The Colourfield

The Colourfield (initially spelt The Colour Field) formed in Manchester, England in 1984 and rode the sophisti-pop wave across two albums: 1985's Virgins and Philistines and 1987's Deception. The Coventry-originating group came into being when erstwhile Specials member Terry Hall teamed up with Karl Shale and Toby Lyons (ex-Swinging Cats). The trio's debut single "The Colour Field" peaked at number 42 on the UK singles chart that same year and they kept up the momentum with its successor, "Take," also released in 1984, before recruiting backing vocalist Katrina Phillips for "Thinking of You," which became their most commercially successful single to date, peaking at number 12 in the UK. They found themselves in the UK chart again with their fourth single "Castles in the Air," which was among the tracks included on their 1985 debut album Virgins and Philistines, recorded at Stockport's Strawberry Studios and featuring a cover of "The Hammond Song" by The Roches. The group's second album Deception came in 1987 and spawned a hit in their cover of "Running Away" by Sly and the Family Stone. "She" was released as 12" single with the Sinéad O'Connor-featuring "Monkey in Winter," but the group called it a day shortly after. In 2010, the Deception LP and Virgins and Philistines were both reissued by the UK's Cherry Red Records, with additional bonus tracks in tow.