The Hitmen (British band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Hitmen were a British new wave ensemble established in 1979. They produced seven singles and two albums under the Columbia label. Following the band's dissolution, members went on to achieve notable success in other musical groups and production roles.
History
The group was formed in 1979, featuring Ben Watkins (vocals, guitar), Pete Glenister (guitar), Stan Shaw (keyboards), Neil Brockbank (bass), and Mike Gaffey (drums). The majority of their songwriting was credited to Gaffey, Glenister, and Watkins.
Due to a naming issue in Australia, they performed under the name London Hitmen.
Their discography includes two studio albums: Aim for the Feet released in 1980 and Torn Together in 1981. The single "Bates Motel" from 1981 achieved modest recognition, receiving airplay on UK radio stations and exposure on MTV in the United States. Shaw exited the band during the sessions for their second album; although he played keyboards on "Bates Motel," he is uncredited on Torn Together, which features the band as a four-piece.
Prior to their last single, "Ouija (Bring It Back To Me)" released in September 1981, Brockbank left the lineup. For live performances at that time, Alan Wilder and John Jay joined as keyboardist and bassist respectively; however, neither appeared on studio recordings. This formation performed a limited number of concerts before the group disbanded.
After the Hitmen
Ben Watkins subsequently became part of Brilliant and later founded electronic projects including the Flowerpot Men and Juno Reactor. He also collaborated with Martin 'Youth' Glover from Killing Joke in the duo known as the Empty Quarter.
Pete Glenister established himself as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer working with artists such as Kirsty MacColl, Alison Moyet, Terence Trent D'Arby, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Bruce Foxton, Fischer-Z, and Bryan Ferry.
In 1982, Alan Wilder joined Depeche Mode as their keyboard player and eventually launched his solo endeavor called Recoil. Notably, The Hitmen's track "Shade In, Fade Out" was sampled on Recoil’s 1985 release 1 + 2.
Neil Brockbank transitioned into audio engineering and production, contributing to recordings by artists including Nick Lowe, Mary Coughlan, Alison Moyet, Tanita Tikaram, Bryan Ferry, and Ocean Colour Scene. He died in 2017.
Albums
- Aim for the Feet (1980), Columbia/Urgent
- Torn Together (1981), Columbia
Singles
- "Hold On to Her" (1980)
- "I Still Remember It" (1980)
- "She's All Mine" (1980)
- "O.K." (1980)
- "Bad Timing" (1981)
- "Bates Motel" (1981)
- "Ouija" (1981)