B-Movie

by Michael Sutton
The new wave band B-Movie's most recognizable record became more popular long after the combo had split up. Named after an Andy Warhol painting, B-Movie formed in 1979 with Steve Hovington (vocals), Paul Statham (guitars), Graham Boffey (drums), and Rick Holliday (keyboards). Inspired by synth-pop pioneers like Ultravox and New Order, B-Movie wrote catchy songs enveloped in keyboards. The group was signed to the Some Bizarre record label in the early '80s; in 1981, the band appeared on a Some Bizarre compilation album with future '80s synth-pop superstars such as Depeche Mode, Blancmange, and Soft Cell. In 1982, the single "Nowhere Girl" was a hit in Europe. Although "Nowhere Girl" was not a Top Ten smash in America, the song continued to be a favorite on radio stations' '80s flashback shows. With Hovington's icy vocals and Holliday's somber synths, "Nowhere Girl" became an enduring tale of teen alienation; "Nowhere Girl" was revived on the Just Say Yesterday compilation in 1992 and it's generally considered to be an '80s classic. Ironically, the track lasted longer than B-Movie's career. B-Movie released the LP Forever Running in 1985 and then broke up. Boffey joined Slaughterhouse 5 and Statham collaborated with Peter Murphy. Hovington formed the techno outfit Amethyst.