His Latest Flame (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
His Latest Flame were a Scottish female ensemble established in 1983, concluding their activities in 1990. This all-woman group emerged from the remnants of Sophisticated Boom Boom following the departure of their lead singer Libby McArthur in 1983.
Introducing new lead vocalist Moira Rankin, His Latest Flame secured a contract with the prominent label London Records and issued a single studio album, In the Neighbourhood, in 1989 prior to their dissolution.[1] Their musical style was often characterized as "Scotland's counterpart to the Bangles".[1]
History
Originating from Glasgow, the band was formed by five close friends and evolved out of Sophisticated Boom Boom, a significant figure in Glasgow’s early 1980s music landscape, after singer Libby McArthur left due to pregnancy in 1983. The group rebranded as His Latest Flame and brought on Moira Rankin as their new vocalist.[2]
In 1986, they released the track "Somebody's Gonna Get Hurt" through Go! Discs and toured as the opening act for the Housemartins.[3]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Subsequently signing with London Records, they launched their debut album In the Neighbourhood in 1989.[3]
The band made an appearance on BBC One’s prime-time chat show Wogan in October 1989 and also supported Edwyn Collins at Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
The group ceased operations in 1990.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Members
Band Members
- Trish Reid – guitar (1983–1990)
- Jacquie Bradley – drums (1983–1990)
- Laura Mazzolini – bass guitar (1983–1990)
- Irene Brown – guitar (1983–1990)
- Moira Rankin – lead vocals (1983–1990)
Studio albums
- His Latest Flame – In the Neighbourhood Vinyl LP (1989, London Records)
Later life and legacy
- Jacquie Bradley pursued a career in education, becoming a deputy headteacher before retiring to the Isle of Bute. In February 2023, she took part in a panel at Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts, celebrating the book Hungry Beat: The Scottish Pop Underground Movement. This event included a supergroup featuring notable Scottish artists from bands such as the Bluebells, Orange Juice, Article 58, Love and Money, Aztec Camera, Teenage Fanclub, the Rezillos, Hipsway, and Secret Goldfish.
- Trish Reid advanced professionally to become head of arts and communication design at the University of Reading.
- Irene Brown shifted her focus toward careers in care and social work.
- Laura Mazzolini holds a position as a company director; her partner is composer Craig Armstrong, renowned for his achievements in music composition.
- Following the band's breakup, Moira Rankin joined the dance music outfit QFX.
Since Yesterday (documentary)
His Latest Flame were featured in the 2024 documentary Since Yesterday, which explores the rise of pioneering Scottish girl groups and female-led bands through personal stories shared by members.[4][5]
"The documentary aims to reinstate recognition that there was indeed a lineage of girl bands in Scotland. These women were incredibly bold just for doing what they did... The industry mainly spotlighted men, with few exceptions like Jill and Rose [Bryson and McDowall] of Strawberry Switchblade who achieved chart success.
We felt assured, present at an opportune moment, thinking if others can do it, so can we."
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Tricia Reid, guitarist for His Latest Flame, speaking at the documentary’s premiere.
External links
- His Latest Flame - Somebody is going to get hurt (1986) on YouTube
- His Latest Flame - American Blue (Promo Video, 1989) on YouTube
- His Latest Flame - Love's In The Neighbourhood (Official Video, 1990) on YouTube
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ "My first gig was at the Barrowland, and it’s only through making this film that I discovered the very first band to perform there after it reopened was a Glasgow-based girl group called His Latest Flame... Had I known this as a teenager, it would have normalized all-female bands playing major venues." – director Carla J. Easton.
- ↑ Punk, pop and pioneers: New film looks at Scotland's female bands, BBC News, 2024