Delta 5
English post-punk band

Delta 5
OriginLeeds, West Yorkshire, England
GenresPost-punk, new wave
Years active1979–1981
LabelsRough Trade
Pre
Charisma
Past membersJulz Sale
Ros Allen
Bethan Peters
Kelvin Knight
Alan Riggs
Graeme High

Delta 5 was an English post-punk band from Leeds. They released several singles with Rough Trade Records and one studio album with Charisma Records imprint Pre.

Career

Delta 5 was formed from the same art school scene at Leeds University as Gang of Four and The Mekons.[1][2] The original members of Delta 5, Julz Sale (vocals/guitar), Ros Allen (bass) and Bethan Peters (bass), formed the band "on a lark",[3] but soon became a part of the thriving Leeds post-punk scene, and later added Kelvin Knight on drums and Alan Riggs on guitar, both of whom also played in Dead Beats.[2] 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 their debut single "Mind Your Own Business" in 1979.

The members of Delta 5 were important figures in the Rock Against Racism movement and were the subject of a highly publicised assault at the hands of a right-wing group affiliated with rival movement Rock Against Communism.[4]

After the release of second single "You", the band went on a successful tour of the United States, and soon thereafter left Rough Trade for Charisma Records imprint Pre.[5] They recorded their debut album See the Whirl, which some critics thought too glossy with "tacked-on" sounding horns and keyboards added into their sound.[6][7] Due to the commercial disappointment of the album, the group disbanded.

Post-breakup

Apart from bassist Bethan Peters playing on Fun Boy Three's second album Waiting and performing with them live to support its release, the members of Delta 5 were mostly musically inactive. Meanwhile, Delta 5's recorded output was finding a posthumous fan base internationally. The band Shonen Knife recorded a cover version of "You" with Japanese lyrics and renamed "Saboten" ("Cactus") for their 1982 debut album Minna Tanoshiku.

In 2006, Kill Rock Stars released a compilation of early Delta 5 material titled Singles & Sessions 1979-1981,[2] capitalising on the re-emerging popularity of post-punk bands such as Gang of Four and Wire. The set included unreleased material, along with BBC radio sessions and live cuts.[8]

Delta 5 drummer Kelvin Knight died on 2 December 2015 from liver and kidney failure at the age of 56.[9] Singer and guitarist Julz Sale died from cancer in Thailand on 20 September 2021.[10][11]

Legacy

"Mind Your Own Business" is the band's best-known song, having been covered by Chicks on Speed, Le Shok, R. Stevie Moore, Pigface and Dum Dum Girls. It featured in episode 5 of the series Sex Education in January 2019,[12] an episode of the 2020 BBC TV series The A Word,[13] and in an Apple commercial in 2021.[14]

Discography

Albums

Compilation albums

Singles

  • "Mind Your Own Business" / "Now That You've Gone" (1979, Rough Trade Records)
  • "Anticipation" / "You" (1980, Rough Trade Records)
  • "Try" / "Colour" (1980, Rough Trade Records)
  • "Shadow" / "Leaving" (1981)
  • 6 (12" EP, first three singles) (1981, Base Records)
  • "Powerlines" / "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" (1982)

References

  1. ^ Lester, Paul (2008). Gang of Four: Damaged Gods. Omnibus Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-84772-245-4.
  2. ^ a b c Lily Clarke, Mia (24 January 2006). "Delta 5: Singles & Sessions 1979-81". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  3. ^ Jason Ankeny. "Delta 5 | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Delta 5 Biography". Aol.com. 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011. 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.
  5. ^ "Delta 5". www.furious.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  6. ^ Palmer, Robert (23 September 1981). "The Pop Life; They Examine Sexual Politics Unflinchingly". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  7. ^ Bucknell, Huw (2003). Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. pp. 284–285. ISBN 9781858284576.
  8. ^ Horning, Rob (19 January 2006). "Delta 5: Singles & Sessions 1979-1981". Pop Matters. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  9. ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2015 July to December". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  10. ^ John Robb (22 September 2021). "Julz Sale (Delta 5 founder) RIP". LouderThanWar.com. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. ^ Sheppard, Oliver (22 September 2021). "Delta 5 Founder and Singer Julz Sale Has Passed Away". Post-Punk.com.
  12. ^ Midkiff, Sarah. "Every '80s Song & The Originals That Make Up "Sex Education's" Soundtrack". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Th A Word | Series 3, episode 1". BBC iPlayer. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.[dead link]
  14. ^ Tannenbaum, Rob (10 June 2021). "In the '80s, Post-Punk Filled New York Clubs. Their Videos Captured It". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  • Appelstein, Mike (26 January 2006). "Delta 5". Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  • Delta 5 discography at Discogs
  • Delta 5 at IMDb
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