The Au Pairs were a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

band that formed in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

in 1978 and continued until 1983. They produced two studio albums and three singles. Their songs were said to have "contempt for the cliches of contemporary sexual politics" and their music has been compared to that of the

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...

and the

Young Marble Giants Young Marble Giants were a Welsh post-punk band formed in Cardiff, Wales, in 1978. Their music was based around the vocals of Alison Statton along with the minimalist instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham. Their early sound was ...

. The band was led by Lesley Woods, who was once described as "one of the most striking women in British rock".

Career

Au Pairs formed in Birmingham in 1978. Their first album, '' Playing with a Different Sex'', is considered a post-punk classic, with strong, sarcastic songs such as "It's Obvious" and "We're So Cool" taking a dry look at gender relations. Other songs, such as "Armagh"—with its refrain, "we don't torture"—criticized the British government's treatment of Irish Republican prisoners during the troubles in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. In 1980 the band were filmed live for the

concert film A concert film or concert movie is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert, by either a musician or a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. Ea ...

Urgh! A Music War ''Urgh! A Music War'' is a 1982 British concert film featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk bands and artists. Filmed in August to September 1980 it was directed by Derek Burbidge and produced by Michael White and Lynda ...

''. The band's second album, ''Sense and Sensuality'' (1982), showed a greater influence of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

and

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

on the band's sound, but was less well received. Following the departure of bassist Jane Munro in 1983, the band recruited Nick O'Connor who also played piano and synthesizers. At this time the group were further augmented by Jayne Morris (percussion and backing vocals), Graeme Hamilton (trumpet) and Cara Tivey on additional keyboards. The band were scheduled to record a third album with producer

Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...

in 1983 but broke up. Woods has intimated that the hostility and violence she and other women faced playing music was a factor in the group's demise: "There comes a point where you can’t go on any more at that level," she told Nige Tassell of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. Woods formed an all-woman band called the Darlings in the late 1980s, but then left the

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

. Now, as Lesley Longhurst-Woods, she works as a lawyer in London. Guitarist Paul Foad published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled ''The Caged Guitarist'' (2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist (

aromatherapy Aromatherapy is a practice based on the use of aromatic materials, including essential oils and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological well-being. It is used as a complementary therapy or as a form of alternative medic ...

reflexology Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is an alternative medical practice involving the application of pressure to specific points on the feet, ears, and hands. This is done using thumb, finger, and hand massage techniques without the use of ...

and Indian head massage) in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.

Reception

In mid-1981 critic Robin Denselow of the London ''Guardian'' praised the group's "viciously well-observed lyrics on contemporary life and love and the role of women’.Robin Denselow ‘Rock’ ''Guardian'' 10 June 1981 p. 12 The Au Pairs toured the United States in 1981. In a review of their first show at the

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...

, critic Richard Cromelin said: "When the crowd at the Whisky kept calling Au Pairs back to the stage for encores Wednesday night, it was as if they were trying to tell the group's singer Lesley Woods that her band had done just fine and she could go ahead and loosen up a little." Writing about their show at The Ritz, John Rockwell said "The Au Pairs blend political lyrics, a tough, funk-dance-rock idiom and an at least initially dispassionate vocal style, rather like the

meeting the

" and suggested that Lesley Woods "and the band were able to build the insinuating monotones of the songs early in the set through street taunts into a rousing rock-and-roll climax." Music historian Gillian G. Gaar noted in her 2002 ''She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock and Roll (Live Girls)'' that the band mingled male and female musicians in a revolutionary collaborative way, as part of its outspoken explorations of sexual politics.

Discography

Albums

*'' Playing with a Different Sex'' (Human Records, HUMAN 1, 1981) (No. 33 UK) *'' Sense and Sensuality'' (Kamera Records, KAM 010, 1982) (No. 79 UK)

Singles

*"You" / "Domestic Departure" / "Kerb Crawler" (021 Records, OTO 2, 1979) *"It's Obvious" / "Diet" (021 Records, OTO 4, 1980) (No. 37 on the US Billboard Club Play Singles charts) *"Inconvenience" / "Pretty Boys" (Human Records, HUM 8, 1981) *"Inconvenience" / "Pretty Boys" / "Headache For Michelle" (

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

) (Human Records, HUM 8/12, 1981)

Live and compilation albums

*''Live in Berlin'' (AKA Records, AKA6, recorded 1982, released 1983) *''Shocks to the System: The Very Best of the Au Pairs'' (Cherry Red, CDMRED161, 1999) *''Equal But Different - BBC Sessions 79-81'' (RPM, RPM139) *'' Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology'' (Castle Music, CMQDD1338, released May 2006 in the UK) * ''Equally Different''. Live in Berlin, 1981, Suffragette Production SP 27 (bootleg)

Original members

*Lesley Woods - guitar/vocals *Paul Foad - guitar/vocals *Jane Munro - bass *Pete Hammond - drums

Other members (1983)

* Nick O'Connor - bass/keyboards/backing vocals * Graeme Hamilton - trumpet * Jayne Morris - percussion/backing vocals * Cara Tivey - additional keyboards

References

External links

*
Photos of the bandVH1 page on the bandAu Pairs
Trouser Press Guide. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Au Pairs English post-punk music groups Rock music groups from Birmingham, West Midlands Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups disestablished in 1983 British political music groups