Band & Artist Dossier

Bad Manners

Origin: North London, England · Active Years: 1978-present

A detailed catalogue profile for Bad Manners.

In this archive

1 album / credit record(s) · Ska/2 Tone

English ska and two-tone band formed in 1978 in North London, fronted by the shaven-headed, huge-tongued Buster Bloodvessel (Douglas Trendle). Formed by schoolmates from Woodberry Down Comprehensive School, Bad Manners rode the early-1980s ska revival alongside Madness, The Specials and The Beat, spending 111 weeks on the UK singles chart between 1980 and 1983 with hits including "Special Brew", "Lip Up Fatty" and "Can Can". Closely associated with (but never signed to) the 2 Tone movement, they appeared in the 1981 documentary Dance Craze before disbanding in 1987 and later reforming.

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Band Lineup & Member Profiles

Lead Vocals
1978-1987, 1988-present
Frontman and founder whose outlandish stage persona (shaven, painted head; oversized tongue) got the band banned from Top of the Pops and Italian television during their 1980s peak.
Guitar
1978-1987, 1988-present
Original schoolmate member who rejoined Buster Bloodvessel for the band's 1988 reformation.
Keyboards
1978-1987, 1988-present
Classic-era keyboardist who returned for the reformed lineup in 1988.
Saxophone
1978-1987, 1988-present
Original-era saxophonist who rejoined for the 1988 reformation.
Harmonica
1978-1987, 1988-present
Founding harmonica player, part of the reunited classic lineup after the 1987 split.

Watch & listen

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Photo & Visual Gallery

Complete 1980s Studio Discography

7 studio albums released from 1980–1989 by Bad Manners. Archived records link directly to full dossiers; remaining releases are queued for harvesting. MusicBrainz source.

Loonee Tunes! cover
Loonee Tunes!
1980 · Magnet Records
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♫ 1980
Ska ’n’ B
1980 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1981
Gosh! It’s… Bad Manners
1981 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1982
Forging Ahead
1982 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1985
Mental Notes
1985 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1988
Eat the Beat
1988 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting
♫ 1989
Return of the Ugly
1989 ·
⏳ Queued for Harvesting

80s discography & production credits in the archive

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