The Stranglers

Although they achieved prominence amid the first wave of British punk, the Stranglers always remained distinct from the other acts that emerged in 1977. Formed prior to punk’s arrival as the dominant trend, they possessed a flair for provocative behavior yet produced music that bore little resemblance to the rapid, high-volume guitar assault delivered by the Damned, the Sex Pistols, or the Clash. Their early recordings instead evoked a gritty take on 1960s garage punk, deepened by the ominous psychedelic textures supplied through Dave Greenfield’s keyboards. Politics and social themes rarely occupied their lyrics; instead, they favored narratives exploring erotic excess, unconventional liaisons, and misbehavior. Over subsequent years the band shifted toward a more melodic pop direction that retained its shadowy character, enabling tracks such as “Duchess,” “Only the Sun,” and “Golden Brown” to reach the upper reaches of the singles chart. This evolution granted them space to refine their craft, resulting in songs that grew more intricate while production values became sharper and more accessible, all without relinquishing the distinctive edge that defined their sound. Their opening pair of long-players, Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes, both issued in 1977, captured the style that first brought them attention, whereas 1981’s La Folie and 1984’s Aural Sculpture stand among the strongest statements of their later, more polished era, and 2004’s Norfolk Coast demonstrated that the Stranglers retained their vitality despite personnel shifts and three decades of activity.

The band coalesced in 1974 in Guildford, Surrey, England, initially operating under the name the Guildford Stranglers. Brian Duffy, born in 1938, had performed on drums in various groups since the late 1950s; after accumulating funds through ownership of ice-cream vans and an off-license, he resolved to assemble a band and focus more fully on music. He enlisted three players for the venture. Hugh Cornwell, born in 1949, handled guitar and vocals and had previously worked in blues outfits; as a student he had played alongside a young Richard Thompson in the group Emil and the Detectives. Jean-Jacques Burnel, born in 1952, brought prior training on classical guitar before switching to bass. Hans Wärmling contributed guitar and keyboards and had earlier collaborated with Cornwell in Johnny Sox. Duffy adopted the performing name Jet Black, after which the ensemble began appearing regularly in pubs along with occasional wedding and private engagements. While traveling to a 1975 engagement at which they were scheduled to perform covers for a Bar Mitzvah, Wärmling departed, and Dave Greenfield, born in 1949 and active in bands since the late 1960s, joined on keyboards, thereby establishing the classic Stranglers lineup.

Shortening their name to the Stranglers, they built a following on the club circuit; their ominous moniker and sonic approach secured bookings within the expanding punk scene, among them support slots for visiting Americans Patti Smith and the Ramones. United Artists signed the group, with A&M Records acquiring U.S. rights, and their debut album, 1977’s Rattus Norvegicus, reached stores in April. The record climbed into the British Top Ten and yielded the hit singles “Peaches” and “(Get A) Grip (On Yourself).” Moving swiftly, their second album, No More Heroes, appeared in September 1977, ascended to number two on the U.K. album chart, and produced two further successful singles, “Something Better Change” and the title track. Little more than a year after their first release, the band issued their third LP, Black and White, in May 1978. Although it likewise reached number two in Britain and featured the singles “Nice ’n’ Sleazy” and “Walk On By,” a cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard, reviewers responded coolly, and by this point the Stranglers had acquired notoriety for their offstage conduct, including accounts of brawls, arrests for onstage nudity involving strippers, and an incident in which an uncooperative French journalist was fastened to the Eiffel Tower.

The group eased their touring pace and waited until September 1979 to unveil their fourth album, The Raven, initially packaged with a limited-edition 3-D sleeve. The record again performed strongly in Britain, reaching number two, yet failed to secure a U.S. release after A&M ended its association with the band. In its place, I.R.S. issued the 1980 compilation IV, which combined selections from The Raven with B-sides and previously unreleased material. Following the closure of United Artists in 1980, the Stranglers transferred to the EMI-affiliated Liberty label for February 1981’s The Gospel According to the Meninblack, a science-fiction-themed concept album that signaled greater reliance on electronics; the independent Stiff imprint handled American distribution. During this period the members experimented with heroin in an effort to stimulate creativity; Cornwell later noted that Black and Greenfield discontinued use after only a few days, while he and Burnel continued for roughly a year, and Cornwell himself served a brief prison term on drug-related charges. The Gospel According to the Meninblack underperformed commercially, prompting Liberty to pair the band with veteran producer Tony Visconti for their next effort, with instructions to treat every song as a potential single. Issued in November 1981, La Folie restored their chart momentum when “Golden Brown” emerged as a single and became the Stranglers’ largest success to date as well as EMI’s top-selling single of the year.

The group subsequently signed with Epic, and their first album for the label, Feline, appeared in January 1983. Featuring expanded synthesizer work from Greenfield, the record reached number four on the U.K. album chart, while the single “European Female” entered the Top Ten. Their second Epic release, November 1984’s Aural Sculpture, sold less briskly yet earned stronger critical notice; the cassette version incorporated a video-game program compatible with the ZX Spectrum, an early affordable personal computer. October 1986’s Dreamtime produced the major hit “Always the Sun,” and June 1990’s 10, helmed by Roy Thomas Baker, included a cover of the garage-rock staple “96 Tears,” while “Sweet Smell of Success” achieved rare American traction by climbing to the Top Five of the Modern Rock Singles chart. Growing dissatisfaction with the band led Hugh Cornwell to exit after the touring cycle supporting 10.

The departure of their guitarist and principal vocalist prompted Epic to drop the Stranglers, yet the remaining members continued, recruiting guitarist John Ellis, formerly of the Vibrators and a substitute on earlier live dates during Cornwell’s incarceration, along with vocalist Paul Roberts. This configuration released its inaugural album, Stranglers in the Night, in 1992 on the band’s newly established Psycho Records imprint, distributed in Britain by China Records. Alan Winstanley, producer of the first four Stranglers albums, returned for 1995’s About Time, issued by the Castle-distributed When (UK) label, while Gang of Four founder Andy Gill produced 1997’s Written in Red. 1998’s Coup de Grace, released by Eagle Records, marked the final recording from this iteration; Ellis departed, and guitarist Baz Warne assumed his role by the time the band recorded 2004’s Norfolk Coast. 2006’s Suite XVI returned the Stranglers to a major label, their onetime sponsor Liberty Records, and reduced the lineup to a quartet after vocalist Paul Roberts exited and Burnel and Warne alternated lead vocals. Absolute Records collaborated with the group on 2012’s Giants. In 2015, Jet Black, then aged 77, stepped away from touring while retaining official membership, and Jim Macaulay took over live drumming duties. On May 3, 2020, keyboardist Dave Greenfield succumbed to complications from the Covid-19 virus while hospitalized for heart disease; he was 71. Work on the subsequent album, 2021’s Dark Matters, had commenced before Greenfield’s death, allowing the record to feature his posthumous contributions and to include Burnel’s “And If You Should See Dave,” a moving tribute to his departed colleague. Founding member Jet Black passed away on December 6, 2022, at the age of 84 after an extended respiratory ailment.