In 1982, while tracks like Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like A Wolf” and Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’” were climbing the charts, little known UK band, A Flock of Seagulls flew onto the scene with their hit single “I Ran (So Far Away).”
39 years and many hit songs later, the 4 original band members, Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, are reimagining their biggest singles for their new album ‘String Theory,’ the second installment of their Orchestral Hits opus and follow up to their 2018 “Ascension” album.
Joining forces with the world renowned Prague Philharmonic, the legendary 80’s new wave band has rerecorded hits like ‘Messages’, ‘The More You Live, The More You Love’, ‘Remember David’ and ‘The Story of A Young Heart’. The lead track ‘Say You Love Me,’ is even accompanied by a modern and cinematically choreographed music video.
We chatted with lead vocalist Mike Score about the album, the music video, and sharing these songs with new generations!
Your new album ‘String Theory,’ is the second installment in your Orchestral Hits opus. What inspired the concepts for these albums?
Really it was August Day Records’ concept. They asked us if we would be interested in the idea and we said yes, as it was a totally new direction to put an orchestra on our songs. I had toyed with the idea years ago on a song that was never finished.
What was it like getting the original members together on this project?
Well, it wasn’t really getting the band back together. We worked in separate studios apart from each other. Ali did drums in the USA, I did keys and vocals in London, and Frank and Paul worked in Liverpool. Then the tracks were taken to have the orchestra added. The ‘String Theory’ project was a bit different because of the pandemic. Quite a lot of recording, orchestral arrangement, and video shoots were done in my home studio. Then again the orchestra was added later.
How did you decide which songs to include?
August Day Records chose a list of songs, we discussed it, and settled on the songs to be used.
What was it like to reimagine these singles with the Prague Philharmonic?
After ‘Ascension,’ it was fairly easy to imagine strings/orchestra etc. on these songs, and it was easy to work with an arranger for the parts.
Do you have a favorite track on the project?
Well of course. “Say You Love Me,” is to me, the stand out track, and the video is really well done.
Do you have a favorite memory from recording this album?
Not really, but it was nice to do it in my own home studio.
Did recording this album remind you of any fond memories from recording the original versions?
Some of the songs I had not listened to for quite a while. It was nice to revisit the past and remember when and where they were written and recorded.
The music video for “Say You Love Me” is a beautifully choreographed visual. What was it like to see how director Armando and choreographer Steff D’Arcy interpreted the song?
I really like the concept for the “Say You Love Me” video. It is simple, but expressive, and nicely put together.
If you could set your fans up in the perfect environment to listen to ‘String Theory,’ what do you imagine it looking like?
I would say with headphones in an isolation chamber, floating and just letting the songs wash over you.
What can fans look forward to next?
Well, there is a new Seagulls album being recorded right now and another solo album from me (Mike Score) also. Although, no release dates are set yet, but I would expect sometime in 2022.
What can fans expect from your upcoming live shows?
In live shows, we run through the hits. We may add an orchestral element in the future.
With the rise of Tik Tok, many songs from the 80s are climbing the charts again. What has it been like to see these songs resonate with the next generation?
Well, good songs never go away. The 80s was an exceptional era for original-sounding bands. I’m not surprised they still resonate with listeners.
What is one quote that you have heard or that you go by that you want to ECHO out to the world?
Do what pleases you as long as it hurts no one else, or as The Beatles said, “and in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”