T'Pau

Named after a Vulcan figure from the original Star Trek series, T'Pau came together in 1986 with vocalist Carol Decker (b. September 10, 1957), guitarist Ronnie Rogers (b. March 13, 1959), keyboard player Michael Chetwood (b. August 26, 1954), bassist Paul Jackson (b. August 8, 1961), and drummer Tim Burgess (b. October 6, 1961) at its core. The band secured an early deal with Virgin's Siren imprint and issued its first single, "Heart and Soul," in early 1987 to modest notice. Once the track appeared in a Pépe jeans advertisement, however, it climbed to Top Five status across both the UK and the United States. The accompanying album, Bridge of Spies (issued in America simply as T'Pau), ascended directly to the top of the British charts. Four more singles drawn from the record reached at least the Top 20 at home, yet none registered on American charts. Following support dates with Bryan Adams and Nik Kershaw, the group recruited a second guitarist, Dean Howard, and tracked its next release, Rage. Issued in 1988, the album peaked at number four in Britain, while its 1991 successor, The Promise, managed only a marginal Top Ten showing. After a final tour the original lineup disbanded, prompting Decker to launch a solo career. In 1998 she reassembled T'Pau with fresh members and delivered the album Red. Decker and Rogers returned to UK stages in 2013 to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the band's formation and maintained live activity throughout the following year.