The Belle Stars - Sign of the Times - Live

More Belle Stars on http://www.myspace.com/malcmc
and http://www.thebellestars.pwp.blueyond...

Sign of the Times live on French TV. The Belle Stars were an all-female British pop group of the early '80s that split off from the Bodysnatchers. The lineup was Sarah-Jane Owen (lead guitar), Stella Barker (acoustic guitar), Miranda Joyce (saxophone), Clare Hirst (saxaphone and keyboards), Judy Parsons (drums), Lesley Shone (bass), and Jennie Matthias (lead singer). They scored four U.K. Top 40 hits between 1982 and 1983, "Iko Iko," "The Clapping Song," "Sign of the Times," and "Sweet Memory," before splitting up in 1984. Miranda, Sarah-Jane and Lesley continued as The Belle Stars as a 3 piece band and had a US dancefloor hit with World Domination in 1986. Their song Check In, Check Out features on the soundtrack to the Whoopi Goldberg film, The Burglar. "Iko Iko" was used in the hit film Rain Man, turning it into a surprise Top 40 U.S. hit in 1989

• Category

  Music

[rouens]

the sound guy should have been shot!

[AdrianAngove]

Only a few brave bands opted to play totally live and it was their choice to do so. However Musician's Union rules dictated at the time that at least one musician MUST play live on TOTP, usually bands selected the bass player to be in the firing line but obviously the Belle Stars decided to record the backing tracks and overlay live vocals....brave move.

The other backing tracks were usually re-recorded at the BBC sound studios the day before live TV transmission.

[anthony111isevilok]

@malcs0 That's Lesley! She is great, I notice in the Belle Stars photos and videos she's the one with the big grin, looks a happy, bubbly person!

[Donny Pepquoi]

Brilliant performance !!

[malcs0]

Wonderful stuff. I always fancied the little blond with the big smile who can't keep still. She was great!

[Noel Blake]

Jez you've got to love the Belle Stars, I know I did

[gilhams]

Despite the fluffed lyric and crappy sound engineering, these girls are really enjoying themselves. Classic '80s hit - top drawer! Thanks for posting.

[gilhams]

Too bloody right - why the hell are the backing vocals so high in the mix?

[paddy9i99]

Legend has it, these backing tracks that they were forced to do, usually sounded uncannily close to the master tape with the vocals removed. Funny that!

[CYBERSHOT363]

Love this absolutley wicked

[fergusil]

did she forget the words at the beginning??-how could she!!..hee hee .i absolutely love this song-belle stars at their very best,amazing production on the clapping song. i cant believe they sang live--what i mean is back in the 80s mining was what it was all about with them mouthing the words"hello mum"half way through.tanx so much4post.i go week with nostalgia whenever i see 80s performances like this.

[soadfan33]

This song is for my sister living with someone who is a nobody!! Sorry sis