The Lotus Eaters (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Lotus Eaters are a new wave group originating from Liverpool, England, established in 1981. Their initial single, "The First Picture of You", achieved notable popularity within the UK and gained significant traction across several European countries including France, Italy, Belgium, and Spain.
Origins and Rise
The band came together in September 1982 when Jeremy "Jem" Kelly, previously a guitarist for the Dance Party and co-founder of the Wild Swans, joined forces with Peter Coyle from the Jass Babies. They soon brought on board former Wild Swans keyboardist Ged Quinn. After the Jass Babies dissolved just before a planned John Peel session in August 1982, the trio expanded by adding drummer Alan Wills and bassist Phil Lucking to perform a Peel session in October 1982 that showcased "The First Picture of You". This exposure secured them a deal with Arista Records.
Following this, Wills and Lucking were succeeded by bassist Michael Dempsey (formerly of the Cure and Associates) alongside drummer Steve Crease. Under the production of Nigel Gray, "The First Picture of You" became a memorable UK hit in 1983 prior to their debut live performance. The band also recorded a second Peel session in October 1983.
Their first album, No Sense of Sin, was released in 1984 through Arista's Sylvan Records label. It was promoted with singles "You Don't Need Someone New" and "Out on Your Own", both of which entered the UK top 100 charts. Despite these releases, difficulties with production and marketing hindered their ability to replicate earlier UK chart success. The 1985 single "It Hurts", produced by Kelly himself, gained popularity particularly in Italy and was later covered by the Italian pop ensemble T.Y.P.I.C.A.L. in 1995.
Personnel Changes and Split
Throughout their career, The Lotus Eaters toured extensively across the UK, France, and Italy, introducing new material characterized by enhanced sound and visual presentation that might have influenced the market had another album been issued. However, after Quinn left in 1986—replaced by keyboardist Stephen Emmer (previously with Minny Pops)—and following their separation from Arista Records, the band entered a hiatus. Their last single "It Hurts" reached the Top 5 in Italy that same year, accompanied by a monochrome video featuring clips of Louise Brooks alongside stylized imagery of the band. Despite this achievement, no further recordings were released, and by mid-1986, The Lotus Eaters officially disbanded.
Subsequent Endeavors
Peter Coyle embarked on a solo path releasing albums such as A Slap in the Face for Public Taste and I'd Sacrifice Eight Orgasms with Shirley MacLaine Just to Be There. He also established the dance company 8 Productions as well as the G-Love nightclub. As a songwriter and producer, Coyle found success with Marina Van-Rooy's 1990 single "Sly One" and worked alongside emerging Liverpool dance artists before shifting focus to academic studies at the University of Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, Kelly revived the Wild Swans project, issuing Bringing Home the Ashes via Sire Records in 1988. He co-authored Soul Fire (2001) with Tom Hingley (formerly of Inspiral Carpets) before departing to pursue a PhD focused on memory-themed multimedia theatre at the University of Reading. Since 1989, Kelly has concentrated on music-driven theatrical works such as Phantoms of the Aperture Part 1: Ted (2015) and Phantoms of the Aperture Part 2: Pictures of Me (2016), which explore themes involving time, space, memory, and music.
A compilation titled First Picture of You was released in 1998 by Vinyl Japan/BBC Worldwide, consisting of sessions recorded for BBC Radio 1. Additionally, Arista Japan reissued No Sense of Sin during that year.
Reunion
After nearly twenty years apart, the Lotus Eaters duo, Coyle and Kelly, reunited in 2001 and released the album Silentspace through Vinyl Japan.
On 13 March 2009, they revealed plans for a singular performance at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall scheduled for 25 July, where they would present No Sense of Sin accompanied by Emmer and a string quartet from the University of Huddersfield.
In April 2009, Coyle, Kelly, and Emmer collaborated with producer Steve Power on a new project titled A Plug-in Called Nostalgia, which has yet to be officially released. In 2010, a limited-edition acoustic record named Differance was issued under Sylvan.
The band marked their return to London's stage after ten years with a show at Camden Barfly on 11 June 2010. This was followed by additional performances across the UK and a tour in Japan during October, featuring concerts in Tokyo and Osaka.
By 2015, they confirmed continued efforts toward releasing A Plug-in Called Nostalgia. The following year, Coyle and Kelly joined British Electric Foundation for a performance at the Rewind Festival; however, no further joint projects have taken place since.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||||||
| 1984 | No Sense of Sin | Arista Records/Sylvan Records | 96 | ||||
| 2002 | Silentspace | Vinyl Japan | — | ||||
| 2010 | Differance | Sylvan Records | — | ||||
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were not officially issued. | |||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Label | Highest chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | UK | |||
| 1983 | "The First Picture of You" | Arista/Sylvan Records | 63 | 15 |
| "You Don't Need Someone New" | — | 53 | ||
| 1984 | "Set Me Apart" | — | 88 | |
| "Out on Your Own" | — | — | ||
| "German Girl" | — | — | ||
| 1985 | "It Hurts" | — | 87 | |
| 2001 | Stay Free (EP) | Vinyl Japan | — | — |
Compilation albums
- First Picture of You (BBC and live sessions, 1982-1984) (1998, Vinyl Japan/BBC Worldwide)