Curiosity Killed the Cat
| Company type | Pop band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 in London, England |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Curiosity Killed the Cat emerged as a British pop ensemble established in London in 1980, featuring vocalist Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, guitarist Julian Godfrey Brookhouse, bassist Nick Thorpe, and drummer Migi Drummond. The group achieved notable UK acclaim during the late 1980s when their debut record Keep Your Distance topped the charts in 1987, spawning three singles that reached the UK top 20: "Down to Earth", "Misfit", and "Ordinary Day". Their sophomore album, Getahead (1989), delivered the UK top 20 hit "Name and Number".
Following Thorpe's departure in 1991, the remaining members shortened their name to Curiosity and released their third album, Back to Front, in 1994. This album featured the UK top 5 hit "Hang On in There Baby". The band ceased activity later that year but reunited sporadically thereafter.
Career
Curiosity Killed the Cat specialized in a blend of soulful, jazzy, and funky pop sounds and initially secured a deal with Mercury Records. They attracted media interest by collaborating with Andy Warhol on the 1986 music video for "Misfit," which was shot in New York City. Although "Misfit" did not perform well upon its initial release, their subsequent single "Down to Earth" climbed to number three on the UK charts in early 1987. Their debut album Keep Your Distance debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and stayed within the top ten for thirteen weeks. Other singles from this album included "Ordinary Day" (UK No. 11), "Free" (UK No. 56), and a reissued "Misfit" which reached number seven in the UK. Additionally, "Misfit" attained a peak position of No. 42 on US charts.
The follow-up album, Getahead released in 1989, featured "Name and Number" which peaked at No.14 in the UK but overall sales were moderate, with the album reaching only No.29. Notably, the chorus from "Name and Number" was later sampled by De La Soul in their track "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)". After disappointing commercial results and being dropped by Mercury Records, Thorpe exited the band.
Rebranded simply as Curiosity, they signed with RCA Records and scored a UK Top 3 hit in 1992 with a cover of Johnny Bristol's "Hang On in There Baby". Despite this success, subsequent singles failed to gain traction, restricting Back to Front's release primarily to Japan and select international markets before the group ultimately disbanded.
The band briefly reunited in 2001 for an appearance on BBC's National Lottery show. Since then, Volpeliere-Pierrot has toured under the Curiosity Killed the Cat name as part of various 1980s nostalgia tours.
In November 2015, they contributed a cover version and remix of the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'" for the compilation album 80's Recovered.
Band members
- Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot – lead vocals (born Martin Benedict Volpeliere-Pierrot on 19 May 1965 in Earls Court, London)
- Julian Godfrey Brookhouse – guitar (born 15 May 1963 in Putney, London)
- Nick Thorpe – bass guitar, keyboards (born Nicholas Bernard Thorp on 25 October 1964 in Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex)
- Migi Drummond – drums (born Miguel John Drummond on 27 January 1964 in Strawberry Hill, Middlesex)
Frontman Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot was recognizable for his distinctive peaked fisherman's cap resembling a beret. In several mid-1990s solo releases he was credited as Ben VP and was humorously nicknamed 'Ben Vol-au-vent Parrot' by Smash Hits. He also appeared as a model on the cover of Mike Read's Pop Quiz board game.
In 1995, Migi Drummond and Nick Thorp established Naked Records, which was acquired by software company Eidos Plc a year later.
Toby Andersen, formerly of Funkapolitan, co-authored all songs and played keyboards on Keep Your Distance. Session musician Mike McEvoy (Michael J McEvoy) contributed songwriting to Getahead, with Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro performing on three tracks.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Rankings | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | GER | IT | NL | NZ | SWE | SWI | US | |||
| Keep Your Distance |
|
1 | 47 | 20 | 29 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 32 | 7 | 55 |
|
| Getahead |
|
29 | 136 | — | — | 19 | 90 | — | — | — | — |
|
| Back to Front | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Their Very Best |
|
| The Very Best Of |
|
| Down to Earth: The Collection |
|
| Misfits: The Mercury Years 1986–1990 |
|
Video albums
| Video Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Running the Distance |
|
| Live from the Camden Palace |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions Achieved | Associated Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BE (FL) | GER | IRE | IT | NL | NZ | SWI | US | |||
| "Misfit" | 1986 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan=5 |Keep Your Distance |
| "Down to Earth" | 3 | 88 | 24 | 32 | 5 | |||||||
|
14 |
13 |
— |
— | |||||||||
|
scope=row|"Ordinary Day" |
rowspan=3 | 1987 |
11 |
— |
— |
— |
13 |
9 |
31 |
42 |
24 |
— | |
|
scope=row|"Misfit (re-release)" |
7 |
97 |
— |
53 |
8 |
16 |
48 |
— |
— |
42 | ||
|
scope=row|"Free" |
56 |
— |
— |
— |
26 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— | ||