Sigue Sigue Sputnik

Former Generation X bassist Tony James fronted the new wave act Sigue Sigue Sputnik, turning overt commercialism into a deliberate artistic gesture. The ensemble cultivated a postmodern ironic aesthetic in both sound and image, then pushed it relentlessly by flooding outlets with slogans and press statements. James formed the project without aiming for conventional musicianship and chose Martin Degville, Neal X, Chris Cavanagh, and Ray Mayhew partly for their scant playing backgrounds. An intensive publicity drive secured a contract with EMI, after which the group issued its debut single “Love Missile F1-11” in early 1986 and watched it reach number three on the U.K. charts. On the first album, Flaunt It, Sigue Sigue Sputnik sold the intervals between tracks to commercial sponsors. Heavy promotion failed to connect with listeners, just as the more earnest follow-up Dress for Excess (1988) did despite the cover slogan “This time it’s music.” The band dissolved soon after that release. James spent a brief period with Sisters of Mercy in 1991.