Black Lace (band) - Early Years (1973-1981)

Early Years (1973-1981)

Terry Dobson and school friend Ian Howarth formed The Impact, as a five-piece pop group in 1969, with Alan Barton, Steve Scholey and Nigel Scott. The group also performed under the names Penny Arcade and Love or Confusion.

Howarth left the band for a short while but returned to the line-up in 1974, Dobson also left to be replaced briefly by Neil Hardcastle. Dobson then re-joined and Scott left in 1974; that same year the band adopted the name Black Lace. Howarth left the band for good in 1976, and was replaced by Colin Gibb (born Colin Routh, 8 December 1953).

The now professional four members of Black Lace from 1976 to 1981 were:

• Steve Scholey (Lead vocals) - (28 November 1953)
• Alan Barton (backing vocals and guitar) - (16 September 1953 – 23 March 1995)
• Colin Gibb (bass, guitar and backing vocals) - (8 December 1953)
• Terry Dobson - (drums and backing vocals) (29 March 1952)

The band was managed by Keith Mills, and played their first summer season at the Beer Garten, Bottons Fun Park in Skegness, Lincolnshire in 1976. In 1977, they enjoyed further local success playing a summer season at Butlins in Skegness and Filey, North Yorkshire. They released an EP to be sold at shows, and were voted Yorkshire Band of the Year by BBC Radio Leeds, and best clubland group at a show in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.

In 1978, Black Lace recorded their first single, "Mary Ann", for ATV music and a recording contract followed with EMI. As the song required a more 'throaty' vocal, Alan Barton was switched to being lead singer, with Steve Scholey moving to backing vocals and bass. The song won the BBC Television's A Song For Europe. Other television appearances around this time included Nationwide, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops and Juke Box Jury. At the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Israel, the band finished seventh and "Mary Ann" peaked at #42 in the UK Singles Chart, one of the lowest chart positions for any Eurovision entry at that time.

The band's follow-up single, "So Long Suzy Baby", failed to stir interest but Black Lace continued live performances, notably at the festivals Sopot in Poland and Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria, and TV shows in East Germany, West Germany and Spain. By this time Black Lace is said to have played to an international TV audience estimated at over 250 million people, but the success was tarnished by a rift between the band and its manager, and a split from their record label.

The band toured Denmark in 1980, supporting Suzi Quatro and working with Tommy Seebach, a Danish entertainer. Black Lace and Seebach recorded "Hey Hey Jock McRay" for the Danish singles market, but an intended 1980 tour of Poland was called off because of political unrest in the country.