# Long Shot - Identify this band from the 80s who was not Alphaville? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719 "2012-08-16T22:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/61 "2012-08-18T05:50:34Z")
Scandinavian synth-poppy band from the 80s and it isn’t A-ha? Damn. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ivegotzooms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Ivegotzooms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivegotzooms)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/62 "2012-08-18T06:35:39Z")
The band might be ABECEDARIANS. Did she go to college in Los Angeles, CA? ABECEDARIANS were a big deal in the late 80s with the college folks in LA. They had a great song called Wildflowers Grow From The Trash. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/63 "2012-08-18T20:12:21Z")
> [@Ivegotzooms](#): > > The band might be ABECEDARIANS. Did she go to college in Los Angeles, CA? ABECEDARIANS were a big deal in the late 80s with the college folks in LA. They had a great song called Wildflowers Grow From The Trash. New Haven, CT actually. I know the band was European, kind of alpaville-y. Maybe it was alphaville. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/64 "2012-08-18T21:07:17Z")
I seem to recall thinking that the Alphaville song ‘Forever Young’ was by the Cure. But I’m guessing that nobody would confuse the Cure with Alphaville. The Cure was much bigger by that time. Otherwise I’ve got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/65 "2012-08-19T14:54:47Z")
Associates? ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/66 "2012-08-19T15:59:10Z")
The band I always got confused with Alphaville was _Cutting Crew_. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/67 "2012-08-19T18:21:02Z")
Could it be Lupus? ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/68 "2012-08-19T20:46:18Z")
Army of Lovers? A, Swedish, formed in late 80s, dancey. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/69 "2012-08-19T21:35:21Z")
Yaz? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/70 "2012-08-19T21:53:42Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > The band I always got confused with Alphaville was _Cutting Crew_. Oh!!! Maybe that is it - it was Alphaville and I always confused them with Cutting Crew!! Going to investigate a bit. This might be it! ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/71 "2012-08-19T22:32:22Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Could it be Lupus? It’s never Lupus. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/72 "2012-08-20T01:25:01Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Oh!!! > > Maybe that is it - it was Alphaville and I always confused them with Cutting Crew!! > > Going to investigate a bit. This might be it! I’m glad that the connection was made, because Cutting Crew sounds more like 80s AOR than synth pop, at least to my ears. 🙂 They’re British, btw. I used to get them mixed up with Johnny Hates Jazz and The Rembrandts. Musically I think they sound like Naked Eyes and Wang Chung a bit (who predate them somewhat). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/73 "2012-08-20T14:02:10Z")
Not starting with an A, but [Wolfsheim](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnHk1z28z0o) have a very Alphavill-ey [synthpop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkGGi_uUaPc) sound. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/74 "2012-08-20T16:39:27Z")
OK, to recap. I am almost positive now that the story really goes: "My sister went away to college in 1986, and discovered a band that I can’t remember the name of. It would have been a band currently putting out music in 1986, but I don’t know if 1986 was near the beginning, middle or end of their career. I used the get them mixed up with CUTTING CREW, which annoyed my sister. I am almost 100% sure their name began with A. They were probably kind of synth-poppy and soft. Maybe some variety of Scandinavian?" Maybe this is my chance to ask a mod to change a thread title. **Long Shot - Identify this band from the 80s who was [actually really] Alphaville?** ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/75 "2012-08-20T16:51:17Z")
Huh. And I was thinking maybe Erasure. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/76 "2012-08-20T16:54:30Z")
Air Supply? ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/77 "2012-08-20T17:58:50Z")
Despite your recollection, I still say it was Falco. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/78 "2012-08-20T18:47:17Z")
I am with \*\*conway \*\*on this. Everything in music from 1980 to about 1987 was Falco under different names. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/79 "2012-08-20T23:15:47Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Everything in music from 1980 to about 1987 was Falco under different names. Remember when he changed it to Taco? He wasn’t even trying. ---
**Author:** ![Blackzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Blackzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719/80 "2012-08-21T13:28:33Z")
Coming in with a longshot with **Blancmange**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-shot-identify-this-band-from-the-80s-who-was-not-alphaville/631719.md?page=3)