The original line-up consisted of Indian born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri), Canadian guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas W.B. Hardy), drummer John D. Haney, and bassist Charlie Harper. The band went through several bassists in the next few years, including Jeremy Harrington, and Andy Warren of the Ants, a childhood friend of Bid.
Experimental filmmaker Tony Potts began collaborating with the band in 1979, designing lighting and stage sets with film projections for their live appearances. The band's early persona was defined by the shadowy, uncertain stage images created by the films to such an extent he is often described as being the band's "fifth member."
They released several singles for the Rough Trade label before recording their debut album, "Strange Boutique", produced by Bob Sargeant, for Virgin Records' imprint DinDisc in 1980, as well as their follow-up effort, Love Zombies, produced by Alvin Clark and the band later that same year. John Haney left the band in 1981 and was replaced by Lexington Crane.
In 1982, the band switched labels to Cherry Red to release their third full-length album, Eligible Bachelors, produced by Tim Hart. Lester Square and Lexington Crane left soon afterwards, and were replaced by keyboardist Carrie Booth and drummer Nicholas Weslowski. This line-up recorded 1982 single Cast a Long Shadow, for Cherry Red before Booth was in turn replaced by new lead guitarist James 'Foz' Foster.
In 1983, Cherry Red released Volume, Contrast, Brilliance... sessions & singles vol. 1, a retrospective of the band's early Rough Trade singles, BBC and Capital Radio sessions, and other unreleased early sessions.
In 1985, with the same line-up as on Cast a Long Shadow, The Monochrome Set recorded the relatively mainstream album The Lost Weekend for major label Warner Bros. Records. The Lost Weekend failed commercially, and after a few singles, the band officially broke up, though they served as Jessica Griffin's backing band on the first album by the Would-Be-Goods, The Camera Loves Me.
In early 1990, Bid, Lester Square and Andy Warren reformed the band, with the addition of keyboardist Orson Presence and drummer Mike Slocombe (who was quickly replaced by Trevor Ready). The new band toured extensively--especially in Japan, where Bid had become a major star.
The band released several low-key albums for Cherry Red Records during the 1990s, and went on hiatus from 1998 to 2008 though during that off time Bid recorded a number of albums with another band, Scarlet's Well.
The band reunited on 8 October 2008 for a one-off performance at Cherry Red's 30th Anniversary party at Dingwalls, London. It also marked the 30th year of The Monochrome Set. Bid, Andy Warren and Lester Square were joined by Jennifer Denitto (drums) and Sian Dada (keyboards) of Scarlet's Well, and performed 13 songs.
Band reformed in 2010.
Alphaville
The Monochrome Set Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Alphaville In time to Fred Astaire
(Alphaville) I know you're always there
(Don't look now) She's so debonair, she's a manic depressive
(Don't look now) She's a millionaire, and her bills are excessive
(Alphaville) She feels her senses wane
(Alphaville) I'll take you now with me
(Don't look now) She's a movie star, she's a split personality
(Don't look now) She's got oom-pah-pah, and Papa says it's insanity
Don't look now, your mind's deteriorating
Don't look now, and if it's irritating
I'll know how to set it right again
Don't look now, your world's collapsing, dear
Don't look now, and if it's taxing, dear
I'll know how to put it back again
(Alphaville) She sleeps in useless flesh
(Alphaville) The rancid, blood-soaked breast
(Alphaville) In sunlight and slow death
(Don't look now) She's a movie star, she's a little bit touched
(Don't look now) She's so wünderbar, all gears and no clutch
The lyrics of The Monochrome Set's song Alphaville are cryptic and filled with abstract imagery, making it difficult to pin down a single interpretation. However, the overall sense of the song seems to be a meditation on the disintegration of the mind and body. The singer appears to be watching a woman who is slowly losing touch with reality, possibly due to mental illness or addiction. The lyrics "She slits her senseless skin / In time to Fred Astaire" suggest self-harm as a means of coping with emotional pain, and the line "She sleeps in useless flesh / The rancid, blood-soaked breast / In sunlight and slow death" may be referencing the decay of the body.
There is a surreal, dreamlike quality to the song, with references to film stars, split personalities, and insanity adding to the feeling of unreality. The repeated refrain of "Don't look now" implies that the singer is afraid of what they might see if they were to truly confront the reality of the situation. However, there is also a sense of compassion and protectiveness towards the woman, as the singer promises to "know how to set it right again" and put her world back together.
Line by Line Meaning
She slits her senseless skin
She self-harms by cutting her own skin without any logical reason
In time to Fred Astaire
She cuts her skin while dancing gracefully to Fred Astaire music
I know you're always there
I am aware of your constant presence in her life
She's so debonair, she's a manic depressive
She has a charming personality but also suffers from extreme emotional highs and lows
She's a millionaire, and her bills are excessive
Despite her wealth, she spends too much money, leading to excessive bills
She feels her senses wane
She experiences a gradual loss of her senses
In pleasant melody
She finds comfort in music
I'll take you now with me
I will take you with me to experience the same things as her
She's a movie star, she's a split personality
She portrays a successful persona on screen, but in reality, she has multiple personalities
She's got oom-pah-pah, and Papa says it's insanity
She has an eccentric personality, and her father deems it insane behavior
Don't look now, your mind's deteriorating
Be aware that your mental state is worsening
Don't look now, and if it's irritating
Don't dwell on it if it becomes bothersome
I'll know how to set it right again
I can help you overcome it
Don't look now, your world's collapsing, dear
Be aware that your world and life, in general, are falling apart
Don't look now, and if it's taxing, dear
Don't stress over it if it becomes tiring
I'll know how to put it back again
I can help you fix it all over again
She sleeps in useless flesh
She lies in her meaningless and useless body
The rancid, blood-soaked breast
Her body smells putrid, with her blood and sweat staining her chest
In sunlight and slow death
She spends her time dying slowly in the sun's light
She's a movie star, she's a little bit touched
She is a famous actress, but also a little bit unstable
She's so wünderbar, all gears and no clutch
She is wonderful, but has no control over her impulses and emotions
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GANESH SESHADRI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Beauty Above All
(Alphaville) She slits her senseless skin
(Alphaville In time to Fred Astaire
(Alphaville) I know you’re always there
(Don’t look now) She’s so debonair, she’s a manic depressive
(Don’t look now) She’s a millionaire, and her bills are excessive
(Alphaville) She feels her senses wane
(Alphaville) In pleasant melody
(Alphaville) I’ll take you now with me
(Don’t look now) She’s a movie star, she’s a split personality
(Don’t look now) She’s got oom-pah-pah, and Papa says it’s insanity
Don’t look now, your mind’s deteriorating
Don’t look now, and if it’s irritating
I’ll know how to set it right again
Don’t look now, your world’s collapsing, dear
Don’t look now, and if it’s taxing, dear
I’ll know how to put it back again
(Alphaville) She sleeps in useless flesh
(Alphaville) The rancid, blood-soaked breast
(Alphaville) In sunlight and slow death
(Don’t look now) She’s a movie star, she’s a little bit touched
(Don’t look now) She’s so wünderbar, all gears and no clutch
Beauty Above All
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