Dead or Alive (band)

Dead or Alive

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1979 in Liverpool, England
Founder	Pete Burns
Defunct	2016
Fate	Disbanded following the death of lead vocalist Pete Burns
Headquarters	Liverpool , England
Key people	Pete Burns (vocals), Steve Coy (drums), Mike Percy (bass), Tim Lever (keyboards)
Products	Studio albums, singles, live albums

Dead or Alive was a British pop group that produced seven studio albums from 1984 through 2000. Established in 1979 in Liverpool, the band enjoyed notable success in the mid-1980s with seven singles reaching the UK Top 40 and three albums entering the UK Top 30. The most recognized lineup featured Pete Burns on vocals, Steve Coy on drums, Mike Percy playing bass, and Tim Lever handling keyboards. After Percy and Lever departed in 1988, Burns and Coy formed the primary songwriting and production partnership. The group officially ceased activities following Burns' passing on 23 October 2016, after releasing a solo single in 2010.

In 2021, an album recorded in the 1990s but previously unreleased, titled Fan the Flame (Part 2): The Resurrection, was finalized and made available to the public.

Two of their singles achieved Top 20 status on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" reached number 11 in August 1985, and "Brand New Lover" peaked at number 15 in March 1987. The track "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" held the number one spot on the UK charts for two consecutive weeks in 1985, re-entered the charts in 2006 following Burns' participation on Celebrity Big Brother, and was featured in Stranger Things (season 4). This song also became their first of two singles to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In December 2016, Billboard ranked Dead or Alive as the 96th most accomplished dance artist ever.

Band formation and initial phase

In 1977, Burns initiated a punk ensemble named the Mystery Girls alongside peers Julian Cope, Pete Wylie, and Phil Hurst. They performed only once, opening for Sham 69 at Eric's Club in Liverpool during November of that year before disbanding. Cope remarked that Burns' style was influenced by transgender punk icon Jayne County, while Wylie commented on his unique appearance.

By early 1979, Burns had formed Rainbows Over Nagasaki, which soon changed its name to Nightmares In Wax, embracing a gothic post-punk style. The band's members included keyboardist Martin Healy, guitarist Mick Reid, bassist Rob Jones (later replaced by Walter Ogden), and drummer Paul Hornby (later replaced by Phil Hurst).

Their debut performance took place in July 1979 as support for Wire at Eric's Club, and they recorded demos that featured a rendition of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound's "Kites". As Nightmares In Wax, their sole release was the 7-inch EP Birth of a Nation (March 1980) under Inevitable Records, including "Black Leather", which segued into KC and the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way (I Like It)". Two tracks from this EP were reissued in 1985 after the band gained later popularity.

In 1980, amidst changes to their lineup, Burns retitled the group Dead or Alive. Over the next three years, they issued various independent singles that charted on the UK Indie Chart, beginning with "The Stranger" in 1982, which reached number seven. This success led to a contract with major label Epic Records in 1983. Their first Epic release, "Misty Circles", peaked at number 100 on the UK Singles Chart. Following singles "What I Want" and "I'd Do Anything", co-produced by Zeus B. Held, did not achieve mainstream breakthrough.

Dead or Alive's first album, Sophisticated Boom Boom, arrived in May 1984 and featured their initial UK Top 40 single—a cover of "That's the Way (I Like It)". Both this cover and "Misty Circles" appeared on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The album attained a peak position of number 29 in the UK. Burns’ gender-fluid image prompted media comparisons to Culture Club’s Boy George and singer Marilyn. Reflecting on producing this album, Burns described it as "the most joyous experience of my life," highlighting that there was no commercial pressure involved.

Chart performance

In May 1985, the group unveiled their sophomore album, Youthquake, which climbed to No. 9 in the UK and reached No. 31 on the US charts. This record was produced by the then-rising production team Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW). Their track "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" became their sole UK No. 1 hit after lingering outside the Top 40 for over two months. It also achieved No. 11 in the United States and topped the Canadian charts.

Burns disclosed that the label was initially hesitant, compelling him to secure a £2,500 loan to finance both the single's recording and its accompanying video. He highlighted that 12-inch singles comprised more than 70% of sales but were treated merely as promotional items by the record company, necessitating legal action before royalties were paid.

Additional singles from Youthquake—including "Lover Come Back To Me" (No. 11), "In Too Deep" (No. 14), and "My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me to the Doctor)" (No. 23)—all secured spots within the UK Top 30. Despite these achievements, Burns expressed dissatisfaction with the album and harbored apprehension about success, hoping their singles would avoid high chart positions.

Towards the end of 1986, Dead or Alive released their third studio album, Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, which reached No. 27 in the UK and No. 52 in the US. The production process was fraught with disagreements involving SAW.

The lead single from this album, "Brand New Lover", peaked at No. 31 in the UK but found greater success stateside, reaching No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and securing the top spot on Billboard's dance chart. Other singles included "Something in My House" (UK No. 12), marking their final UK Top 20 single from this album and their last original release to enter the UK Top 40.

In 1987, Dead or Alive issued their greatest hits compilation titled Rip It Up while embarking on tours across Europe, the US, and Japan. Performances recorded in Tokyo and Osaka were later made available on VHS and Laserdisc under the title Rip It Up Live, with a DVD release following in 2003.

By late 1988, now functioning as a duo consisting of Burns and Coy, they self-produced Nude, which peaked at No. 82 in the UK and No. 106 in the US. This album has since been regarded as their strongest work following the exit of Tim Lever and Mike Percy, who went on to establish successful production careers with artists such as S Club 7, Blue, and Robbie Williams.

Singles from this release included "Turn Around and Count 2 Ten", which dominated Japan’s charts for seventeen weeks at No. 1 and reached No. 2 on the US dance chart; "Baby Don't Say Goodbye", peaking at No. 6 on that same chart; and "Come Home with Me Baby", which held No. 1 for thirteen weeks on US dance charts thanks to a popular remix by Lewis Martineé. Nevertheless, these singles encountered difficulties in the UK due to prevailing sensitivities surrounding casual sex during the AIDS crisis.

Moreover, although there was demand for it, the US record label declined to give "Come Home with Me Baby" a full release because of objections to male dancers featured in its video, restricting its potential impact on the Hot 100 chart. In 1989, Burns toured Asia and Europe alongside fellow SAW artists Sinitta and Kylie Minogue during the Disco in Dream tour, including a notable performance at Tokyo Dome broadcast by NHK.

1990s and 2000s

The group unveiled Fan the Flame (Part 1) in 1990, which found notable commercial acclaim particularly in Japan, where it climbed to No. 27 on the Oricon Albums Chart. Although work commenced on Fan the Flame (Part 2), the project was postponed and only finalized in 2021. During a 1992 US tour, an acoustic album titled Love, Pete was circulated and subsequently became widely bootlegged.

In 1995, the band made a comeback with Nukleopatra, incorporating a modernized musical style. The year 2000 saw the release of Fragile, which combined reimagined tracks, fresh material, and covers such as U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing" and Nick Kamen's "I Promised Myself". The single "Hit and Run Lover" reached No. 2 on Japanese charts. This was succeeded by the remix collection Unbreakable: The Fragile Remixes in 2001 and a greatest hits package, Evolution: the Hits, in 2003. To promote this compilation, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" was reissued, attaining No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart.

2010s

On 7 September 2010, Burns issued his solo track "Never Marry an Icon" through Steve Coy’s label, Bristar Records. Despite Burns declaring the band's conclusion in 2011, Coy maintained that Dead or Alive was still operational. In December 2012, Burns and Coy appeared at Pete Waterman’s Hit Factory Live event held at London's O2 Arena.

Burns passed away from cardiac arrest on 23 October 2016 at age 57, marking the effective end of the band. Shortly thereafter, on 28 October 2016, Edsel Records released an extensive 19-disc box set titled Sophisticated Boom Box MMXVI, which Burns and Coy curated. This collection included original songs alongside rare tracks, live performances, alternate versions, and more than a dozen previously unreleased remixes.

Steve Coy died on 4 May 2018 at age 56 after battling cancer for eleven months while working on a new studio album in Italy.

Personnel

Members

• Pete Burns – vocals, tambourine (1979–2016; deceased)
• Martin Healy – keyboards (1979–1983; died 2025)
• Joe Musker – drums (1980–1982)
• Sue James – bass (1980–1981)
• Adrian Mitchley – guitars (1980–1981)
• Mike Percy – bass, guitars, keyboards (1981–1988)

• Wayne Hussey – guitars (1981–1984)
• Steve Coy – drums, percussion, keyboards, guitars, bass (1982–2016; deceased 2018)
• Timothy Lever – keyboards, saxophone, guitars, sequencers (1983–1988)
• Peter Oxendale – keyboards (1989–1995)
• Jason Alburey – keyboards, guitars (1995–2003)
• Dean Bright – keyboards, keytar (1995–2003)

Nightmares in Wax Members

• Mick Reid – guitars (1979–1980)
• Walter Ogden – bass (1979)
• Rob Jones – bass (1979)
• Paul Hornby – drums (1979; died 2015)
• Phil Hurst – drums (1979–1980)
• Pete Lloyd – bass (1980; died 2024)

Touring members

• Sonia Mazumder – dancer, backing vocals (1982–1984)
• James Hyde – dancer (1987–1990)
• Adam Perry – dancer (1987)
• Simon Gogerly – keytar, keyboards (1989)
• B.J. Smouth – keyboards (1989)
• Gary Hughes – dancer (1989)
• Matt Selby – dancer (1989)
• Tony Griffiths – dancer (1989)
• Steve Agyei – dancer (1989)
• Zeb Jamenson – keyboards (1990)
• Tracy Ackerman – backing vocals (1990)
• Tony Griffith – dancer (1990)
• Philip Hurst – dancer (1990)
• Mark Scott – dancer (1990)
• Cliff Slapher – keyboards (2001)
• Micki Dee – keyboards (2001)

Timeline

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id:Guitar    value:green     legend:Guitarists
id:Keyboard  value:purple    legend:Keyboardists
id:Bass      value:blue      legend:Bassists
id:Drums     value:orange    legend:Drummers
id:Sax       value:tan2      legend:Saxophone
id:Keytar    value:lavender  legend:Keytarist
id:Album     value:black     legend:Album Releases

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color:Album
at:04/01/1984
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at:12/13/1990
at:10/01/1995
at:09/19/2000

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bar:MR text:"Mick Reid"
bar:AM text:"Adrian Mitchley"
bar:WH text:"Wayne Hussey"
bar:MH text:"Martin Healy"
bar:TL text:"Timothy Lever"
bar:PO text:"Peter Oxendale"
bar:JA text:"Jason Alburey"
bar:DB text:"Dean Bright"
bar:WO text:"Walter Ogden"
bar:PL text:"Pete Lloyd"
bar:SJ text:"Sue James"
bar:MP text:"Mike Percy"
bar:PA text:"Paul Hornby"
bar:PH text:"Phil Hurst"
bar:JM text:"Joe Musker"
bar:SC text:"Steve Coy"

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bar:PB from:01/01/1979 till:end           color:Vocal
bar:SC from:01/01/1982 till:end           color:Drums
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bar:SC from:01/01/1989 till:end           color:Bass     width:5
bar:SC from:01/01/1989 till:end           color:Keyboard width:7
bar:MP from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1989    color:Guitar   width:3
bar:MP from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1989    color:Bass
bar:MP from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1989    color:Keyboard width:7
bar:TL from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1989    color:Keyboard
bar:TL from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1989    color:Guitar   width:3
bar:TL from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1989    color:Sax      width:7
bar:[MH] from:start        till:end-13y      color:Keyboard
bar:[MR] from:start        till:end-36y      color:Guitar
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bar:[PH] from:end-37y      till:end-36y      color:Dums 
bar:[JM] from:end-35y      till:end-34y      color:Dums 
bar:[AM] from:end-34y      till:end-33y      color:Guitar 
bar:[PL] from:end-33y      till:end-32.75y   color:Bass 
bar:[SJ] from:end-33y      till:end-32y      color:Bass 
bar:[WO] from:start        till:end-36.25y   color:Bass 
bar:[WH] from:end-34y      till:end-33y      color:Guitar 
bar:[PO] from:end-27y      till:end-22y      color:keyboards 
bar:[JA] from:end-22y      till:end-14y      color:keyboards 
bar:[DB] from:end-22y      till:end-14y      color:keyboards 

</timeline>

Discography

• Sophisticated Boom Boom (1984)
• Youthquake (1985)
• Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know (1986)
• Nude (1988)
• Fan the Flame (Part 1) (1990)
• Nukleopatra (1995)
• Fragile (2000)
• Fan the Flame (Part 2): The Resurrection (2021)

See also

• Compilation of Billboard chart-topping dance club tracks
• Artists achieving number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart