A leading proponent of the "quiet pop" movement of the early 1980s, the Pale Fountains formed in Liverpool, England in 1981. Led by singer/songwriter and guitarist Michael Head, the group -- which also included bassist Chris McCaffrey, drummer Thomas Whelan and former <a href="spotify:artist:371glK0pTnkxpBugrM5cac">Dislocation Dance</a> trumpeter Andy Diagram -- debuted in 1982 on the Operation Twlight label with the single "(There's Always) Something on My Mind," which generated such a posititve buzz that they were immediately signed by Virgin for the then-staggering sum of 150,000 pounds. However, their label debut, the lavish "Thank You," failed to crack the U.K. Top 40, despite a heavy promotional push. After an intense year in the studio, the Pale Fountains' first LP, the bossa nova-inflected Pacific Street, finally appeared in 1984; after such a relatively long absence from the limelight, the group had lost its status as media darlings, and the record fared poorly. Producer <a href="spotify:artist:7ctn5XsdcpoAPg5Ctggj0P">Ian Broudie</a> was brought in to helm 1985's ...from across the kitchen table, but again success was not forthcoming; in the wake of considerable acrimony amongst the band and their label, the Pale Fountains soon split, with Head returning to Liverpool to form Shack with his brother John. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi