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.
Mr Bizarro
The Monochrome Set Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who changed his gender
(Mr Bizarro)
Oh, Mr Bizarro
Oh, Mr Bizarro
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who got converted
(Mr Bizarro)
Oh, Mr Bizarro
Oh, Mr Bizarro
Who's the man who's so mind-bending
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who's patent pending
(Mr Bizarro)
Oh, Mr Bizarro
Oh, Mr Bizarro
The Monochrome Set's song "Mr Bizarro" is a whimsical exploration of unconventional identity and the bizarre and surreal aspects of the world. The titular character, Mr Bizarro, is described as tall and slender, having changed his gender and being so perverted that he got converted. He is also portrayed as mind-bending with a patent pending, highlighting his unconventional and outlandish nature. Despite these descriptors, the chorus repeatedly exclaims "Oh, Mr Bizarro" in almost reverential tones that suggest a degree of admiration for his unique qualities.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's the man who's tall and slender
Which person is the one who has a height that is beyond average and has a body that is slim?
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who changed his gender
Which person is the one who altered their sex?
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who's so perverted
Which person has qualities or behaviors that are regarded as abnormal or unacceptable in society?
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who got converted
Which person has changed their religious beliefs, opinions or way of life?
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who's so mind-bending
Which person is so fascinating or puzzling to the point it affects one's perception or understanding?
(Mr Bizarro)
Who's the man who's patent pending
Which person's intellectual property rights are being sorted, and the outcome has not been decided?
(Mr Bizarro)
Oh, Mr Bizarro
Oh, Mr Bizarro
Contributed by Ryan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mike Hawthorne
Always great - to me since 1980,81
Joe Division
Love this song since 1981,2