Stevo Pearce

Stevo Pearce is the owner of British record label, Some Bizzare Records.

Biography

Stevo Pearce came from Dagenham in East London. He left school at sixteen without any qualifications and entered a work training placement with ‘Phonogram Records’, this was his introduction to the music business. [Page 98, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] He purchased a mobile disco unit and began a Monday night residency at the Chelsea Drugstore in London’s Kings Road. [Page 13, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] These nights soon gained notoriety, becoming a showman dressed in bizarre outfits or sometimes performing naked while playing tracks from the new underground, experimental electronic bands, such as Throbbing Gristle and Chrome. [Page 97, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] Around this time he was banned from playing certain different clubs due to his eccentricities. He was chased out of one club for just repeating “Yes hello, hello yes, it’s highly psychological”, and after mixing Mickey Mouse into Cabaret Voltaire at half speed. Other things that the public were not used to included playing the six different records into one, causing a very intense sound. [Page 111, Charles Neal, Tape Delay] After the residency at the Drugstore Stevo moved onto working a regular night at the Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith. [Page 13, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] The nights at the Clarendon were known as 'Stevo's Electro Tunes' where bands like DAF, Fad Gadget, Last Dance and Boyd Rice played. [Page 20, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] At this time Stevo regarded himself as an anarchist in the music scene and felt it important for musical barriers to be broken down. [Page 13, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] After these nights attracted interest Stevo was asked to compile an electronic music chart in the Record Mirror, soon followed by his ‘Futurist Chart’ in Sounds. He didn’t like the term ‘Futurist’ feeling the name was ‘a bit of a joke’. [Page 13, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] The Sounds chart was filled with demos that were sent to him by new unknown bands. [Page 13, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] In 1980, after realising he was receiving some very good material, he decided to put together a compilation album, the Some Bizzare Album.

Stevo went on to sign some of the most important underground, alternative bands of the eighties. Stevo became notorious in the way he signed bands, especially with major records labels who knew how important the deal was to them. [Page 111, Charles Neal, Tape Delay] CBS head Maurice Oberstein had decided to confront Stevo at a restaurant at a time that suited him. He was then told by Stevo that they would meet on his terms. The meeting was arranged at Tottenham Court Road tube station. Oberstein turned up saying that he had a car waiting. Stevo told him that he was late for the meeting so jumped on the tube to Trafalgar Square. Oberstein followed and the deal was signed in the early hours, in the pouring rain at Trafalgar Square. [Page 111, Charles Neal, Tape Delay] Other eccentric record contract signings included Test Department’s deal which was signed on a rocking horse named Horace. [Page 111, Charles Neal, Tape Delay] Stevo also was sent sweets every week as part of a deal with Phonogram Records. There is also the famous story of a teddy bear sent to a meeting; this was to clinch the deal for Soft Cell. The teddy was appropriately dressed as Robin Hood. [Page 111, Charles Neal, Tape Delay]

oft Cell

In July 1980 a meeting was arranged between the then unknown Marc Almond and Stevo Pearce. Almond arrived at the offices of Record Mirror, where the meeting was planned and discovered that Stevo did not actually work in the offices, but had passed by in search of a free ticket for a gig that night. [Page 97, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] During the meeting Stevo discussed how he was deciding which band to manage, either Soft Cell or a London band called Naked Lunch, who later appeared on the Some Bizzare Album. [Page 97, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson]
Marc Almond was impressed with Stevo who he is quoted as saying “had the gift of the gab” and was “immensely likeable”. [Page 98, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] Stevo said that he was putting together the Some Bizzare Album which would include bands that “broke down barriers”. [Page 98, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] He preferred to include undiscovered bands who he could then license to major record companies through his Some Bizzare label. [Page 98, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] Stevo wanted to include Soft Cell on the Some Bizzare Album, he also wanted to manage the band. [Page 98, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson] After returning to his home in Leeds, Almond discussed the meeting with band mate Dave Ball. They both decided that working with Stevo is what they wanted. Stevo was only seventeen at the time. [Page 98, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson]

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode were cautious when first approached by Stevo, they were indecisive about being included on a ‘Futurist’ compilation album. They first decided to take their demo tape to various other record companies, only to be rejected by everyone. [Page 14, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] After a bad first meeting with Daniel Miller of Mute Records (Miller was in a bad mood due to a problem with some Fad Gadget artwork) [Page 18, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] the door was left open for Stevo to include Depeche Mode on his Some Bizzare Album. [Page 18, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] During an evening at the Bridgehouse, in Canning Town, Stevo chatted with Depeche Mode about his new label and compilation album; the band had been supporting Fad Gadget. It was decided that Depeche Mode would record a track for the Some Bizzare Album. Stevo had then recommended that the band work with Daniel Miller at Mute Records [Page 20, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] In 1980 Depeche Mode went into an east London recording studio and recorded the track ‘Photographic’. Daniel Miller wanted to put a good track on the compilation album, but not their best track. Miller acted as informal producer on the recording of the Some Bizzare version of the ‘Photographic’ track. [Page 20, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography] The band set up their equipment in the studio and ran through some of their tracks live in the studio. ‘Photographic’ was recorded and mixed in one day. [Page 21, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography]

References

*cite book
last = Neal
first = Charles
authorlink = Charles Neal
title = Tape Delay
publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd
series =
year = 1987
doi =
isbn = 0 946719 02 0

*cite book
last = Malins
first = Steve
authorlink = Steve Malins
title = Depeche Mode - A Biography
publisher = Andre Deutsch Ltd
series =
year = 1999
doi =
isbn = 0 233 99425 4

*cite book
last = Almond
first = Marc
authorlink = Marc Almond
title = Tainted Life
publisher = Sidgwick & Jackson
series =
year = 1999
doi =
isbn = 0 283 06340 8

Footnotes