Editing Transvision Vamp (section)

== Career ==

The band's original line-up was James, Sayer, [[Dave Parsons]] (bass), [[Anthony Doughty|Tex Axile]] (keyboards) and Pol Burton (drums).<ref name=jazzmalletpol>{{cite web | last = transvisionvamp.com | first = unattributed | title = Jazz, Mallet, Pol | url = http://www.transvisionvamp.com/band/jazzmallettpol.html | access-date = 2009-07-19 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090228171749/http://transvisionvamp.com/band/jazzmallettpol.html | archive-date = 28 February 2009 }}</ref> Sayer was originally in an early Punk band formed in 1977 and based in [[Bexhill-on-Sea]] called [https://www.boredteenagers.co.uk/plastix.htm The Plastics, later Plastix], playing gigs in Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and in London at [[The Roxy (Covent Garden)|The Roxy]]. When The Plastix split Nick and the drummer Mark Storr Hoggins joined the Brighton band, [https://www.marcusmyersmusic.com/midnight-and-the-lemonboys Midnight and the Lemon Boys] who supported [[U2]] on their first UK tour in 1979. Parsons and Axile had also both been in punk bands prior to joining the band; Parsons in [[The Partisans (band)|The Partisans]], and Axile in various bands, most notably [[The Moors Murderers (band)|The Moors Murderers]] and [[X-Ray Spex]] offshoot [[Agent Orange (UK band)|Agent Orange]].<ref name=texbiog>{{cite web | last = Doughty | first = Anthony | title = Tex Axile Biography | url = http://texaxile.com/biography.html | access-date = 2009-07-19 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090607063656/http://www.texaxile.com/biography.html | archive-date = 7 June 2009 }}</ref>

Transvision Vamp were signed by [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]] in December 1986 with the band's first single, "[[Revolution Baby]]", being released the following year. It stalled at number 77 in the UK in September 1987.<ref name="ukcharts"/> A cover of the [[Holly and the Italians]]' song, "[[Tell That Girl to Shut Up]]", was released as the band's second single in March 1988, reaching 45 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="ukcharts"/> The single became the band's only charting entry on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], where it peaked at 87.<ref name=hot100/>

Transvision Vamp's third single, "[[I Want Your Love (Transvision Vamp song)|I Want Your Love]]", with its [[Pop music|pop]]/[[Punk music|punk]] crossover appeal, became the band's first major hit, topping the Norwegian singles chart,<ref name=nor/> and peaking within the top 10 in the UK,<ref name="ukcharts"/> Ireland,<ref name=ie/> Australia,<ref name=aus/> New Zealand,<ref name=nz/> Sweden,<ref name=swe/> and Switzerland.<ref name=swi/> The next single was a re-release of "[[Revolution Baby]]", which rose to number 30 in the UK,<ref name="ukcharts"/> 17 in Ireland,<ref name=ie/> 24 in Australia<ref name=aus/> and New Zealand.<ref name=nz/> The fourth single, "[[Sister Moon (Transvision Vamp song)|Sister Moon]]", narrowly missed the UK top 40 at number 41.<ref name="ukcharts"/>

In October 1988 the band released their debut album, ''[[Pop Art (album)|Pop Art]]''. It was a major success in the UK where it stayed on the album chart for 32 weeks, peaking at number 4.<ref name="ukcharts"/> The album achieved a similar level of success in Australia, where it was certified platinum,<ref name="aria"/> and placed as the 25th highest-selling album of 1989.<ref name="aria">{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1989/albums-chart|title=1989 ARIA Albums Chart|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]|access-date=2017-08-23}} N.B. The chart published on this site is missing some certifications, including the platinum certification for ''Velveteen''.</ref> The album also did well in Switzerland (number 20) and Sweden (number 25).

1989 proved to be Transvision Vamp's most successful year, with the release of the single "[[Baby I Don't Care]]" which peaked at number three in both the UK<ref name="ukcharts"/> and Australia,<ref name=aus/> making it the band's most successful single in both countries. In Australia, the song spent 20 weeks in the top 50.<ref name=aus/> The band's second album, ''[[Velveteen (album)|Velveteen]]'', was released shortly after, debuting atop the [[UK Albums Chart]] and remaining on the chart for 26 weeks.<ref name="ukcharts"/> ''Velveteen'' also reached number two on the [[ARIA Charts|Australian Albums Chart]],<ref name=aus/> spending 25 weeks in the top 100,<ref name=ryan>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia|edition=PDF|page=284}}</ref> becoming the 39th best selling album of the year. ''Velveteen'' was also a significant success in New Zealand (reaching number 12), and parts of Europe, including Switzerland, Germany and Norway, where it entered the top twenty.<ref name="aria"/> The other singles from ''Velveteen'': "[[The Only One (Transvision Vamp song)|The Only One]]", "[[Landslide of Love]]" and "[[Born to Be Sold]]" all peaked within the top 30 in the UK,<ref name="ukcharts"/> and the top 20 in Ireland.<ref name=ie/>

In June 1991, [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]] refused to release Transvision Vamp's third album ''Little Magnets Versus the Bubble of Babble'' in the UK, reportedly disliking the direction of the music and after the two singles released from the album didn't chart as highly as previous singles on the UK charts. The album was, however, released in New Zealand, where it reached number 14, and in Australia, where it peaked at number 25<ref name=aus/> and spent 3 months in the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA]] top 100 albums chart.<ref name=ryan/> It was also released in Sweden and reached number 27. The album's first single, "[[(I Just Wanna) B with U]]", peaked at number 16 in Australia,<ref name=aus/> and charted at number 30 in the UK also entering the Irish top 30.<ref name="ukcharts"/><ref name=ie/> The second single released from the album, "[[If Looks Could Kill (Transvision Vamp song)|If Looks Could Kill]]", entered the top 40 in New Zealand<ref name=nz/> and just missed the UK top 40 at number 41; it became the band's final single release. A third single from the album, "Twangy Wigout" was planned and promo copies were issued but it was shelved by their label after disputes. Of the third album, James has stated "it came out in America. But then we decided to split up, during which time the English record label had said they weren't convinced about this record, we're going to hold off on it and see how well it does in other countries first. By the time they were ready to release it, we'd already decided to split up, and so it never came out."<ref name=interview>{{cite web|last=ilikemusic.com|first=unattributed|title=Wendy James / Racine interview February 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101054813/http://www.ilikemusic.com/features/Wendy_james_racine-1100|url=http://www.ilikemusic.com/features/Wendy_james_racine-1100|archive-date=2007-11-01|access-date=2015-12-30}}</ref>

The group officially disbanded in February 1992 following a statement from MCA. Wendy James launched her solo career in 1993 with the Elvis Costello-written album ''[[Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears]]''.