Flying Pickets

Group Members:

    * Brian Hibbard
    * Ken Gregson
    * David Brett
    * Red Stripe
    * Rick Lloyd

The Flying Pickets is a British a cappella vocal group, that had a surprise Christmas number one hit in 1983 in the UK singles chart, with their cover of Yazoo's track - "Only You".

The name 'Flying Pickets' refers to mobile strikers who travel in order to join a picket. The band of six was founded by Brian Hibbard in 1982 from a group of actors who had been active with him in John McGrath's "7:84 Theatre group", a fringe theatre organisation who had sung acapella in their production of One Big Blow, based on the 1982 UK miners' strike. The Flying Pickets came up with the then novel concept of transferring the art of acapella to the pop music scene. Joining Hibbard in the Group were Rick Lloyd, Gareth Williams, David Brett, Ken Gregson and Red Stripe (real name David Gittins). The members of the group were internationally renowned for their flamboyant appearance: Hibbard's huge sideburns, Stripe's thick eyeliner, and 4 others showing off gaudy suits and large hats.

"Only You", their debut single, was the British Christmas number one in 1983 spending a total of five weeks at the top, and also doing well around Europe. Despite the radical Socialist politics of The Flying Pickets then Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher obviously unaware of this proclaimed to much amusement that it was her favourite record. A second single, featuring Van McCoy's "When You're Young and in Love" originally written for Ruby and the Romantics reached number 7 but their third, a cover of the Eurythmics' "Who's That Girl" barely charted.

In 1986 Brian Hibbard and Red Stripe left the band and were replaced by Gary Howard and Hereward Kaye. Hibbard and Gittins tried desperately to stay in the music business, forming their own act called 'Brian and Stripe', but unfortunately their first and only single featuring a cover of Yazoo's "Mr. Blue" failed to chart and they returned to their separate acting careers.

There have been many different members of The Flying Pickets and the lineup kept changing constantly throughout the 1990s and 2000s; since the Pickets began, there have been at least 19 different band members. The last member of the original lineup, David Brett, left the band in 1990. However in 1994, the original lineup (minus Rick Lloyd) reformed to record one more album.

Since the Original Flying Pickets split, new teams of ambitious men using the name The Flying Pickets have tried to follow in the Original's footsteps, but there have been no chart successes. The current lineup tours around Europe in lots of small venues all year round, but have not achieved the short-lived giddy heights of the original lineup.

Discography:

    * Live at the Albany Empire - 1982
    * Lost Boys - 1984
    * Flying Pickets Live (1985)
    * Best of the Flying Pickets - 1988
    * The Original Flying Pickets: Volume 1 - 1994
    * Best of the Flying Pickets - (2006 Repack)