Scary Thieves were a short-lived English 1980s New Wave band, best known fo… Read Full Bio ↴Scary Thieves were a short-lived English 1980s New Wave band, best known for their 1984 hit "Tell Me Girl" and their 1985 hit "The Waiting Game". Both songs are included on the "Hardest Hits" compilations, which focus on obscure New Wave/Synth bands that have little to big cult followings.
They released a handful of singles and even recorded a full-lenght album that was never released thanks to an internal conflict with a record exec. Shortly after, they disbanded and dissapeared from the scene.
The Scary Thieves Story
Chris Youdell - (synth player) and Phil Manikiza (singer) were songwriting partners, and through a mutual friend were introduced to manager Andy Fergurson (who managed the Undertones and Thomas Dolby at the time). They then were playing as a synth duo and decided to add a drummer (CP Snare) and guitarist (Ralph St Rose), to form Scary Thieves. With Andy Ferguson's help they started doing demos for various labels in London and eventually had a bidding war going on between the labels to sign them! They did a final label showcase at the famous London Dingwalls, and signed to EMI. They then started recording their one and only album. They were given what at the time was a huge budget, and recorded in some of the best UK studios - Abbey Road, Martin Rushent's Genetic (where Human Leagues' Dare was recorded) Air and other really great studios. The album was produced by Steve Nye who had co-produced Japan's albums.
They started putting out singles and got generally a good reaction, building a solid fan base. This brought their first year as a signed band to a close. EMI were getting ready to release the album and they wanted the band to go and start working on the next one. Quite a few new songs were already written and they were certainly improving as songwriters (Chris and Phil the singer co-wrote everything). They did various support band shows as well as their own dates, and this really helped consolidate their growing fan base. As a result, EMI paid out the 2nd years advance, about the same week Live Aid happened. EMI had been touting them as the new Duran Duran for about a year, the album was finished, they had the fan base behind them, and everything was poised to explode for Scary Thieves.
Phil Manikiza (lead singer) had been having an affair with a girl who was the long-time girlfriend of a senior EMI person. She broke it off with Phil, told her boyfriend, and trouble broke out. The album was shelved even though EMI had spent about £250,000 recording it and making videos, and generally had expected them to be a successful act.
The band was asked by the girl involved not to make public what had happened to save the boyfriend's embarrassment (as there were other people at EMI who hated this guy and would have loved to have known the details to humiliate him). So perhaps a little naively they put this loyalty before their own careers. Years later one of the band members mentioned it to the new head of EMI, Nick Gatfield (once of Dexy's Midnight Runners). Nick had been the band's AR man at the time and never knew at the time why decisions higher up had been made to drop the band. Nick just looked at him in disbelief and said that he had been totally crazy to remain silent - and that had it been made public at the time, the then head of EMI (who hated the boyfriend) not only would have released the album but he would have made sure it was a huge hit just to really piss the boyfriend (his enemy) off. These guys had actually had a fist fight once in the EMI offices, so they really didn't like each other!
Keyboardist Chris says, "All round it was a shame because we were young and our songwriting and sound had really gotten better from the album tracks, so we had better material written which never got released. Unfortunately I didn't realise at the time that the stigma of being dropped by a major label who spent a fortune on you and who had touted you as the new Duran Duran for a year or so really worked against you, as the other labels just presumed there must be a fundamental problem with the band and that's why EMI had given up."
At the time this all occurred, Scary Thieves had just signed a new contract with EMI and had received another year's advance. To break the contract, EMI had to pay up a lot of money just a few weeks later. Chris says, "the band thought this was great - we all bought shiny new cars etc. - but in hindsight that was just naive and a mistake. It's almost 20 years ago now, and realising now from experience how few chances like that we get as musicians, I don't think I would have done the same - I should have just had a quiet word with the very top guy in EMI!"
After this they struggled to find another label. Politically, it looked really bad from a new label's viewpoint: here was this new band that had had a fortune spent on it, with all this hype, then a new advance, and then even more money for EMI to throw them off the label a few weeks after the 2nd year advance. So they thought there must be some serious problem that wasn't being talked about, and stayed away. Scary Thieves eventually split up a year or so later.
Singer Phil Manikiza got a publishing contract and had some small successes. Keyboardist Chris Youdell joined Sinead O'Conner's band very briefly, then joined Then Jericho for the recording of their 2nd album, producing 3 or 4 top 20 UK singles, with the album going gold and reaching #2 in the UK. However Then Jerico imploded just as it was about to achieve world success. At about the same time, Lol Tolhurst from the Cure asked Chris to join his new band Presence. They put a record out in the UK and recorded another in the US which wasn't released. Chris gave up on the music industry and now has a successful business selling vintage instruments, especially keyboards, at analogsynths.com.
They released a handful of singles and even recorded a full-lenght album that was never released thanks to an internal conflict with a record exec. Shortly after, they disbanded and dissapeared from the scene.
The Scary Thieves Story
Chris Youdell - (synth player) and Phil Manikiza (singer) were songwriting partners, and through a mutual friend were introduced to manager Andy Fergurson (who managed the Undertones and Thomas Dolby at the time). They then were playing as a synth duo and decided to add a drummer (CP Snare) and guitarist (Ralph St Rose), to form Scary Thieves. With Andy Ferguson's help they started doing demos for various labels in London and eventually had a bidding war going on between the labels to sign them! They did a final label showcase at the famous London Dingwalls, and signed to EMI. They then started recording their one and only album. They were given what at the time was a huge budget, and recorded in some of the best UK studios - Abbey Road, Martin Rushent's Genetic (where Human Leagues' Dare was recorded) Air and other really great studios. The album was produced by Steve Nye who had co-produced Japan's albums.
They started putting out singles and got generally a good reaction, building a solid fan base. This brought their first year as a signed band to a close. EMI were getting ready to release the album and they wanted the band to go and start working on the next one. Quite a few new songs were already written and they were certainly improving as songwriters (Chris and Phil the singer co-wrote everything). They did various support band shows as well as their own dates, and this really helped consolidate their growing fan base. As a result, EMI paid out the 2nd years advance, about the same week Live Aid happened. EMI had been touting them as the new Duran Duran for about a year, the album was finished, they had the fan base behind them, and everything was poised to explode for Scary Thieves.
Phil Manikiza (lead singer) had been having an affair with a girl who was the long-time girlfriend of a senior EMI person. She broke it off with Phil, told her boyfriend, and trouble broke out. The album was shelved even though EMI had spent about £250,000 recording it and making videos, and generally had expected them to be a successful act.
The band was asked by the girl involved not to make public what had happened to save the boyfriend's embarrassment (as there were other people at EMI who hated this guy and would have loved to have known the details to humiliate him). So perhaps a little naively they put this loyalty before their own careers. Years later one of the band members mentioned it to the new head of EMI, Nick Gatfield (once of Dexy's Midnight Runners). Nick had been the band's AR man at the time and never knew at the time why decisions higher up had been made to drop the band. Nick just looked at him in disbelief and said that he had been totally crazy to remain silent - and that had it been made public at the time, the then head of EMI (who hated the boyfriend) not only would have released the album but he would have made sure it was a huge hit just to really piss the boyfriend (his enemy) off. These guys had actually had a fist fight once in the EMI offices, so they really didn't like each other!
Keyboardist Chris says, "All round it was a shame because we were young and our songwriting and sound had really gotten better from the album tracks, so we had better material written which never got released. Unfortunately I didn't realise at the time that the stigma of being dropped by a major label who spent a fortune on you and who had touted you as the new Duran Duran for a year or so really worked against you, as the other labels just presumed there must be a fundamental problem with the band and that's why EMI had given up."
At the time this all occurred, Scary Thieves had just signed a new contract with EMI and had received another year's advance. To break the contract, EMI had to pay up a lot of money just a few weeks later. Chris says, "the band thought this was great - we all bought shiny new cars etc. - but in hindsight that was just naive and a mistake. It's almost 20 years ago now, and realising now from experience how few chances like that we get as musicians, I don't think I would have done the same - I should have just had a quiet word with the very top guy in EMI!"
After this they struggled to find another label. Politically, it looked really bad from a new label's viewpoint: here was this new band that had had a fortune spent on it, with all this hype, then a new advance, and then even more money for EMI to throw them off the label a few weeks after the 2nd year advance. So they thought there must be some serious problem that wasn't being talked about, and stayed away. Scary Thieves eventually split up a year or so later.
Singer Phil Manikiza got a publishing contract and had some small successes. Keyboardist Chris Youdell joined Sinead O'Conner's band very briefly, then joined Then Jericho for the recording of their 2nd album, producing 3 or 4 top 20 UK singles, with the album going gold and reaching #2 in the UK. However Then Jerico imploded just as it was about to achieve world success. At about the same time, Lol Tolhurst from the Cure asked Chris to join his new band Presence. They put a record out in the UK and recorded another in the US which wasn't released. Chris gave up on the music industry and now has a successful business selling vintage instruments, especially keyboards, at analogsynths.com.
Fascination
Scary Thieves Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Fascination' by these artists:
Aesop Rock Shooken to Casper. Illustrate beautiful disaster. Flight of …
Al Martino It was fascination, I know And it might have ended right…
Alpha Beat Easy living, Killed the young dudes, In the high boots Te…
Alphabeat Easy living, Killed the young dudes, In the high boots Teena…
Art Mooney and His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
Babe Ruth Fascination Fascination is clouding my mind they tried to…
Billy & Friends (Fascination turned to love) It was fascination, I know And…
Capyac All about you Step away Step away Step away Step away Step …
Confidence Man Can't get no better Can't get no better C'mon I'm unemploye…
Correatown Well I was spending my time after dark Fascinated by a…
Das Kope Sun goes down It’s high and low And I’m all out I know…
David Bowie Got to use her Every time I feel fascination I just can't…
Default Caught up in silence Denying your conscience Afraid to give …
Demis Roussos MY ONLY FASCINATION You'r my only fascination, my sweet i…
Dinah Shore (Fascination turned to love) It was fascination, I know And…
Donna Summer No escaping No spell is over me Fantasy's fact you see in…
E-Girls 無造作に乾かしたhair キュッと結んで始める brand new day ファーのピアス 仕上げに黒いチョーカー 振り…
Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
Erick Morillo You say you're angry as me I see You say…
Everything But the Girl I won't try to stop you When you speak of the…
Fate's Hand Fascination Vile benediction Hereditary instinctive convicti…
Florelle {Refrain:} Je t'ai rencontré simplement Et tu n'as rien fa…
Fogg Mieczysław Czy pamiętasz tę cudną noc Kiedy Broadway lśnił gamą czerwon…
Frank Chackfield And His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
G.O.A.T Wavy When I met the hustle I was fascinated Made my first…
Harry Zimmerman Orchestra (Fascination turned to love) It was fascination, I know And…
Hill Bowen And His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
Hindi Zahra One of these days you know You'll cry for me…
Hindi Zahraⴀ One of these days you know You'll cry for me…
Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
Human League If it seems a little time is needed. Decisions to be…
Hurry I saw you through a window As I was talking to…
IQ I was waiting for the change To come from underneath the…
James P. Johnson It's so fascinating, the way that love can change me…
Jane Morgan It was fascination, I know And it might have ended right…
Jane Morgan The Troubadors It was fascination, I know And it might have ended right…
Jonas He met her at work, Workin' for the boys Showin' off her…
Julie London (Fascination turned to love) It was fascination, I know And…
Julie London(줄리 런던) (Fascination turned to love) It was fascination, I know …
Kem It was fascination, I know And it might have ended at…
La Roux It's been seven hours long And you're shadow still hangs on …
Lies of P Je t'ai rencontré simplement Et tu n'as rien fait pour cherc…
Luis Arcaraz and His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
Maiko Okamoto You hold me You kiss me You love me 夢の虜になる You hold…
Marc Seberg Une histoire commence, une autre s'achève Mais les chiens e…
Mathe Altery (ain) Je t'ai rencontré simplement Et tu n'as rien fait pour…
Maya Barsony Fascination} Je t'ai rencontré simplement Et tu n'as rien fa…
MELL 携帯など捨ててあたしだけ見ててと 長いくちづけ貴女はつぶやく 稀有な瞳同士 隙間なんかないわ 蜜の源までふっとなぞった指…
Meteor Seven I´m fascinated by your love…
Mieczysław Fogg Czy pamiętasz tę cudną noc Kiedy Broadway lśnił gamą czerwon…
Monsters Are Waiting Tonight's wicked But you don't even fight it And it's ever…
Nana Mouskouri It was fascination I knew And it might have ended Right th…
Nat King Cole It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right then…
Nat King Cole With Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right t…
Nat-King-Cole It was fascination, I know And it might have ended Right the…
OV7 If it seems a little time is needed decisions to…
Peakes I fall a second behind to weaponise simple words when spoke…
Phil Green vs. S.H.O.K.K When I met the hustle I was fascinated Made my first…
Prince Fascination I want U Fascination I want U, I do Fascination …
Proper Filthy Naughty You say you're angry as me I see You say…
Psy.P Je t'ai rencontré simplement Et tu n'as rien fait pour cherc…
Red Sun Rising You light up when you're in range of the sound…
Richard Tauber On the summer night when we met Just a passing glance,…
Roux La It's been seven hours long And you're shadow still hangs on …
RuPaul (get get your, get your ass up) Everywhere I go it's…
Saint Etienne At a desk across the hall She makes another call Didn't mean…
Scorz Head in the clouds Stars in my eyes No idea what’s gonna…
Sebastian Carter Feat. Aela Kae It's all rise and fall, it's all I was an evil…
Sonus Confundido estoy Cuestionándote Sin saber porqué Yo extrañán…
STUE - David Bowie Got to use her Every time I feel fascination I just can't…
Sunny Side Of The Razor Fascination is your only version So get me in there, I'll…
Tamino I lack the colors Reflected in your eyes When you look up…
The Alphabeat Easy living, Killed the young dudes, In the high boots Teena…
The Beaches I took the Metro to the station where I met…
The Greencards A bird lands on my window sill, Sweetest thing i ever…
The Human League If it seems a little time is needed Decisions to be…
The Human League(ÈËÀàÁªÃ˺ϳªÍÅ) If it seems a little time is needed. Decisions to be…
The Undertones Sitting in a fun pub Nothing every gets done Then someone op…
Various Artists It was fascination I know And it might have ended Right then…
West End Girls 無造作に乾かした hair キュッと結んで始める Brand new day ファーのピアス 仕上げに黒いチョーカー 振…
Workshy Finjo ser invisível Pra não ter que te encarar Afogo na pisc…
Zahra Hindi One of these days you know You'll cry for me…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@PAYNIE21
Such a shame they didn't find fame, these tracks are up there with the best from this time , Dying In Vain, Waiting Game are classics.
@grimlyfiendish5579
Underrated band! Tell me Girl and Dying in Vain should be 80's classics.
@abrahamhernadez8232
They are bro, but the important of this is that we like it, greetings from México.
@bunrogers
I truly love these songs. Thank you
@adrianbeneytogimenez6878
Is there a way we could get a high quality file of this? Thanks! Worth the price of admission for just the 3 unreleased tracks
@robertdudley9687
The best lost band of the '80s
@grimlyfiendish5579
I agree!
@tonyfourhunnid
Dying in vain sounds great in demo form!!!
@lauritabein
Thanks for sharing this.