Biography
In 1972 the glitter rock band Iron Virgin assembled in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Stuart Harper on vocals, Gordon Nicol and Lawrie Riva on guitars, Marshall Bain on bass, and John Lovatt on drums. Decca producer Nick Tauber discovered the group and oversaw the late-1973 release of their debut single, an exact cover of Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Jet.” BBC airplay began to generate interest until McCartney issued his own version, after which Iron Virgin’s recording disappeared from view.
The band nevertheless attracted a modest yet devoted following through its flamboyant stage shows. Early costumes echoed A Clockwork Orange, but the group soon switched to American-football uniforms, fashioning the outfits themselves and incorporating iron chastity belts. Guitarist Gordon Nicol recalled the look in a 2002 Guardian interview: “We used regular crash helmets, painted them, and added aluminum tubing around the face to look like faceguards. And we bought oversized T-shirts, used foam for padding, then [Harper] sewed numbers on the shirts. With our bright yellow loon pants and platform boots we looked quite a sight.”
Iron Virgin returned in 1974 with the follow-up single “Rebels Rule,” a high-energy celebration of teenage rebellion whose lack of commercial success remains puzzling. The band even prepared a customized version for BBC DJ Kenny Everett, who promoted it without result. The group disbanded shortly afterward.
The band nevertheless attracted a modest yet devoted following through its flamboyant stage shows. Early costumes echoed A Clockwork Orange, but the group soon switched to American-football uniforms, fashioning the outfits themselves and incorporating iron chastity belts. Guitarist Gordon Nicol recalled the look in a 2002 Guardian interview: “We used regular crash helmets, painted them, and added aluminum tubing around the face to look like faceguards. And we bought oversized T-shirts, used foam for padding, then [Harper] sewed numbers on the shirts. With our bright yellow loon pants and platform boots we looked quite a sight.”
Iron Virgin returned in 1974 with the follow-up single “Rebels Rule,” a high-energy celebration of teenage rebellion whose lack of commercial success remains puzzling. The band even prepared a customized version for BBC DJ Kenny Everett, who promoted it without result. The group disbanded shortly afterward.
Albums