When the British art-school punk band the B-Sides changed their name and direction to become
Adam & the Ants, guitarist/vocalist
Bid and guitarist
Lester Square opted out to form their own group,
the Monochrome Set. Founded in London in 1978, the band (also comprised of ex-
Gloria Mundi and
Mean Street bassist
Jeremy Harrington and former
Art Attacks drummer
J.D. Crowe) was quickly snapped up by the Rough Trade label, and during 1979 issued three singles -- "He's Frank," "Eine Symphonie des Grauens," and their signature number, "Monochrome Set" -- all completely different in content and stylistic approach.
After former B-Sides bassist
Andy Warren grew tired of life in
Adam & the Ants, he rejoined bandmates
Bid and
Square, replacing
Harrington. In 1980
the Monochrome Set released their debut album, the cabaret-flavored
Strange Boutique, followed later that year by the singles "405 Lines" and "Apocalypso" as well as another, more accessible full-length effort,
Love Zombies. Complete with new guitarist Foz, keyboardist Caroline Booth, and drummer
Nick Wesolowski, they returned in 1982 with a cleaner, more melodic sound on the LP
Eligible Bachelors; "The Jet Set Junta," a satiric jab at the Falklands Islands conflict, became a significant hit the next year.
Following the depatrure of
Square,
the Monochrome Set veered even closer to light pop fare on singles like 1985's "Jacob's Ladder; " the sound subsquently crystallized on the nostalgically-themed LP
The Lost Weekend. When the record met with dismal commercial response, the group disbanded, only to reform in 1989 around the nucleus of
Bid,
Square, and
Warren along with new keyboaridst
Orson Presence. The 1990 album
Dante's Casino did little to raise
the Monochrome Set's chart visibility, but the band soldiered on, releasing
Charade in 1993,
Misere in 1994 and
Trinity Road in 1995. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide