FM

Formed by the core trio of Steve Overland, his brother Chris, and Pete Jupp, the British AOR outfit FM traces its origins to the 1980 group Wildlife, whose Chrysalis release Burning preceded a follow-up album also titled Wildlife. That sophomore effort featured drummer Simon Kirke, formerly of Free and Bad Company, and was helmed by producer Mick Ralphs. After Wildlife dissolved, the three founding members added bassist Merv Goldsworthy, ex-Diamond Head, and keyboardist Didge Digital, thereby establishing FM. Their debut album Indiscreet appeared in 1986 and spawned the ballad “Frozen Heart” as a single that nevertheless failed to chart. The 1989 sophomore release Tough It Out received promotional support from Epic Records, yet the extracted single “Bad Luck” likewise made no impression; numerous tracks were co-written by hitmaker Desmond Child. Following the loss of their Sony contract, the band moved to Music for Nations for Takin’ It to the Streets, an album whose straightforward rock direction aligned with the arrival of guitarist Andy Barnett, previously of A.S.A.P. and an early member of FM. Their fourth album, Aphrodisiac, earned recognition as their strongest work despite modest commercial results. Signing with the Raw Power label yielded Dead Man’s Shoes, which introduced new keyboardist Jem Davis. Upon the group’s initial breakup, Barnett and Davis formed Barnstormers while Overland and Jupp launched So!, whose 1998 album Brass Monkey followed. The original lineup reconvened in 2007 for Nottingham’s Fire Fest IV, an event later issued on the DVD Back in the Saddle. Guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick, known for his work with Thea Gilmore, joined in 2009, paving the way for the 2010 album Metropolis, FM’s first collection of new material in fifteen years.