The Original Bucks Fizz

The Story
In Late 1980 Nichola Martin And Andy Hill Sought To Create A New Group To Enter Their Song 'Making Your Mind Up' In The Eurovision Song Contest. After Successfully Finding Mike Nolan Cheryl Baker Jay Aston And Bobby Gee They Decided On The Name Bucks Fizz After Nichola's Favourite Drink! . After Winning A Song For Europe The Newly Formed Band Went On To Win The 1981 Eurovision Song Contest In Dublin And Also Created The Now Famous Skirt Ripping Routine. Making Your Mind Up Went Straight To Number One In The UK And Around Europe Making The Band International Stars Overnight. Andy Hill Effortlessly Wrote What Would Become The Bands First Album Simply Titled 'Bucks Fizz' And Scoring Another Two Hit Singles. Two More Number One Singles Followed 'The Land Of Makebelieve' And 'My Camera Never Lies' Along With The Groundbreaking Album 'Are You Ready'. During The Hectic Recording Schedule Bucks Fizz Also Went On Tour Performing Worldwide To Their Legions Of Fans. They Had Now Established Themselves As One Of The Front Running Bands Of The 80's Even Securing A Weekly Comic Strip Adventure In The Popular Magazine 'Look In'. 1983 Saw The Release Of The Critically Acclaimed Album 'Handcut' With A Further Two Hit Singles 'If You Can't Stand The Heat' And Run For Your Life'. During This Period The Band Had A Major Image Change Designed To Appeal To A More Discerning Audience Largely Due To Jay Aston Who Was Not Only Creating The Bands Look But Also Choreographing Many Of The Dance Routines. By The End Of The Year The Band Had Released The Stand Out Track 'When We Were Young' Which Finally Proved That They Were Not Just A Pop Band But By Dipping Their Toes In The New Wave Movement Of The Time They Were Also Inovators Of Style. By Christmas They Had Notched Up Enough Hit Singles For A Greatest Hits Album. 1984 Started Off As A Quiet Year Until The Summer When They Released Their Version Of The Romantics Song 'Talking In Your Sleep' Which Gave Them A Top 20 Hit And A Rockier Sound. Then Came The Fabulously Dramatic Yet Underated 'Goldendays' Showing The Truly Outstanding Vocal Harmonies Once More. But It Was On The Release Of The Fourth Album 'I Hear Talk' That Things Would Take A Dramatic Turn For The Worse. While On A December Tour After A Sell Out Concert At Newcastle City Hall The Band Were Involved In A Tragic Coach Crash Which Left Mike Nolan In A Coma And Fighting For His Life. With The Skill Of Britain's Top Surgeons And The Support Of Family Friends And Fans Mike Began The Slow Road To Recovery. He And Cheryl Set Up The Charity 'Headfirst' For Which They Still Raise Funds Every Year To Support This Life Changing Cause. A Further Blow For The Band Came In 1985 When Jay Aston Annouced She Was To Leave The Band. Auditions To Replace Jay Found Singer Shelley Preston Who Secured A Further Album 'The Writing On The Wall' And Five More Singles Including The Stand Out Top Ten Song 'New Beginning'. The Single 'Heart Of Stone' Would Be The Last Recording From Bucks Fizz In 1988 Although The Final Single Release Was The Classic Handcut Album Track 'You Love Love' From 1983. The Band Has Continued In Various Forms Until The Present Day With A Renewed Interest Largely Due To Both The Fantastic Early Years Website Where Fans Old And New Relentlessly Debate The Bucks Fizz Phenomenom And The Works Of Music Producer Dean Murphy. Dean Has Ensured That All Previous Bucks Fizz Recordings Have Been Released On CD Along With Some Unearthed Material In The Lost Masters Series. Bobby Gee Still Continues To Fly The Bucks Fizz Flag With His Acclaimed Live Show And After The Recent Departure Of Shelley Preston From The Original Bucks Fizz Jay Aston Is Back After 24 Years With Her Old Band Mates Mike And Cheryl To Keep The Bucks Fizz Name Alive. read less