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Virginia Astley (born 26 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter most active during the 1980s and 1990s. Her songwriting career started in 1980, with her classical training significantly influencing her music. Although most popular in Asia, most notably Japan, she remains a cult artist in her native England.


Early life

Virginia Astley was born in
Garston, Hertfordshire Garston is a suburban village in Hertfordshire, England. Garston is contiguous with Watford and now, despite retaining a local identity, is effectively a suburb. It is within the Stanborough, Woodside and Meriden wards of the borough of Watfor ...
, England, alongside her twin, Alison in 1959,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 207-8 the second daughter of composer
Edwin Astley Edwin Thomas "Ted" Astley (12 April 1922 – 19 May 1998) was a British composer. His best known works are British television themes and scores, most notably the main themes for '' The Saint'', ''Danger Man'' and '' The Baron''. He also successf ...
, noted for TV themes such as '' The Saint'', and his wife Hazel Balbirnie, who married in 1945. Virginia Astley's family was from the
Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...
area and lived in
Grappenhall Grappenhall is a village within the civil parish of Grappenhall and Thelwall in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. The parish had a population of 9,377 at the 2001 census, 9,687 at the 2011 census, and 9,651 at the 2021 census. ...
, where her elder sister Karen was born in 1947. The family relocated to
Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the List of highest points in London, highest point ...
,
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
because of Edwin's work as a film and TV writer. In the early 1960s, he was musical director at
ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in the production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme C ...
in
Borehamwood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 36,322, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly know ...
, the company responsible for TV series such as ''The Saint'' and ''
Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...
''. In 1968, her sister Karen married
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, keyboardist, second lead vocalist, principal songwriter and leader of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s an ...
of
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
. In the 1970s, Virginia's elder brother,
Jon Astley Jon Astley (born 1951) is a British record producer and mastering engineer. He is best known for his co-production work with Glyn Johns on the Who's eighth studio album ''Who Are You'' (1978), and later remastering supervision for all of the grou ...
, became a tape operator for
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
, and worked his way up to becoming a re-masterer and record producer.


Music career

Virginia began learning piano at the age of six and flute at 14. After leaving school, she studied at the
Guildhall School Of Music The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz along with dram ...
. Her first professional appearance in public was as a busker outside
South Kensington tube station South Kensington is a London Underground station in the district of South Kensington, south west London. It is served by three lines: Circle, District and Piccadilly. On the Circle and District lines the station is between Gloucester Road and ...
. In 1980, she auditioned for a new band from
Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...
, the Victims of Pleasure. Astley, playing keyboards, worked with them for a short while playing in clubs and pubs around London. The band released three singles between 1980 and 1982 before splitting up. Afterward, Astley wrote, arranged and performed music with Skids frontman Richard Jobson for the album ''The Ballad Of Etiquette''. Their collaboration continued when Jobson moved to Belgian label
Les Disques Du Crépuscule Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized ente ...
, and Astley contributed to the Crépuscule compilation ''The Fruit of the Original Sin''. She also contributed as part of The Dream Makers (in collaboration with filmmaker Jean Paul Goude) for a cover version of "La Chanson d'Helene" (Helen's Song), showcasing an early example of her distinctive vocal style. It was during this early period that Astley started to give serious consideration to releasing her own material; however, nothing immediately came of these plans. Then in 1981, she signed to the small UK label Why-Fi and recorded a series of songs. A school friend, Jo Wells ( Kissing the Pink) and a university friend Nicky Holland both contributed as did Tony Butler,
Mark Brzezicki Mark Michael Brzezicki ( , ; born 21 June 1957) is an English musician, best known as the former drummer of the Scottish rock band Big Country. He has also played with Procol Harum, Casbah Club, The Cult, and From the Jam. Biography Brzezi ...
and Peter Hope-Evans. Astley then received an offer from another Why-Fi artist,
Troy Tate Troy Tate is an English musician and record producer who was a member of several bands including the Teardrop Explodes and Fashion as well as working as a solo artist, for which he is best known for the single "Love Is ..." Biography Born in Li ...
, for a supporting band position with The Teardrop Explodes. In the 1990s, finding that her musical style was popular in Japan, she went on to collaborate with Asian artists.


Ravishing Beauties

She recruited Nicky Holland and another university friend, Kate St. John to form the band the Ravishing Beauties. The trio joined The Teardrops in
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
during the winter of 1981 for a series of dates at a small clubs and a UK tour in early 1982. They also recorded with
Echo & the Bunnymen Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...
, Skids, and
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
. Kate St. John and Nicky Holland went on to maintain solo careers in the 1990s at the time of Astley's re-emergence in Japan. The Ravishing Beauties did not record as a band, but appeared on radio shows, including a
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
Session on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
in April 1982. The Ravishing Beauties first played at Club Zoo in Liverpool and followed this with the support tour with The Teardrop Explodes. Astley wrote most of the band's songs, some of which appeared on her first solo project with Why-Fi. The band was short lived, with St. John first becoming a model, and then eventually a member of
The Dream Academy The Dream Academy was a British Indie pop, alternative pop band consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist and primary songwriter Nick Laird-Clowes, woodwinds player and pianist Kate St John, and keyboardist Gilbert Gabriel. The band is most no ...
, while Holland did session work and joined
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 ...
.


Solo work

One of the first musicians Astley recorded with was Richard Jobson. Together with
John McGeoch John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977–1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980–1982). He has been described as o ...
and Josephine Wells, they created a musical backdrop for Jobson's poetry. This work was released as ''The Ballad of Etiquette'' in late 1981. Later, Astley went with Jobson to perform in Japan. She also worked on other people's projects, including work for
Les Disques Du Crépuscule Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized ente ...
label, playing piano and arranging music for Richard Jobson and Anna Domino. She also had a track on ''From Brussels with Love'' in 1982. Sessions followed with Richard Jobson and Russell Webb for the final Skids album, ''
Joy Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitu ...
'', which featured Astley on flute and as a backing singer. Astley recorded a solo album, ''She Sat Down And Cried'' for Crépuscule but this was withdrawn, eventually being released three years later as ''Promise Nothing''. She signed with Why-Fi in mid-1981 and recorded an EP called '' A Bao A Qu'', the title taken from a Malayan legend featured in
Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo ( ; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish literature, Spanish-language and international literatur ...
's 1967 ''
Book of Imaginary Beings The ''Book of Imaginary Beings'' was written by Jorge Luis Borges with Margarita Guerrero and published in 1957 under the original Spanish title ''Manual de zoología fantástica'' ("Handbook of fantastic zoology"). It contains descriptions of leg ...
''. This was produced by Jon Astley and Phil Chapman. Using a demo studio in
Wapping Wapping () is an area in the borough of Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is in East London and part of the East End. Wapping is on the north bank of the River Thames between Tower Bridge to the west, and Shadwell to the east. This posit ...
called Elephant Studios, Astley recorded the song that was to place her in the indie top 10 (No. 8) in 1983: "Love's a Lonely Place to Be", a song of despair and anxiety in spite of its
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a Carol (music), carol on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas and holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...
sound. The song would later form part of the 1986 LP '' Hope in a Darkened Heart''. In 1982, Astley also played piano on her brother-in-law Pete Townshend's album, '' All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes''. The album '' From Gardens Where We Feel Secure'' was released in August 1983, and was recorded on Astley's own label Happy Valley and distributed by Rough Trade, which has since reissued it. The album achieved a placing of No. 4 in the indie chart, but neither single nor album was listed in the mainstream charts. In 1983, Astley established a more permanent line-up with string players
Audrey Riley Audrey Riley is an English cellist and string arranger. Career Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn. She was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of the Family Cat. Ril ...
,
Jocelyn Pook Jocelyn Pook (, rhyming with "book") (born 14 February 1960) is an English composer who is known for her scores for many films, including ''Eyes Wide Shut'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and '' The Wife''. Her principal instrument is the viola. ...
and Anne Stephenson, with guests such as drummer Brian Nevill and composer Jeremy Peyton Jones. In 1984, Astley played keyboards on tour with
Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop/rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, t ...
around the time of their first album, and she also did sessions for their
Kitchenware Records Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightcl ...
labelmates,
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees Martin Stephenson & the Daintees is a British rock/folk music, folk/pop band combining elements of "rockabilly, show tunes, folk pop, rootsy pop, rock & roll, straight-ahead rock and punk music, punk". The band is fronted by songwriter/guitaris ...
,
Vic Godard Vic Godard (born Victor John Napper) is an English singer-songwriter formerly of the punk group Subway Sect. He is now also a solo performer, while continuing to appear with various incarnations of Subway Sect. Biography Born Victor John Nappe ...
and Zeke Manyika. In 1984, she signed to Arista but left to join
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
. "Darkness Has Reached its End" and "Tender" were both recorded at this time. When Elektra UK folded she went to
WEA The Wea were a Miami–Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as being either closely related to the Miami tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of th ...
where she subsequently recorded the album '' Hope in a Darkened Heart'', with
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
producing in 1986. In 1989, Astley collaborated with
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 ...
member Dave Stewart on a track called "Second Chance", included on the '' Lily Was Here'' soundtrack. The success of her 1986 album ''Hope in a Darkened Heart'' in Japan meant that Astley was asked to sign to
Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...
with whom she recorded a further two albums, ''All Shall Be Well'' in 1992 and ''Had I The Heavens'' in 1996. The following year, the first track from the album, "Some Small Hope" was released, a collaboration with
David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan (band), Japan. During his time in Japan, Sylvia ...
. Since then, Astley has guested on CDs by both Hideaki Matsuoka and the
Silent Poets Silent Poets is a Japanese electronic duo (now solo project). They have released six original albums and more than seven remix albums/EPs until now. Gaining international recognition, Silent Poets has been featured in countless music/fashion mag ...
. ''From Gardens Where We Feel Secure'' was re-issued with a new cover in 2003, and in 2006 she released her first album of new material in ten years, entitled ''The Words Between Our Words''. This mini album features Astley reciting her own poetry to a backing of
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
music played by her daughter, Florence. In 2007, she premiered a long poem "
Ecliptic The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of Earth's orbit, Earth around the Sun. It was a central concept in a number of ancient sciences, providing the framework for key measurements in astronomy, astrology and calendar-making. Fr ...
", with flute, harp and
birdsong Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs (often simply ''birdsong'') are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalization ...
.


Discography


With Victims of Pleasure

*"When You're Young" (1980), P.A.M. – 7" *"Slave to Fashion" (1981), Rialto – 7" *"Jack and Jill" (1982), Rialto – 7"


Solo

;Albums *''She Sat Down and Cried'' (1981), Crépuscule — withdrawn before commercial release, issued in 1984 as ''Promise Nothing''. *'' From Gardens Where We Feel Secure'' (1983), Rough Trade – UK Indie No. 4Lazell, Barry (1998) ''Indie Hits 1980–1989'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 12 *'' Hope in a Darkened Heart'' (1986), WEA *'' All Shall Be Well'' (1992), Nippon Columbia *''Had I The Heavens'' (1996), Nippon Columbia *''The Words Between Our Words'' (2006) – online release credited to Virginia and her daughter Florence Astley *''Maiden Newton Ecliptic'' (2007), Artension *''The Singing Places'' (2023) ;Singles and EPs *''A Bao A Qu'' (1982), Why-Fi – 10-inch EP *"Love's a Lonely Place to Be" (1983), Why-Fi — UK Indie No. 8 *"Melt The Snow" (1985), Rough Trade — UK Indie No. 27 *"Tender" (1985), Elektra *"Darkness Has Reached Its End" (1985), WEA *"Le Song" (1986) *"Charm" (1986), WEA Japan *"Some Small Hope" (1987), WEA — with David Sylvian


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Astley, Virginia 1959 births Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama English singer-songwriters English twins English women in electronic music English women singer-songwriters Female twins Living people Musicians from Watford Twin musicians