Zerra 1
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Ireland |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Zerra One (alternatively known as Zerra 1) was an Irish new wave group established in 1982. They produced two studio albums before dissolving in 1987, primarily due to modest commercial impact.
History
Zerra One came together in 1982, featuring Paul Bell on vocals and keyboards, Andreas Grimminger handling guitar duties, Adrian Wyatt on bass, and Mike Mesbur as the drummer. That same year, they supported The Cure during their UK and European tour and issued their first single "Let's Go Home" in the Netherlands. In December, the band served as the opening act for U2 across five shows. The following year, they released two singles in the UK through Second Vision—"The West's Awake" and "The Banner Of Love (How I Run to You)"—with the latter reaching number 33 on the UK Independent Singles Chart, although neither achieved widespread success.
In early 1984, Zerra One toured with The Boomtown Rats and secured a contract with Mercury Records. Their inaugural release under Mercury was the single "Ten Thousand Voices, Message from the Peoples". That year also saw the release of their debut album, self-titled and produced by Todd Rundgren, which featured singles such as "Tumbling Down" and "Mountains and Water". Despite distribution across Europe and a Canadian reissue in 1985 under the title Mountains and Water, commercial success eluded the album. Additionally, a remixed version of "Rain" was released in the UK during 1985.
Drummer Mike Mesbur was replaced by Korda Marshall in 1984. The recording sessions for their sophomore album extended from May 1985 through April 1986; by this time both Marshall and Wyatt had departed—Marshall went on to establish the independent label Infectious Music. Eamo Doyle took over bass responsibilities, reducing Zerra One to a trio. Drum parts were primarily performed by Pete Thomas and Gavin Harrison. The lead single from this album, "Rescue Me," peaked at number 82 on the UK charts in early 1986 but failed to sustain commercial traction. Their second album, The Domino Effect, along with singles "Forever and Ever" and "Domino Effect," did not achieve notable chart success. Towards the end of 1986, Zerra One supported Ultravox and set their sights on breaking into the American market in 1987 before ultimately disbanding later that year.
In 2025, Zerra One’s complete discography was made available across major streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
Members
- Paul Bell – lead vocals, keyboards (1982–87)
- Andreas Grimminger – guitar (1982–87)
- Adrian Wyatt – bass (1982–85)
- Eamo Doyle – bass (1985–87)
- Mike Mesbur – drums (1982–84)
- Korda Marshall – drums (1984–85)
- Ian Penman – keyboards (1984)
Discography
- Albums
- Zerra 1 (1984)
- Mountains and Water (1985)
- The Domino Effect (1986)
- Singles
- "Let's Go Home" (1982)
- "The West's Awake" (1983)
- "The Banner of Love (How I Run to You)" (1983)
- "Ten Thousand Voices, Message from the Peoples" (1984) No.112 UK
- "Tumbling Down" (1984)
- "Mountains and Water" (1984) No.152 UK
- "Rain (Remix)" (1985)
- "Rescue Me" (1985) No.82 UK
- "Forever and Ever" (1986)
- "Domino Effect" (1986)