Lene Lovich

Lene Lovich (pronounced Lay-na Luv-itch) -- she of the high-pitched, shrieky voice, spooky wide-eyed stare and general oddball appearance -- was born in Detroit in 1949 to a Yugoslav father and an English mother. She moved to England with her mother when she was 13, then ran away from home two years later. Lene ended up enrolling at the Central Scool of Art where she studied sculpture, and even went on a successful pilgramage to Spain to meet artist Salvador Dali.

In 1978, Lene signed up with Stiff Records in the UK. Her first single released that same year by Stiff was a cover of Tommy James' classic I Think We're Alone Now. Her first album Stateless (recorded with the participation of members of the Sinceros and Roogalator) followed shortly after that. Despite the comparative success of the single Say When, taken from the album, the album itself never really took off (not even after a remixing attempt prior to its US release). After participating in the 1978 "Be Stiff" Tour, in 1979 Lene embarked on her first headlining tour and also released Lucky Number (also through Stiff), which hit number 10 on the charts (number 2 in Australia).

In 1979, her appearance in the film Cha Cha captured the impact of new wave on the Amsterdam underground scene. The soundtrack featured the first of several collaborations with Nina Hagen, whom Lene had met on the set of the film. They have since maintained a personal friendship and professional relationship. In fact, Nina included a German-language version of Lovich's hit "Lucky Number" (Wir Leben Immer Noch) on her album Unbehagan; and in 1986 the two of them sang together in on "Don't Kill the Animals", an animal-rights song that has since appeared on various compilations.

Cha Cha was followed in early 1980 by the release of Lene's second album Flex, recorded in Holland and featuring Lene's permanent backing band (who, incidentally, were as offbeat-looking as Lene!): Les Chappell (guitars, synthesizers and vocals); Justin Hildreth (drums); Mark Hayward-Chaplin (bass); and Dean Clevatt (keyboards). Flex shot straight up into the English charts and was followed by a grand tour of the United States and Europe. In 1981, Lene released a double, multitrack EP which contained the single What Will I Do Without You (written by ex-Van Der Gradd Generator member Chris Judge Smith) and four live tracks recorded at the Lyceum in February of 1981.

It was followed by her album No Man's Land (1982); the eight-year wait for the next album, March, gave her and Les Chappell (partner, guitar player and co-songwriter) the opportunity to refine their vision. They are still writing and recording, but after seventeen years in the music business Lene'N'Les have yet to give complete satisfaction.

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