14 Iced Bears

In mid-1985 Rob Sekula, Alan White and Nick Emery launched the neo-psychedelic pop band 14 Iced Bears in South London. After the group moved to the Brighton area, White departed and bassist Dominic Minques plus rhythm guitarist Kevin Canham joined in time to cut the 1986 debut single “Inside” for Frank. Personnel shifts persisted through further releases such as 1987’s “Balloon Song” and the 1988 Sarah label single “Come Get Me,” yet the lineup settled once the band signed with Thunderball to make its self-titled 1988 LP; at that point Sekula and Canham were joined by bassist Will Taylor and drummer Graham Durrant. The album earned cult status in Britain and overseas, prompting a short-lived overture from major-label Geffen, though the next single, 1989’s “Mother Sleep,” still came out on Thunderball. The label folded after 1990’s “World I Love,” sending the band to Borderline for the 1991 album Wonder, after which 14 Iced Bears disbanded.