Pauline Murray

Pauline Murray (born 8 March 1958) is best known as the lead singer of the punk rock band Penetration, originally formed in 1976.

For British actress, see Pauline Murray (actress). For American lawyer and priest, see Pauli Murray.
Pauline Murray
Murray performing live with the Invisible Girls at the Paard van Troje in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1981
Background information
Also known asMurray
Born (1958-03-08) 8 March 1958
OriginDurham, County Durham, England[1]
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1976—present
LabelsRSO
Associated acts

Early years

Pauline Murray was born in Waterhouses, County Durham, England, and her parents later moved to Ferryhill. She left school at age sixteen, studied art at Darlington College and then worked at odd jobs.[2] In May 1976 the 18-year-old Murray saw the Sex Pistols perform, and she and her Ferryhill comrades became Pistols devotees, earning for themselves the title of "Durham Contingent" (coined by the NME).

Penetration

In late 1976, Murray formed a band with friends Robert Blamire and Gary Smallman and named it after the Stooges' song "Penetration." They played their first gig in October 1976 at the Middlesbrough Rock Garden, and played their first gig in London at The Roxy in January 1977, supporting Gen X.[3]

The band debuted on vinyl with the single "Don't Dictate", issued by Virgin in November of the same year. The band went on to release two studio albums, Moving Targets and Coming Up for Air, as well as an official bootleg (Race Against Time). Later there would be a Best of Penetration compilation album. After a measure of success during 1978/79, including a headline show at the Rainbow Theatre and a five-week American tour, they announced a split in October 1979.[4]

Penetration played a number of gigs around London in 2001–2002, leading to a band reunion.[4] In 2015 the band announced they would release Resolution, a new studio album.[5]

Solo work

In 1980 Murray worked on her first solo album with record producer Martin Hannett's band The Invisible Girls, which also included ex-Penetration member and co-writer Robert Blamire, as well as guesting Manchester musicians such as Vini Reilly, guitarist in The Durutti Column, and Steve Hopkins. John Maher from Buzzcocks also drummed for the band. The resulting album, Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls, reached Number 25 on the UK Albums Chart[6] in October 1980 and spawned the singles "Dream Sequence" and "Mr. X".[7] The album was well received by critics. A reviewer for Melody Maker called it, "Unquestionably a musical highpoint of this year or any other. An exciting new area of electronic pop where Motown meets the modern world."[8]

Murray also provided vocals for The Only Ones on their song "Fools" and backing vocals on "Me and My Shadow".[9]

In the early 1980s, Murray formed the band Pauline Murray and The Storm, with Robert Blamire (bass), Tim Johnston (drums) and Paul Harvey (guitar), releasing the singles "Holocaust" in 1984, a cover of Alex Chilton/Big Star and the self-penned "New Age" in 1986. In 1989 Murray released the EP This Thing Called Love and the album Storm Clouds under her own name.[10]

In 2011 Murray established Polestar Studios with Robert Blamire in Byker where bands can rent out rehearsal and recording space. In 2013 she booked a number of solo acoustic dates around the North End in the UK.[11] She said about the gigs, "This is the first time in my career that I’ve done a full solo set with just me and my guitar."[12] During the tour, she played a number of older songs from her career and also played a number of new songs she had recently written.

Personal life

Murray was married to Peter Lloyd, Penetration's road manager, but split with her husband after the release of Searching for Heaven in 1980. She and Robert Blamire then became a couple and moved together to Liverpool.[8] She currently resides in Newcastle upon Tyne. Murray has two children.[13]

Discography
Murray in 1981

All UK releases except as noted.

Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls
  • Dream Sequences (7", Illusive IVE-1, 11 July 1980)[14]
    • Dream Sequence I / Dream Sequence II
    • also on 10" IVEX-1[15]
  • Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls (LP, Illusive/RSO, 2394 277, 3 October 1980)[16]
    • Screaming In The Darkness (3:36) / Dream Sequence 1 (3:19) / European Eyes (3:20) / Shoot You Down (2:07) / Sympathy (2:47) / Time Slipping (4:04) // Drummer Boy (3:03) / Thundertunes (3:23) / When Will We Learn (3:35) / / Mr. X (4:27) / Judgement Day (4:25)
    • 1993 CD extra tracks: The Visitor (3:44) / Animal Crazy (3:16) / Searching For Heaven (2:59)[17]
  • Mr X (3:27) / Two Shots (4:03) (7", Illusive IVE-2, 24 October 1980)[18]
  • Searching For Heaven / Animal Crazy (7", Illusive IVE-3, April 1981[19])[20]
  • Searching For Heaven // Animal Crazy / The Visitor (10", Illusive IVEX-3, 1981)[21]

Pauline Murray and the Storm
  • New Age (3:42) / Body Music (2:54) (7", Polestar PSTR-003, November 1986[19])[22]
  • New Age (5:35) // Archangel (4:17) / Body Music (2:54) (12", Polestar PSTR-12-003, November 1986)[23]

Pauline Murray and The Saint
  • Hong Kong (12", Polestar PSTR-12-002, February 1987[19])[24]
    • Close Watch / All I Want // Body Music / Holocaust

Pauline Murray
  • Holocaust (2:20) / Don't Give Up (3:56) (7", Polestar PSTR-001, November 1984[19])[25]
  • Holocaust // Don't Give Up / Aversion (12", Polestar PSTR-12-001, November 1984)[26]
  • This Thing Called Love // Mr Money / Pressure Zone (12″,Cat & Mouse Records ABBO-9T, May 1989)
  • Storm Clouds (LP, Cat And Mouse ABB-10, 1989)[27]
    • This Thing Called Love (3:34) / Holocaust (2:19) / Soul Power (3:10) / No One Like You (2:57) / Another World (3:03) / Don't Give Up (4:58) // Pressure Zone (4:23) / Close Watch (3:07) / Everybody's Talking (3:06) / New Age (3:51) / Time (4:52)
  • Halloween 2000 (CD, Polestar PSTR-CD-002, 2000)[28]
    • Stand For The Fire Demon (5:47) / Night Of The Vampire (4:58) / Creature With The Atom Brain (4:25)

References
  1. Larkin, Colin.The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Pg. 1783. Guinness, 1992. ISBN 0-85112-939-0, ISBN 978-0-85112-939-6
  2. "Biography: Pauline Murray". RSO Records. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  3. "Penetration". Punk 77. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  4. "Penetration". Eccentric Sleeve Notes. 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  5. "Pauline Murray and Penetration to release new album via Pledgemusic". Louder Than War. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  6. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 384. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. James Nice "Martin Hannett: A Certain Disorder in the Treble range" in Zero: a Martin Hannett story (Big Beat CDWIKCD 270 (2006)), p.16 of booklet.
  8. "Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls". Les Disques du Crépuscule. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  9. Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate.
  10. Mason, Stewart. "Pauline Murray". AllMusic.
  11. "Solo acoustic dates". Official website. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  12. "Pauline Murray (Invisible Girls/Storm) & Band + Transfigure + Rachel Lancaster". Star and Shadow Cinema. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  13. Southwood, Ivor (19 January 2015). "Recurring Dreams: Pauline Murray Of Penetration / Invisible Girls Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  14. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Dream Sequences (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  15. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Dream Sequences (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  16. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Untitled (Vinyl, LP)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  17. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Untitled (CD, Album)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  18. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Mr X / Two Shots (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  19. Official discography Archived 4 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine (paulinemurrayofficial.com)
  20. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Searching For Heaven (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  21. "Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls - Searching For Heaven (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  22. "Pauline Murray And The Storm - New Age (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  23. "Pauline Murray And The Storm - New Age (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  24. "Pauline Murray And Saint, The (7) - Hong Kong (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  25. "Pauline Murray - Holocaust (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  26. "Pauline Murray - Holocaust (Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  27. "Pauline Murray - Storm Clouds (Vinyl, LP, Album)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  28. "Pauline Murray - Halloween 2000 (CD)". discogs. Retrieved 17 April 2012.

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