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'
Feed the Hungry
The Pop Group Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feed the hungry
In the mines of Bolivia
In the streets of Indonesia
Exploitation
Greed
Feed the hungry
More than 10,000 men women children
die of starvation every day
The major cause of famine and poverty is
organised human greed
Feed the hungry
In the camps of Cambodia
In the shanty towns of India
In the prisons of Argentina
Exploit cheap labour
Exploitation
The rape of the Third World
Western bankers decide who lives and who dies
28 human beings
21 of them children die as a result of hunger
every minute every hour of every day
Profit is thicker than blood
I present the illuminati
They exploit cheap labour
Here come the imperialists
Here come the Rockefellers
Here come the Rothchildes
Here comes Carrington
Here comes B.P.
Here comes America
Here comes Russia
Here comes China
with their policies of aid
So few own so much
Take it
The Pop Group's song Feed the Hungry highlights the issue of exploitation and organized human greed that exists in different parts of the world. The song focuses on the suffering of people in different countries such as Bolivia, South Africa, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, and Argentina. Through the lyrics, the song calls for the need to address the rampant hunger crisis and the major cause of famine and poverty - organized human greed. The song emphasizes the need to feed the hungry and address hunger crisis on a global scale.
The song is critical of the exploitation of cheap labor in different countries that have led to the suffering of millions of people. The illuminati, who exploit cheap labor, are presented as the people who decide who lives and who dies. The song also highlights the inaction of Western banks and policymakers who are more concerned with profit than the lives of people. The lyrics "Profit is thicker than blood" points to the fact that the profit-driven motivations of these institutions override the humanitarian needs of people.
Line by Line Meaning
Greed?
Questioning the cause of the problem - greed
Feed the hungry
Advocating for action to feed those suffering from hunger
In the mines of Bolivia
Stating a location where exploitation occurs
In the factories of South Africa
Stating a location where exploitation occurs
In the streets of Indonesia
Stating a location where exploitation occurs
Exploitation
Identifying exploitation as the root cause of hunger and poverty
Greed
Reinforcing that greed is the driving force behind exploitation
More than 10,000 men women children
Highlighting the staggering number of individuals who die from hunger every day
die of starvation every day
Further emphasizing the severity of the issue
The major cause of famine and poverty is
Declaring greed as the main factor causing famine and poverty
organised human greed
Clarifying that greed is not a coincidence or individual occurrence, but a system being perpetuated
In the camps of Cambodia
Stating a location where exploitation occurs
In the shanty towns of India
Stating a location where exploitation occurs
In the prisons of Argentina
Stating a location where exploitation occurs
Exploit cheap labour
Identifying cheap labour as the means by which exploitation occurs
The rape of the Third World
Portraying the exploitation of the Third World as violent, aggressive and non-consensual
Western bankers decide who lives and who dies
Addressing the power dynamics at play and how decisions about life and death are made by those in positions of power
28 human beings
Quantifying the number of people dying from hunger every minute
21 of them children die as a result of hunger
Highlighting the disproportionate effect of hunger on children
every minute every hour of every day
Reinforcing the constant, ongoing nature of this issue
Profit is thicker than blood
Implying that profitability is given more value than human life or well-being
I present the illuminati
Calling attention to the powerful, secretive group that may be perceived as controlling world events
They exploit cheap labour
Reiterating that exploiting cheap labour is a means by which people in power maintain their control
Here come the imperialists
Addressing the power dynamics at play and the role of imperialism in maintaining the status quo
Here come the Rockefellers
Naming one of the powerful families whose wealth gives them significant influence
Here come the Rothchildes
Naming one of the powerful families whose wealth gives them significant influence
Here comes Carrington
Naming an individual with significant power and influence
Here comes B.P.
Naming a corporation that is perceived as contributing to the exploitation of others
Here comes America
Naming a country that may be perceived as contributing to the exploitation of others
Here comes Russia
Naming a country that may be perceived as contributing to the exploitation of others
Here comes China
Naming a country that may be perceived as contributing to the exploitation of others
with their policies of aid
Suggesting that the policies put in place by powerful nations may not be entirely altruistic
So few own so much
Highlighting the massive wealth disparity and power imbalance between the few who hold most of the world's wealth and the many who suffer from hunger and poverty
Take it
Issuing a call to action, challenging people to take action to address the issue at hand
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.