Europeans (band)

Europeans
Cover of Europeans single on Heartbeat
Background information
OriginBristol, England
GenresPost-punk, new wave
Years active1977–1979
LabelsHeartbeat
Rialto Records
Cherry Red
Bristol Archive
Past membersJonathan Cole
Jon Klein
Steve Street
James Cole
WebsiteEuropeans info at Bristol Archive Records

Europeans were a new wave band formed in Bristol, England in 1977. The line-up was Jonathan Cole (formally of Colortapes, on vocals, guitar and synthesizers), Jon Klein (ex-Emergency Exit on lead guitar), Steve Street (ex-Public Enemy Number One on bass guitar) and James Cole (drums and percussion). According to Klein, ‘we were going to be called 'The Noses.'[1]

Their single "Europeans" / "Voices" was engineered by David Lord at his Crescent Studios in Bath and was the second release of Bristols' Heartbeat Records. This single was heard by Cherry Red Records[2] and led to a licensing agreement between them and Heartbeat. The band later contributed the track "On the Continent" to the label's Avon Calling compilation album. The band split in 1979 when Rialto Records signed Jonathan Cole as a solo artist. Jon Klein went to London with Kevin Mills from The X-Certs to form Specimen (and was involved with the Batcave); he later joined Siouxsie and the Banshees and played on three of their albums. Steve Street joined Apartment, then Interview; he then moved on to recording bands as an engineer-producer, and later worked with Tears for Fears.[3]

The band had originally recorded an album's worth of material, but this was not released until 2008, when Bristol Archive Records brought out a downloadable album called Take Me To The Continent. This was followed in 2009 with a recorded live set, Live 1978 – Bower Ashton College, and a collection of demos, GBH Demos 1978.

  1. ^ Bristol Fanzine Keep Upright, Do not Bend “Keep Upright, Do not Bend, No. 2 Oct 1978”
  2. ^ Simon Edwards discusses the history of Heartbeat Records on YouTube “Cherry Red TV 2008”
  3. ^ "Stephen Street vs. Steve Street". Discogs. Retrieved 20 December 2015.