Delta 5

Delta 5
Origin	Leeds, England
Genres	Post-punk, New wave
Years active	1979–1981
Labels	Rough Trade Pre Charisma
Members
Julz Sale Ros Allen Bethan Peters Kelvin Knight Alan Riggs

Delta 5 were a post-punk band from Leeds, England.

Career

The original members of Delta 5, Julz Sale (vocals/guitar), Ros Allen (bass) and Bethan Peters (bass), formed the band "on a lark",^[1] but soon became a part of the thriving Leeds post-punk scene, and later added Kelvin Knight on drums and Alan Riggs on guitar. Combining feminist politics with a two-bass funk-punk sound (much in the style of another, more famous Leeds band, Gang of Four), they released in 1979 their debut single, "Mind Your Own Business". This song was later covered by Chicks on Speed, Le Shok and Pigface. Bethan Peters went on to play on Fun Boy Three's second album, 'Waiting'.

Delta 5 were also important figures in the Rock Against Racism movement, and were the subject of a highly-publicized assault at the hands of a right-wing group affiliated with rival movement Rock Against Communism.^[2]

After the release of second single "You", the band went on a successful tour of the US, and soon thereafter left Rough Trade for Charisma Records imprint Pre. They recorded their debut album, See the Whirl, which suffered from overly clean production, and received low marks both critically and commercially. Because of the failure of the album, the group disbanded.

In 2006, Kill Rock Stars released a compilation of early Delta 5 material called Singles & Sessions 1979-1981, capitalizing on the reemerging popularity of post-punk bands like Gang of Four and Wire. The set includes a wealth of unreleased material, along with BBC radio sessions and live cuts.

Discography

Albums

• See the Whirl (PRE Records) (1981)

Compilation albums

• Singles & Sessions 1979-1981 (Kill Rock Stars; CD; (2006)

Singles

• "Mind Your Own Business" / "Now That You're Gone" (Rough Trade Records) (1979)
• "Anticipation" / "You" (Rough Trade Records) (1980)
• "Try" / "Colour" (Rough Trade Records) (1980)
• "Shadow" / "Leaving" (PRE) (1981)
• "Powerlines" / "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" (PRE) (1982)

References

1. ^ Allmusic.com
2. ^ "Delta 5 Biography - AOL Music". 2011-02-12. http://m.aol.com/music/default/biography.do?aid=1013278. Retrieved 2011-02-12. "the group's role as political leaders increased in the wake of a notorious street attack on its members by right-wing thugs, culminating in the rise of the Rock Against Communism groundswell." 

External links

• Allmusic Guide site
• Appelstein, Mike (2006-01-26). "Delta 5". http://www.furious.com/perfect/delta5.html. Retrieved 2011-02-12. 
• Delta 5 discography at Discogs