How I Fell in Love With: Clare Grogan and Altered Images
The year was 2002. My favorite band, The Human League, was part of a retro concert package in the UK (the Here and Now Tour) which included many other 80s bands. One of them I had never heard of, but was getting rave reviews from my overseas friends who were able to attend. The band was Altered Images and they were best known for a song called "Happy Birthday," which I didn't think I had ever heard before.
I was record shopping at Aron's in Hollywood one weekend while they were having a parking lot sale. At this time, I was DJing two nights a week at Gold 9, so I was buying a lot of albums, especially when I could find them for cheap! I found Altered Images "Bite" at this sale and shortly thereafter began to play it quite a bit in my apartment, where I had my turntables set up as kind of my own little nightclub.
I was immediately drawn to lead singer Clare Grogan's voice, and the lush pop of "Don't Talk To Me About Love."
From there, I learned that despite the band's sophisticated pop sound evidenced on "Bite," that they had actually began as more of a post-punk guitar band inspired by one of my favorite bands, Siouxsie and the Banshees. Legend has it that the fledgling band had sent a demo tape to Siouxsie and the Banshees, who then asked them to open for them on a tour. It was a big break for the band, and the Banshee's Steven Severin ended up producing most of Altered Images' debut album. That album spawned the hit single, it's title track, "Happy Birthday," which was the only song Severin hadn't produced. It was produced by Martin Rushent, otherwise known as the musical mastermind who produced Human League's #1 album, "Dare!" So, we're sort of coming full-circle here! I picked "Happy Birthday" up on cassette tape somewhere and really loved it's sort of naïve and innocent, yet with a melancholy and dark side bubbling under the surface, sound.
From there, I learned that, due to the success of "Happy Birthday," the band had Martin Rushent produce their entire second album, the trippy "Pinky Blue." This album sounds like a warped masterpiece, like kid's music performed by a bunch of drugged out psychedelic aliens. It features one of their biggest US hits, "I Could Be Happy."
Eventually, I collected all three albums on CD reissues, which included bonus tracks such as b-sides, remixes, and rarities. Over the next few years, they became one of my favorite bands, and it was kind of like a cool bonus to have a new favorite 80s band that I had never heard of until the 21st century!
I longed for the day I could get to see Altered Images live. The reality was that the band now only consisted of Clare Grogan and a new backing band playing the hits of Altered Images, but I was OK with that. The musicians in the original band had been very young, and some of them didn't even make it to the third album. Obviously I would love to have the original band reunite, but just being able to hear Clare sing those songs would be a huge highlight for me.
So in 2016, when Dylan, Marc, Angie and I were at the 80s Weekend concert at Microsoft Theatre, when they announced that Altered Images would be joining the lineup for the 3rd concert in January 2017, I couldn't have screamed louder! I was so thrilled!
Leading up to the third 80s Weekend show, I obviously had to re-listen to all of the Altered Images album, made easier by the fact that "Happy Birthday" had been re-released on 180 gram vinyl (by the wonderful Music 180 company). I also found Clare on Twitter and sent her several tweets stating my excitement at the upcoming concert. It was actually going to be her first performance in LA since 1983!
The big night finally came, and Marc and I were in about the 5th row, which was wonderful! The first act of the night was The Flirts, and they were great. I didn't know much about them, but I did know the two songs they performed. Then, after they were done, host Richard Blade came out and said something like "this next lady is very, very excited to be here in LA tonight" and we knew it was Clare! As the stage was rotating around, we could hear her giggling on the microphone and Marc and I both got so excited! When the stage finally revolved enough to reveal her, she was in a cute white and silver dress, with aviator sunglasses and beautiful strawberry-blond hair. She began singing "City of Stars" from the movie La La Land, a Capella, and then the band launched into "I Could Be Happy."
The all-too short set was kind of an ecstatic blur for me, but I really lived in the moment and took it all in. The next song was "Don't Talk To Me About Love," which was so good, as it's one of my favorite songs of theirs. Her voice sounded perfect and she looked like she was having the time of her life, which was totally infectious! Marc and I were dancing the whole time.
We figured she would only play three songs, so when she began the third song, "Change of Heart," we both smiled at each other, knowing this meant she would be doing at least 4 songs!
As predicted, she closed with "Happy Birthday," which got almost the whole crowd up and singing along.
Like I said, the whole thing was way too short, and the rest of the night couldn't possibly compete with the excitement I felt during those four songs. However, there was another highlight to come! After the show, Marc and I went to the backdoor of the theatre and waited outside with some other die-hard fans, three of whom had been waiting since 10 am just to meet Clare! We waited with them for about 45 minutes or so, during which time several other performers came out including Nena, Howard Jones, and Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet). But, I waited patiently for Clare.
When she finally came out, it was a mad rush as a small mob formed around her! She was all smiles, and wanted to hug each and every one of us. She seemed so genuinely warm and happy to see us. Some people had brought an excessive amount of records and CDs for her to sign, and everyone wanted to get photos with her too, and unfortunately before Marc and I could have our turn, her handlers were pushing her to get in the van as they said she wouldn't want to be stuck in LA without a ride. Marc and I were feeling pretty frantic by this point and he said "JUST TAKE A PICTURE" so I got my phone up and took a quick selfie of the three of us.
I do tend to get "starstruck" and often can't find the words I want to say when meeting people that I look up to so much, and in this case, I wouldn't have really had time to say anything significant anyway, so I just had to bask in the moment and be satisfied in knowing that I was there to make sure she knew how much she was appreciated.
I am always so grateful for these moments, when I meet my heroes and they turn out to be such nice, humble people. I hope she will come back to LA soon and do a full show. I could be happy!!!
I was record shopping at Aron's in Hollywood one weekend while they were having a parking lot sale. At this time, I was DJing two nights a week at Gold 9, so I was buying a lot of albums, especially when I could find them for cheap! I found Altered Images "Bite" at this sale and shortly thereafter began to play it quite a bit in my apartment, where I had my turntables set up as kind of my own little nightclub.
I was immediately drawn to lead singer Clare Grogan's voice, and the lush pop of "Don't Talk To Me About Love."
From there, I learned that despite the band's sophisticated pop sound evidenced on "Bite," that they had actually began as more of a post-punk guitar band inspired by one of my favorite bands, Siouxsie and the Banshees. Legend has it that the fledgling band had sent a demo tape to Siouxsie and the Banshees, who then asked them to open for them on a tour. It was a big break for the band, and the Banshee's Steven Severin ended up producing most of Altered Images' debut album. That album spawned the hit single, it's title track, "Happy Birthday," which was the only song Severin hadn't produced. It was produced by Martin Rushent, otherwise known as the musical mastermind who produced Human League's #1 album, "Dare!" So, we're sort of coming full-circle here! I picked "Happy Birthday" up on cassette tape somewhere and really loved it's sort of naïve and innocent, yet with a melancholy and dark side bubbling under the surface, sound.
From there, I learned that, due to the success of "Happy Birthday," the band had Martin Rushent produce their entire second album, the trippy "Pinky Blue." This album sounds like a warped masterpiece, like kid's music performed by a bunch of drugged out psychedelic aliens. It features one of their biggest US hits, "I Could Be Happy."
Eventually, I collected all three albums on CD reissues, which included bonus tracks such as b-sides, remixes, and rarities. Over the next few years, they became one of my favorite bands, and it was kind of like a cool bonus to have a new favorite 80s band that I had never heard of until the 21st century!
I longed for the day I could get to see Altered Images live. The reality was that the band now only consisted of Clare Grogan and a new backing band playing the hits of Altered Images, but I was OK with that. The musicians in the original band had been very young, and some of them didn't even make it to the third album. Obviously I would love to have the original band reunite, but just being able to hear Clare sing those songs would be a huge highlight for me.
So in 2016, when Dylan, Marc, Angie and I were at the 80s Weekend concert at Microsoft Theatre, when they announced that Altered Images would be joining the lineup for the 3rd concert in January 2017, I couldn't have screamed louder! I was so thrilled!
Leading up to the third 80s Weekend show, I obviously had to re-listen to all of the Altered Images album, made easier by the fact that "Happy Birthday" had been re-released on 180 gram vinyl (by the wonderful Music 180 company). I also found Clare on Twitter and sent her several tweets stating my excitement at the upcoming concert. It was actually going to be her first performance in LA since 1983!
The big night finally came, and Marc and I were in about the 5th row, which was wonderful! The first act of the night was The Flirts, and they were great. I didn't know much about them, but I did know the two songs they performed. Then, after they were done, host Richard Blade came out and said something like "this next lady is very, very excited to be here in LA tonight" and we knew it was Clare! As the stage was rotating around, we could hear her giggling on the microphone and Marc and I both got so excited! When the stage finally revolved enough to reveal her, she was in a cute white and silver dress, with aviator sunglasses and beautiful strawberry-blond hair. She began singing "City of Stars" from the movie La La Land, a Capella, and then the band launched into "I Could Be Happy."
Clare Grogan and Altered Images at Microsoft Theatre,
Los Angeles, January 2017. (Photo by Marc Loren)
The all-too short set was kind of an ecstatic blur for me, but I really lived in the moment and took it all in. The next song was "Don't Talk To Me About Love," which was so good, as it's one of my favorite songs of theirs. Her voice sounded perfect and she looked like she was having the time of her life, which was totally infectious! Marc and I were dancing the whole time.
We figured she would only play three songs, so when she began the third song, "Change of Heart," we both smiled at each other, knowing this meant she would be doing at least 4 songs!
As predicted, she closed with "Happy Birthday," which got almost the whole crowd up and singing along.
Like I said, the whole thing was way too short, and the rest of the night couldn't possibly compete with the excitement I felt during those four songs. However, there was another highlight to come! After the show, Marc and I went to the backdoor of the theatre and waited outside with some other die-hard fans, three of whom had been waiting since 10 am just to meet Clare! We waited with them for about 45 minutes or so, during which time several other performers came out including Nena, Howard Jones, and Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet). But, I waited patiently for Clare.
When she finally came out, it was a mad rush as a small mob formed around her! She was all smiles, and wanted to hug each and every one of us. She seemed so genuinely warm and happy to see us. Some people had brought an excessive amount of records and CDs for her to sign, and everyone wanted to get photos with her too, and unfortunately before Marc and I could have our turn, her handlers were pushing her to get in the van as they said she wouldn't want to be stuck in LA without a ride. Marc and I were feeling pretty frantic by this point and he said "JUST TAKE A PICTURE" so I got my phone up and took a quick selfie of the three of us.
Clare, Marc and I after the show.
I do tend to get "starstruck" and often can't find the words I want to say when meeting people that I look up to so much, and in this case, I wouldn't have really had time to say anything significant anyway, so I just had to bask in the moment and be satisfied in knowing that I was there to make sure she knew how much she was appreciated.
I am always so grateful for these moments, when I meet my heroes and they turn out to be such nice, humble people. I hope she will come back to LA soon and do a full show. I could be happy!!!
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