Age of Chance | |
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Origin | Leeds, West Yorkshire, England |
Genres | Alternative rock, electronic dance music |
Years active | 1983–1991 |
Labels | Riot Bible, FON, Virgin |
Past members | Steven Elvidge Geoff Taylor Neil Howson Jan Perry Noel "DJ Powercut" Watson Charles Hutchinson |
Age of Chance were a British alternative rock-dance crossover band from Leeds, England, active from 1983 to 1991. They were perhaps most known for their mutant metallic cover of Prince's "Kiss" which topped the UK Indie Chart in 1986, and peaked at No. 50 in the UK Singles Chart in January the following year.[1] Despite signing for major label Virgin, and being favourites with the UK music press, they never enjoyed a major hit in the UK, although "Don't Get Mad… Get Even" reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart.[2][3]
Musically they were a mixture of punk, hip hop, industrial rock and Northern soul. Steven E provided a distinctive strident nasal vocal style, often employing a megaphone. Striking cover art visuals were a collaboration between the group and The Designers Republic, who would go on to graphic design fame. They were the first band to be remixed by Public Enemy - AKA Hank Shocklee and Carl Ryder, who remixed “Take it” from “1000 Years of Trouble” (1988). They were contemporaries of Pop Will Eat Itself, whose music also featured rock guitar, dance beats and copious samples, and other early UK samplist groups such as Coldcut and The JAMMs.