Real Life are an Australian
new wave and
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
band that achieved international chart success with their 1983 singles "
Send Me an Angel" and "
Catch Me I'm Falling", both of which were taken from their debut studio album, ''
Heartland'' (1983). The band originally consisted of David Sterry (lead vocals and guitar), Richard Zatorski (keyboards and violin), Allan Johnson (bass), and Danny Simcic (drums). Steve Williams (keyboards) replaced Zatorski in 1986, and was replaced by George Pappas in 1995 after a long hiatus of band activity.
History
1980–1984: ''Heartland''
In late 1980, Richard Zatorski placed an ad in a
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
newspaper as a keyboard player looking for a guitarist with whom to write songs, and David Sterry responded. The two formed a writing partnership and began work on the material that would eventually become the first songs by Real Life. First using the name The Wires, Sterry and Zatorski started doing gigs accompanied by a primitive
drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
they named Gloria. In 1981, the pair decided to recruit more musicians, and through another newspaper ad, they found bassist Allan Johnson and drummer Danny Simcic. The group changed their name to avoid confusion with the English band
Wire
file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
, and became known as A Private Life, which soon gained a loyal following, opening for bands such as
INXS
INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...
,
Mi-Sex,
The Church,
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by H ...
, and others. A band from
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
called Private Lives threatened legal action over their name, which prompted them to change it once again, this time to Real Life.
After hearing an early version of "
Send Me an Angel", the group's manager,
Glenn Wheatley, was so impressed that he formed his own label, Wheatley Records, to release it as a single in early 1983. "Send Me an Angel" became a top 10 hit in Australia,
[ and led to Real Life being signed to the ]Curb Records
Curb Records (also known as Asylum-Curb and formerly known as MCG Curb) is an American record label started by Mike Curb, originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963. From 1969 to 1973, Curb merged with MGM Records where Curb served as President of M ...
label (which was distributed by MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
at that time) for the world outside of Australia. The song went on to top the charts in New Zealand and Germany,[ and entered the top 30 in the US.][ The second single, " Openhearted", was released in August 1983 and peaked at #72. In November 1983, " Catch Me I'm Falling" was released, eventually reaching the top 10 in Australia and Germany,][ as well as the top 40 in the US.][ The band's debut album, '' Heartland'' (produced by ]Steve Hillage
Stephen Simpson Hillage (born 2 August 1951) is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s. Besides his solo sound recording and reprodu ...
), entered the top 40 in Australia,[ Germany,][ New Zealand,][ and Switzerland,][ and peaked at #58 in the US.][ "Always" was released in Europe in August 1984 as the album's fourth and final single, followed by the November 1984 release of '' Master Mix'', an EP of remixes that peaked at #74 on the Australian charts.
]
1985–1986: ''Flame'' and ''Down Comes the Hammer''
In September 1985, they released "Face to Face" as the lead single from their second studio album, ''Flame
A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasm ...
'', which came out the following month. "Face to Face" was a minor hit, peaking at #32 in Australia, while the album peaked at #42. The follow-up single "One Blind Love" fared less well, while the album and its singles went largely overlooked in the rest of the world.
In 1986, they recorded a handful of new songs, which were the band's first recordings not written by Sterry and Zatorski. "Babies", written by the songwriting team of Holly Knight
Holly Knight (born 1956) is an American songwriter, musician, and singer. She was a member of the 1980s pop rock groups Spider and Device, and wrote or co-wrote several hit singles for other artists, such as " Rag Doll", " Obsession", " Love Is ...
, Michael Des Barres, and Mike Chapman
Michael Donald Chapman (born 13 April 1947) is an Australian record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suzi Quatro ...
, was released as a single, but failed to chart; another track, "Hammer of Love", was written by Steve Williams, who had replaced Zatorski earlier in the year. Both tracks were included on a compilation titled ''Down Comes the Hammer'' (which also included another new song, a remix of the title track of ''Flame'', and a handful of other tracks from the band's two albums), which was only released in North America and France. Also in 1986, the movie '' Rad'' featured "Send Me an Angel" on its soundtrack, and featured it in a scene wherein riders on BMX
BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation.
History
BMX began during the ea ...
bikes performed various freestyle stunts as the song played.
1989–2000: ''Lifetime'' and ''Happy''
In 1989, Real Life released a new version of "Send Me an Angel", titled "Send Me an Angel '89", which fared slightly better than the original in the United States.[ The video for the 1989 version was identical to the original, except that Zatorski was edited out of all shots; another version for the Australian market was filmed in Ormond College, ]University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...
, with Williams on keyboards.
The group released their third studio album, '' Lifetime'', in 1990. This was their first album of all-new material in five years. The album spawned minor hits with "God Tonight" and "Kiss the Ground", both of which placed on ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
and Dance Club Songs
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
charts in the United States. After a falling-out occurred between Sterry and the remaining two original members, Johnson and Simcic, the band went on hiatus for several years.
In 1997, Real Life reemerged as a duo with Sterry and new member George Pappas on keyboards. Following the release of their fourth studio album, ''Happy
Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...
'', the band embarked on an extensive tour of the US, Germany and Australia, and were invited to perform at Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
's Synthstock2000 with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Meols, Merseyside in 1978 by Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). Regarded as pioneers of electronic musi ...
and Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
.
2003–present day: ''Imperfection''
In 2003, the band signed to the American independent label A Different Drum
A Different Drum was an independent record label and an online store based in Smithfield, Utah, founded in 1996. The label specialized in synthpop and related genres. A Different Drum has released hundreds of albums, singles, and compilations a ...
, and released their fifth studio album, ''Imperfection''. They toured the west coast of the US in 2004 as a trio of Sterry and Pappas with drummer Scott Ingram. In November 2005, Pappas announced his departure from the band, leaving Sterry to continue as Real Life on his own, performing at various 1980s-themed events such as Australia's Absolutely 80s and the US' Lost 80's Live. Pappas began recording solo material under the name Alien Skin in 2007, and A Different Drum released his debut album, ''Don't Open Till Doomsday'', the following year.
On 19 May 2009, Real Life released their sixth studio album, ''Send Me An Angel – '80s Synth Essentials'', on Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label that has the sub-labels Hypnotic Records, Goldenlane, Stardust, Purple Pyramid, Deadline and X-Ray Records.
History
Founded in January 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in go ...
in the US. In addition to another new recording (and two remixes) of "Send Me an Angel", the album also includes cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of twelve other 1980s new wave classics by acts such as Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
, The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
, Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...
, Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...
, and Gary Numan
Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the New wave music, new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two st ...
.
After another lengthy hiatus, Sterry resurrected Real Life again in 2020 with a new studio album, ''Sirens''.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilations
Singles
Awards and nominations
Countdown Music Awards
'' Countdown'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987 and it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, known as the Countdown Music Awards.
, -
, rowspan="3", 1983
, ''Heartland''
, Best Debut Album
,
, -
, "Send Me an Angel"
, Best Debut Single
,
, -
, themselves
, Most Promising New Talent
,
, -
References
{{Authority control
1980 establishments in Australia
Australian new wave musical groups
Australian synth-pop groups
Musical groups established in 1980
Musical groups from Melbourne
Synth-pop new wave musical groups
Curb Records artists