Department S (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
| Website | www |
Department S is a British band associated with the post-punk and new wave genres, formed in 1980. Their name derives from the 1960s television series Department S. They gained recognition primarily through their debut single, "Is Vic There?", which was released in December 1980 and climbed to No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart.
1980s
The origins of Department S trace back to the punk and ska ensemble Guns for Hire, fronted by Vaughn Toulouse and including former Madness drummer John Hasler. Guitarist Mike Herbage was responsible for writing the sole single issued by Guns for Hire before the group transitioned into Department S with the addition of bassist Tony Lordan, drummer Stuart Mizon, and keyboardist Eddie Roxy. The band's name pays homage to the British spy-fi TV show Department S.
Their first performance took place at London's Rock Garden in September 1980. The debut single, "Is Vic There?", was launched by Demon Records in December of that year, produced by Buffin and Overend Watts, former members of Mott the Hoople. The B-side featured a rendition of T.Rex's "Solid Gold Easy Action," enhanced by backing vocals from Thunderthighs.
"Is Vic There?" reached number 22 on the UK charts, leading to a re-release by RCA Records in March 1981 with a remix by David Tickle; this version attained No. 67 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The band appeared on Top of the Pops and recorded a session for John Peel in December 1980.
Early in 1981, Mark Taylor replaced Roxy on keyboards. Their follow-up single, "Going Left Right", was released through Stiff Records in June 1981. Although it received critical acclaim, it did not perform as well commercially. Stiff also issued "Is Vic There?" in the United States.
The production of their debut album Sub-Stance, overseen by Tickle, proved contentious; during recording, bassist Lordan departed and was succeeded by Jimmy Hughes. A third single titled "I Want" came out in November 1981 but achieved only modest sales. Due to disagreements with Stiff Records, the band was dropped despite an investment of £50,000 in the unreleased album.
Following a London gig in March 1982, Herbage exited the group, which subsequently disbanded later that year.
Toulouse embarked on a DJ career under the moniker Main T and released the single "Fickle Public Speaking" in 1983, which reached No. 89 in the UK charts. He also contributed to a charity project by the Style Council in 1984 and issued a solo single in 1985 before passing away in 1991 at age 32 due to an AIDS-related illness.
The recordings from Sub-Stance were first officially made available as a compilation entitled Vic There? by Mau Mau Records in 1993, including B-sides. This collection was reissued under its original title by LTM in 2002 with additional B-sides and live recordings.
Revival
In February 2007, Department S reunited with guitarist Herbage, drummer Mizon, and former keyboardist Roxy now taking on lead vocals to record their first new single after a 26-year hiatus—a cover of Alvin Stardust's 1973 hit "My Coo-Ca-Choo." This release featured guest artists such as Mark Bedford (Madness) on bass, Terry Edwards on brass instruments, and Michelle Brigandage providing backing vocals. The single was issued by Sartorial Records in October. Several other new tracks were recorded during this period, including "Wonderful Day," which included contributions from Edwards, Glen Matlock, and Marco Pirroni, as well as "God Squad Saviour," featuring John Keeble (Spandau Ballet) on drums.
In August 2008, Mizon stepped down due to family obligations but returned early in 2009. In June of that year, former keyboardist Taylor rejoined as bassist while guitarist/songwriter Sam Burnett (formerly of Back to Zero) became a permanent member.
The "Wonderful Day" EP was released through Sartorial Records in August 2009. Department S marked their live return at London's 100 Club in February 2010 and subsequently performed at events including the Rebellion Festival and Belgium's Sinners Day Festival.
June 2011 saw the release of the "God Squad Saviour" single followed by their album Mr Nutley's Strange Delusionarium—primarily consisting of reworked older songs—on October 3rd via Sartorial. Later that year they played Belgium's Hertals Rocks Festival and appeared at Spain's Festival Internacional de Benicàssim in 2012.
In April 2014, Pete Jones (formerly associated with Public Image Ltd and Cowboys International) joined as bassist. The following year witnessed departures of original drummer Mizon, guitarist Herbage, and Burnett; they were succeeded by drummer Alexander Lutes and guitarist Phil Thompson. That same year J.A.M. UK released their digital single "On My Own (Again)."
Their studio album When All Is Said and All Is Done, produced by Jones, was issued on May 27, 2016 via Westworld Recordings. Alan Galaxy took over drumming duties from Lutes in 2017.
Also in 2017, Westworld released a compilation titled 45 Revolutions: Singles 1980 – 2017.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of "Is Vic There?" in 2022, Department S issued a re-recorded ruby vinyl seven-inch limited edition capped at 500 copies worldwide; this release reached number two on the Heritage Chart.
As of 2022, Department S comprises Phil Thompson (lead vocals and guitar), Mike Lea (bass and backing vocals), and Simon Bowley (drums and backing vocals). Their most recent single "Burn Down Tomorrow," which is also the title track for an upcoming studio album, was released in September of that year.
Studio albums
| Year | Album Title | Record Label | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sub-Stance | LTM | Contains the 1981 album alongside live and demo recordings |
| 2011 | Mr Nutleys Strange Delusionarium | Sartorial | |
| 2016 | When All Is Said and All Is Done | Westworld Recordings | |
| 2024 | Burn Down Tomorrow | Last Night From Glasgow |
Singles
| Year | Single Title | UK Singles Chart | US Hot Dance Club Play | Heritage Chart | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight" | Korova | Released under the name Guns for Hire | |||
| 1980 | "Is Vic There?" | No. 22 | Demon, RCA | B-side track: "Solid Gold Easy Action" | ||
| 1981 | "Is Vic There? (Re-mixed Version)" | No. 67 | Stiff | B-side: "Put All the Crosses in the Right Boxes" | ||
| 1981 | "Going Left Right" | No. 55 | Stiff | B-side: "She's Expecting You" | ||
| 1981 | "I Want" | Stiff | B-sides include "Monte Carlo or Bust" and "Put All the Crosses in the Right Boxes" | |||
| 2007 | "My Coo-Ca-Choo" | Sartorial | ||||
| 2011 | "God Squad Saviour" | Sartorial | B-side: "Slave" | |||
| 2015 | "On My Own (Again)" | J.A.M. UK | ||||
| 2016 | "When All Is Said and All Is Done" | Westworld Recordings | ||||
| 2017 | "I Believe" | Westworld Recordings | ||||
| 2022 | "Is Vic There?" (40th Anniversary Version) | No.2 |
Cadiz Music |
EPs
| Year | EP Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Wonderful Day | Sartorial |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Is Vic There? | Mau Mau Records |
| 2017 | 45 Revolutions: Singles 1980 – 2017 | Westworld Records |
Members
Current
- Phil Thompson – guitar, vocals (since 2015)
- Simon Bowley – drums, backing vocals
- Mike Lea – bass, backing vocals
Former
- Vaughn Toulouse (born Vaughn Cotillard, July 30, 1959, St Helier, Jersey; passed away August 1991) – lead vocals (1980–1982)
- Mike Herbage – guitar (1980–1982, returned from 2007 to 2015)
- Tony Lordan – bass guitar (1980–1982)
- Stuart Mizon – drums (1980–1982, rejoined from 2007 to 2015)
- Mark Taylor – keyboards (1981–1982), bass guitar (2009–2014)
- Jimmy Hughes – bass guitar (1981–1982)
- Sam Burnett – guitar (2011–2015)
- Alexander Lutes – drums (2015–2017)
- Pete Jones – bass, backing vocals (2014–2019)
- Alan Galaxy (Glenn Morton) – drums (2017–2019)
- Eddie Roxy – vocals