Amazulu (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Founder | Sharon Bailey, Lesley Beach |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Amazulu was a British ensemble from the 1980s blending reggae, ska, and pop genres, composed of five women and one man. They achieved four UK top-20 singles, with their most prominent hit being the 1986 track "Too Good to Be Forgotten."
Formation and Rise
The band's name, Amazulu, originates from the Zulu language term referring to the Zulu people. Initially considering the name "Amazon," the group settled on Amazulu after Sharon Bailey and Lesley Beach encountered a South African theatrical production by that title and secured rights to use it.
The group was established by Bailey, who managed initially, and Beach, who played saxophone, alongside Rose Miner as the original lead vocalist and Debbie Dread on drums, forming an all-female lineup at the start. Subsequently, Anne-Marie Ruddock replaced Miner as lead singer, while John "Nardo" Bailey joined as drummer, becoming their only male member. Miner later shifted her career towards dance and percussion arts. Early guidance came from Falcon Stuart—known for his work with X-Ray Spex and Adam and the Ants—who helped launch their debut single "Cairo." This release garnered moderate attention in the UK and received airplay on BBC Radio 1's John Peel show.
Their visibility increased with appearances on television programs such as The Young Ones in 1984 and multiple performances on Top of the Pops. Among their successful singles were "Excitable" and a cover of The Chi-Lites' "Too Good to Be Forgotten." In 1986, their rendition of "Montego Bay" achieved limited success in the United States and climbed to number six on Canadian charts. That same year saw the release of their self-titled album through Island Records, although it did not make a significant impact on the charts.
Personnel shifts and dissolution
By 1986, Amazulu had condensed into a trio consisting of Anne-Marie Ruddock, Sharon Bailey, and Lesley Beach during their peak period. Beach departed in 1987, leaving Ruddock and Bailey to continue as a duo. They scored a minor hit with "Mony Mony" before recording their second album, Spellbound, which was issued on cassette in select Asian territories such as Hong Kong via EMI Records. This album included singles like "Mony Mony," "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," and "My Heart Belongs to You"—the latter released under Ruddock's name in 1988. The band ultimately disbanded early that year.
In 1987, Bailey, Ruddock, and Beach appeared in Alex Cox’s film Straight to Hell. Following the group's breakup, Bailey resided in Buckinghamshire and maintained occasional involvement in music. Beach moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she earned a BA degree focusing on Liberal Arts, Environment, and Social Justice before pursuing a career in social work. She also performed with Samba ensemble Quilombo do Samba, which won Best Band at the 2002 Notting Hill Carnival. Clare Kenny found considerable success as a session bassist collaborating with artists such as Sinéad O'Connor, Indigo Girls, Shakespears Sister, and Damien Dempsey. Meanwhile, Margo Sagov studied architecture while continuing her guitar performances with various bands including Rock Candy.
Amazulu is mentioned in Suede’s song "Asbestos," featured on their album Head Music.
Albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | NZ | SWE | ||
| Amazulu |
|
97 | 31 | 37 |
| Spellbound |
|
— | — | — |
Singles
| Release Year | Single Title | Highest Chart Positions | Associated Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | BEL | GER | IRE | NED | NZ | SA | US | |||
| 1983 | "Cairo" | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Amazulu |
| "Smiley Stylee" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Released as a single only | |
| 1984 | "Moonlight Romance" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Amazulu |
| 1985 | "Excitable" | 12 | 18 | — | 29 | 41 | — | 22 | — | |
| 15 | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "The Things the Lonely Do" | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 5 | 27 | 31 | 6 | 26 | 39 | — | — | |||
| 16 | — | — | 14 | — | — | 16 | 90 | |||
| 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Mony Mony" | 38 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — |
Spellbound | |
| 97 |
56 |
28 |
— |
— |
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