Their uncompromising, dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub music. Their lyrics were, more often than not, politically charged. In '79 they issued their debut single, "She is Beyond Good and Evil" on the Radar label.
The band reformed in 2010 for a reunion tour. In November 2014, the Pop Group announced that they would release an album of new material titled "Citizen Zombie" on 23 February 2015. The album was produced by Paul Epworth.
Their debut album Y, was produced by reggae veteran Dennis Bovell to critical acclaim but low sales figures. Although it did not chart, the album's success was sufficient to convince Rough Trade to sign the band, but not before more line-up changes, with Dan Katsis, formerly a guitarist in the Glaxo Babies, replacing Underwood on bass.
The band's career with Rough Trade commenced with what is possibly their best-known single "We Are All Prostitutes", which featuring a guest appearance by free improviser Tristan Honsinger on cello. This was followed the release of their second album, For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? in 1980, which included a contribution from US proto-rappers The Last Poets.
Shortly afterwards The Pop Group released a split single, "Where There's a Will There's A Way", with The Slits, a band with whom they now shared a drummer and managers (Christine Robertson and Dick O'Dell), as well as a growing interest in exploring dub and funk rhythms.
The band split in 1981, after legal wranglings and internal disagreements. Members of the group went on to form bands including Pigbag, Maximum Joy, Head and Rip Rig & Panic, the latter notable for the involvement of Neneh Cherry.
Singer Mark Stewart, meanwhile, collaborated with Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound posse, issuing records firstly as Mark Stewart and Maffia, then as a solo artist.
The Pop Group and associated bands started a Bristol 'scene' that would later spawn trip-hop.
It was reported on 24 May 2010 that the Pop Group would be reuniting. Stewart announced the first two dates of a reunion tour. Three members of the original line up were part of the reunion with two gigs in London and two in Italy initially confirmed. The band played live in Paris (for the first time) on 6 September 2010, at La Machine Du Moulin Rouge venue as part of "L'Etrange Festival" Film Festival which served as a kick off to their five date tour through Europe which included a London gig on New Year's Eve with Sonic Youth and Shellac.
In a 2010 interview, Stewart said that the reformed Pop Group was recording a new album, to be titled The Alternate. However, this album never materialized. The band were chosen to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festival curated by ATP & Portishead in September 2011 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
They have been cited as an important influence in the development of alternative music in the 1980s; Mike Watt, of Minutemen and, more recently, Nick Cave , have cited the Pop Group as an important source of inspiration on their own work. In November 2013, the band played the final holiday camp edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Camber Sands, England.
The Pop Group's 1980 LP We Are Time saw its first reissue worldwide (ex. Japan) on October 20, 2014. The band also released a brand new compilation of rarities titled Cabinet of Curiosities. In support of the reissues the band undertook a 7 day UK tour starting on October 20 in Edinburgh and ending on October 26 at the Islington Assembly Hall in London. Richard Williams - who championed the band and featured them on the front of Melody Maker on 24 March 1979 - wrote in his review of the London show: 'one of the most important British bands of the 1970s, the gig provided evidence of their continuing relevance'
Blind Faith
The Pop Group Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blind Faith
When the crowds cry
Blind Faith
When the crowds cry
We won't play your silly games
Or follow your leaders
We are lemmings
Contented slaves
Castration
Let's kill their reason
We're controlled heroes
I don't believe
I can't believe
I don't believe
I can't believe
Tongue removed at birth
I had my tongue removed at birth
I had my tongue removed at birth
Life is not blind but we are
I saw stones and men's hooves in the moonlight
(Occult fascist)
Thank you parents
Thank you media
Thank you teachers
Thank you friends for all that I have been taught
Only do what you have been taught
Blind Faith
When the crowds cry
Blind Faith
They say their work is good but I say it's immoral
Prophets are hunted and imprisoned
While uniformed mass murderers become heroes
The lyrics to The Pop Group's song Blind Faith challenge the notion of blindly following authority and conformity to societal norms. The repeated phrase, "When the crowds cry Blind Faith," speaks to the ease at which people can be influenced and manipulated into following leaders without questioning their intentions or policies. The band refuses to play along with these "silly games" and instead portrays themselves and others as "lemmings" and "sheep," content with their place as "controlled heroes."
The line "Tongue removed at birth" is a powerful metaphor for the idea that people have been silenced from birth and conditioned to obey authority without question. The lyric "I saw stones and men's hooves in the moonlight" adds to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere of the song, while the mention of "occult fascist" hints at the dangerous and corrupt potential of blind following. The band thanks parents, media, teachers, and friends for all that they were taught, pointing out how our upbringing and societal influences shape our beliefs and values.
Overall, Blind Faith challenges the listener to examine their own beliefs and confront the dangers of blindly following authority without question. The Pop Group's powerful lyrics and subversive message continue to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
When the crowds cry Blind Faith
People are blindly following what they are told even when it's wrong
We won't play your silly games
We won't participate in the mindless activities that people are expected to do
Or follow your leaders
We won't be controlled by people in power
We are lemmings
We are blindly doing whatever others are doing without thinking for ourselves
We are sheep
We are easily led and controlled by others
Contented slaves
We are happy to go along with the system even if it's not in our best interests
Castration
Our ability to think for ourselves has been taken away
Let's kill their reason
Let's stop people from thinking for themselves and questioning authority
We're controlled heroes
We're being praised for what we're doing even though we're being controlled
I don't believe
I'm not convinced by what others are saying
I can't believe
I can't accept what I'm being told without evidence
Tongue removed at birth
We're silenced and not allowed to express our opinions from a young age
Life is not blind but we are
We have the ability to see clearly but we choose not to
I saw stones and men's hooves in the moonlight
I saw something sinister happening in the dark
(Occult fascist)
The hidden forces in power are doing something immoral
Thank you parents
You taught me the values that I am now questioning
Thank you media
You're controlling what I see and think
Thank you teachers
You taught me what to think, not how to think
Thank you friends for all that I have been taught
You've influenced me in ways that I'm now questioning
Only do what you have been taught
Don't question authority or think for yourself
They say their work is good but I say it's immoral
People in power claim what they're doing is for the greater good, but I don't believe it
Prophets are hunted and imprisoned
People who speak out against the system are punished
While uniformed mass murderers become heroes
Those who follow orders from those in power are praised even when they're doing something wrong
When the crowds cry Blind Faith
Repeat of earlier line
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb, Michael R Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind