Uropa Lula
| Company type | Pop ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | David Lloyd, Hilde Swendgaard, Kevin Smith |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Key people | David Lloyd, Allan Dias, Pete Fromm, Andrew Edge, Chester Kamen, Carol Isaacs, Hilde Swendgaard |
| Products | Music recordings, singles |
Uropa Lula was a British pop ensemble consisting of David Lloyd (vocals, guitar), Allan Dias (bass), Pete Fromm (keyboards), Andrew Edge (drums), Chester Kamen (guitar), and Carol Isaacs (keyboards). Their management was handled by Hilde Swendgaard, and they secured a contract with Arista Records in 1982.
History
In 1980, Lloyd established Uropa Lula alongside manager Hilde Swendgaard and drummer Kevin Smith, during which time they created two short films. By 1981, the lineup expanded to include Colin Prior on bass and Peter Fromm on keyboards. The band performed live across London, opening for artists such as John Cale, Alternative TV, and Depeche Mode. Prior was succeeded by Allan Dias in August 1981. The following month, the group recorded three tracks for the Nicky Horne show on Capital Radio. Later that year, Leeds native drummer Andrew Edge became a member.
Uropa Lula signed with Arista Records in May 1982, subsequently recording album tracks along with the singles "Our Love Has Just Begun" and "Fell Upon a Jewel" at studios including Trident and The Manor. To support their first single, they participated in a live session for the David Jensen program on BBC Radio 1, produced by Dale Griffin of Mott the Hoople, which featured performances of "Here's a Medal" and "Timber Fall I." Additionally, they completed another live session for Capital Radio's Nicky Horne show.
Towards the end of 1982, guitarist Chester Kamen and keyboardist Carol Isaacs joined in preparation for tours across the UK and US in 1983. Their American debut included performances at venues such as New York's Ritz and Mudd Club, Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club, New Jersey City Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo alongside Holly and the Italians. Upon returning to the UK, they appeared at Camden Palace and supported acts like Big Country and John Cale.
By this stage, the band had adopted the name Viva Lula to promote their third single, "Dad Sings the Blues," and toured the UK with Big Country in June 1983. In October 1983, Lloyd dissolved the group to focus on his solo career but maintained collaborations with members Kamen, Dias, and Smith throughout the remainder of the decade.
Singles
The group released three singles under Arista Records:
- "Our Love Has Just Begun" b/w "I've Suddenly Remembered Something" (ARIST476, 1982) credited to Uropa Lula – also included on Hardest Hits Volume 1 (SPG001), issued by SPG Music Productions in 1991
- "Fell Upon a Jewel" b/w "She Appears to Vanish" (ARIST498, 1983) as Uropa Lula
- "Dad Sings the Blues" b/w "Surely There Must Be Some Mistake" (ARIST540, July 1983) under the name Viva Lula