", a minor hit in 1982, but later that year they broke through with the single "Living on the Ceiling", which made Number 7 in the UK singles chart. Their debut album, "Happy Families" (which featured a sleeve painting in the style of Louis Wain) also reached the top 30.
Further hits followed with "Waves", "Blind Vision", "That's Love That It Is" and "Don't Tell Me", all of which reached the top 40, with "Don't Tell Me" even making no.8 in the UK, while their second album "Mange Tout" reached the top 10.
In 1984, Blancmange covered "ABBA's" single "The Day Before You Came", which reached No 22 in the UK (slightly higher than Abba's original less than two years earlier). The bands' 1985 single and video for "Lose Your Love" featured in the 1986 Walt Disney film "Flight of the Navigator".
Eventually, as synthpop became less fashionable, the band's fortunes declined. The 1985 single "What's Your Problem" only reached No. 40, and the subsequent album "Believe You Me" spent only two weeks in the UK Albums Chart, peaking at no.54. Blancmange formally split up in 1987.
Luscombe later released an album of Indian influenced music, "New Demons", with Pandit Dinesh, under the name The West India Company, in 1989. Arthur meanwhile released his solo album "Suitcase", in 1994.
As stated on the bands' MySpace page, as of 2006 Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe have reformed Blancmange and are writing material for a new album called "Blanc Burn", which was released on 7th March 2011 with a support tour.
On March 23rd 2015 Blancmange released their fifth studio album "Semi Detached", the first to be produced without the involvement of Stephen Luscombe who left the band due to ill health.
Blancmange's official website is at: http://www.blancmange.co.uk
My Baby
Blancmange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No time to get things out at all
My baby's going 'round the bend
My baby's going crazy
My baby's got a face like a long-wept Sunday
She's going
She bought me flowers...
... ask me questions...
...fire on the other side...
....
I wanted you...
I'm asking...
....
My baby's got my heart
But she ain't got my blood
My baby, can we do it all again
I gave you thousands of dollars
You gave a whole lot away
To the fire brigade
To the fire brigade
My baby's going 'round the bend
My baby's going crazy
My baby's got a face like there's no tomorrow
She's going...
The opening lines of Blancmange's song My Baby convey a sense of urgency and chaos. The repetition of "no time to get things out at all" implies that things are moving too quickly for the singer to keep up. This ties into the theme of the song, which is about the singer's struggle to keep up with their relationship with their partner, whom they refer to as "my baby."
The verses describe the singer's partner as being on the brink of losing control. They have "a face like a long-wept Sunday" and are "going 'round the bend" and "going crazy." This language suggests that the partner is experiencing some sort of mental or emotional breakdown, and the singer is struggling to understand and cope with it. The partner asks the singer a series of questions, but there is no time to answer them because everything is moving too quickly.
The chorus of "oh no, no, my baby" suggests a sense of resignation and helplessness. The singer is watching their partner spiral out of control, but there seems to be nothing they can do to prevent it. They reflect on their relationship and wonder if they can "do it all again," but they also acknowledge that there have been issues with trust and money in the past, as seen in the lines "I gave you thousands of dollars / You gave a whole lot away / To the fire brigade." The song ends with the repeated phrase "she's going," which emphasizes the sense of loss and inevitability.
Line by Line Meaning
No time to get things out at all
I am too busy to deal with any personal issues.
My baby's going 'round the bend
My significant other is going insane.
My baby's got a face like a long-wept Sunday
My significant other looks like they have had a rough time recently.
Oh no, no, my baby
Expressing concern for my significant other's well-being.
She bought me flowers...
My significant other has been thoughtful and romantic.
... ask me questions...
My significant other is trying to communicate and have a conversation with me.
...fire on the other side...
There is some kind of danger or difficult situation that we need to deal with.
I wanted you...
I have been seeking attention and affection from my significant other.
I'm asking...
I am trying to communicate and connect with my significant other.
My baby's got my heart
I am deeply in love with my significant other.
But she ain't got my blood
We are not related by blood, but we have a strong emotional connection.
My baby, can we do it all again
I want to experience the joy and excitement of our relationship all over again.
I gave you thousands of dollars
I have been generous and supportive towards my significant other.
You gave a whole lot away
My significant other has been giving money to others or donating to charity.
To the fire brigade
The donations have gone to support the local fire department.
My baby's got a face like there's no tomorrow
My significant other looks extremely worried or scared.
She's going...
My significant other may be on the verge of a breakdown or leaving me.
Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@markpresbrey5191
Listening to this music on my side of the pond got me labeled as strange! So be it!
@elizabethhaydon1271
One of my all time favorite albums and even more meaningful being from Darwen Lancashire!!
@daves925
Wayne would have liked this song.