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.
Don't Touch
The Monochrome Set Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was driving down 14th Street in a '67 Ford
I said, "Hi, you won't remember me,
But we met some time ago"
And he said, "No, no, no, no, no,
Don't touch me, please just go away
No, no, no, no, no,
To you
I have builded him an altar right above my stereo
With a couple of picks, a lock of hair, and an autographed photo
Well, I know his lyrics off by heart
And I sing them every day
And he said, "No, no, no, no, no,
Don't touch me, please just go away
No, no, no, no, no,
Don't talk to me, I've got nothing to say
To you
I have read a fiery gospel 'bout his meteoric rise
Due to his performing miracles and the colour of his eyes
Well, I smoke his brand of cigarettes
And I wear his kind of clothes
And he said, "No, no, no, no, no,
Don't touch me, please just go away
No, no, no, no, no,
Don't talk to me, I've got nothing to say
To you
The Monochrome Set's song 'Don't Touch' seems to explore the theme of celebrity obsession and fandom. The opening lines, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord / He was driving down 14th Street in a '67 Ford" seem to evoke the idea of a messianic figure who is worshipped by his fans. The singer of the song claims to have met this figure before, but upon trying to speak with him again, is met with rejection: "Don't touch me, please just go away / Don't talk to me, I've got nothing to say."
The following verse seems to elaborate on the singer's extreme devotion to this figure, which he shows by creating an altar with personal items such as picks and hair, as well as by memorizing the lyrics to all of his songs. The third verse seems to suggest that the singer is fully consumed by his idol's persona, adopting his brand of cigarettes and clothing. Once again, the chorus repeats the figure's desire for the singer to leave him alone.
Overall, the lyrics to 'Don't Touch' seem to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of celebrity worship and the unhealthy ways in which fans can become obsessively fixated on a particular figure. By portraying the singer as someone who is consumed by his love for this figure, the song encourages listeners to think critically about their own relationship with the celebrities they admire.
Line by Line Meaning
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
I am devoted to an idol, who I consider to be a God-like figure in my life.
He was driving down 14th Street in a '67 Ford
I once encountered my idol and it was a significant moment for me.
I said, "Hi, you won't remember me,
But we met some time ago"
I attempted to reconnect with my idol and remind him of our past encounter.
And he said, "No, no, no, no, no,
Don't touch me, please just go away
No, no, no, no, no,
Don't talk to me, I've got nothing to say
To you"
My idol rejected me and made it clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me.
I have builded him an altar right above my stereo
With a couple of picks, a lock of hair, and an autographed photo
Well, I know his lyrics off by heart
And I sing them every day
I have created a shrine in my home dedicated to my idol and I constantly worship him through his music and personal belongings.
And he said, "No, no, no, no, no,
Don't touch me, please just go away
No, no, no, no, no,
Don't talk to me, I've got nothing to say
To you"
My idol continues to reject me despite my extreme devotion to him.
I have read a fiery gospel 'bout his meteoric rise
Due to his performing miracles and the colour of his eyes
Well, I smoke his brand of cigarettes
And I wear his kind of clothes
I have studied everything about my idol, including the mythology surrounding his success, and I try to emulate his every move.
And he said, "No, no, no, no, no,
Don't touch me, please just go away
No, no, no, no, no,
Don't talk to me, I've got nothing to say
To you"
My idol's rejection remains constant and he wants nothing to do with me despite my efforts to be like him.
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.