Vicious Pink was a synthpop duo formed in Leeds, England in 1981, and active until 1986. With a catchy sound and a penchant for highly provocative and sexualized lyrics, the band's music was aimed toward clubs rather than commercial hits. Vicious Pink consisted of two members, English/French singer Josephine Warden and keyboardist Brian Moss. The duo began as backing vocalists for Soft Cell, then known as the Vicious Pink Phenomenon.
Vicious Pink are remembered for four dance singles: 8:15 to Nowhere, Cccan't You See, Fetish, and Take Me Now, produced by Tony Mansfield of New Musik fame.
Vicious Pink backed Soft Cell at The Warehouse in Leeds. The American owner of The Warehouse, Mike Wiand, was their manager. Wiand was also a key factor in the success of the 1980s dance track Let the Music Play by Shannon, which was produced by his Warehouse Records label. Vicious Pink played live at The Ritz in New York in December 1984.
Vicious Pink were able to briefly attain a cult level of success without ever breaking into the mainstream. Although they had started releasing music in 1982, they failed to attract much attention until the release of the single Cccan't You See (UK No. 67) and its instrumental b-side 8:15 To Nowhere in 1984. Over the next two years, both sides of this single accrued play in clubs on both sides of the Atlantic. However, it was their only issue to appear in the official UK Singles Chart. Their later single Fetish was not as successful.
The duo recorded two unreleased demo albums in 1983, Blue and The Tape Gallery, and a self-titled album released in 1986, after they had ceased recording. This album was a collection of previously released singles.
Warden later married a London based music lawyer, and Moss continued his music career; he is now the keyboardist for the artist, Mirazma.
Famous quotes containing the words vicious and/or pink:
“What makes this Generation of Vermin so very Prolifick, is the indefatigable Diligence with which they apply themselves to their Business. A Man does not undergo more watchings and fatigues in a Campaign, than in the Course of a vicious Amour. As it is said of some Men, that they make their Business their Pleasure, these Sons of Darkness may be said to make their Pleasure their Business. They might conquer their corrupt Inclinations with half the Pains they are at in gratifying them.”
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
“Then, bringing me the joy we feel when wee see a work by our favorite painter which differs from any other that we know, or if we are led before a painting of which we have until then only seen a pencil sketch, if a musical piece heard only on the piano appears before us clothed in the colors of the orchestra, my grandfather called me the [hawthorn] hedge at Tansonville, saying, “You who are so fond of hawthorns, look at this pink thorn, isn’t it lovely?””
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)