M

M was the brainchild of former art school student and folk singer Robin Scott (b. 1 April 1947, Croydon, Surrey, England), who released an album for the Head Records label in 1969. He later worked as manager of the R&B band Roogalator and formed the Do It label to release an album by them. Do It later found critical success with the band Adam And The Ants. Scott moved to Paris in 1978, where he produced the Slits and several French bands. It was here that he got the idea for the band M, whose name was taken from the signs for the Paris Metro. Their debut single "Moderne Man" was not successful and was released at the same time as a single by Comic Romance in which Scott also featured. However M's quirky and hook-laden second single "Pop Muzik" was a massive hit both in the UK (number 2) and the USA (number 1) as well as across Europe. As a gimmick, some copies of the single featured both a and b-sides on the one playing surface with the listener taking pot luck as to which groove the needle dropped on to. An album was released to capitalize on the hit and, as well as the singles, also featured a re-recording of the track "Cowboys And Indians" - previously the b-side of the "Comic Romance' single. The album was recorded using session musicians Wally Badarov (keyboards), Gary Barnacle (saxophone/flute), Philip Gould (drums), Julian Scott (bass, ex-Roogalator), and Betty Vinchon (vocals). Among the musicians on the second album was Level 42"s Mark King. After a couple of minor hit follow-ups, M's career slipped into rapid decline with subsequent singles (including a release on Stiff Records) failing to chart. Only a 1989 remix of "Pop Musik" returned the name of M to the charts. Meanwhile, Scott worked with Ryûichi Sakamoto on two albums and recorded an unreleased album with African artists.

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