Doll By Doll

Doll by Doll, a London outfit, functioned as the main platform for Scottish singer/songwriter Jackie Leven, who had earlier performed under the alias John St. Field. Leven assembled the band in 1977 as new wave emerged, bringing in guitarist Jo Shaw, bassist Robin Spreafico and drummer David McIntosh; the quartet surfaced two years afterward with the album Remember, whose sound drew equally from R&B, Celtic traditions and post-punk energy. Bassist Tony Waite replaced Spreafico, enabling the group to issue Gypsy Blood later in 1979, then a self-titled LP and the minor hit “Carita” in 1981. Following 1982’s Grand Passion the musicians tracked a prospective fifth album that remained unreleased, after which Doll by Doll dissolved and Leven launched his solo work.