Peter Campbell McNeish, aka Pete Shelley, was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, born in Leigh (Lancashire) on April 17, 1955. His mother Margaret was a former factory worker in the city and his father, John McNeish, he was an editor at Astley Green Colliery. Peter had a younger brother named Gary. He attended the "Bolton Institute Of Technology" and in 1976, with his college friend Howard Devoto, formed the punk band "Buzzcocks". In 1977, Devoto left the band and Peter became the group's singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1977 the "Buzzcocks" released their first EP, Spiral Scratch, on their independent label, New Hormones. With producer Martin Rushent, the band released the punk/new wave singles "Orgasm Addict", "What Do I Get?" and "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn've)", along with three LPs: "Another Music in a Different Kitchen" (1978), "Love Bites" (1978) and "A Different Kind Of Tension" (1979 ). The stage name of “Shelley” was inspired by Percy Bysshe Shelley, his favorite poet. In 1980 Shelley released her first solo album, "Sky Yen". In 1981 Shelley returned to his original interests in electronic music with the album "Homosapien" and reached 14th place on the US dance chart. In that same year the mix album of "I Don't Know What It Is" was released. On side B there was an unreleased track entitled “Witness The Change”. Without detracting from the other works of this great artist, I think this instrumental piece is the best work of Pete Shelley and one of the greatest masterpieces of electronic music. Shelley moved to Tallinn (Estonia) in 2012 with his second wife and died at 63 of a suspected heart attack on the morning of 6 December 2018 in Tallin.
Discography:
Album1980 - Sky Yen
1981 - Homosapien
1983 - XL-1
1986 - Heaven & The Sea
Singles
1981 - I Don't Know What It Is / Witness The Change
1981 - I Don't Know What It Is / Witness The Change
1981 - Homosapien
1982 - Sides Of Pete Shelley
1983 - No One Like You
1983 - Telephone Operator
1984 - Never Again
1986 - Blue Eyes
1986 - I Surrender
1986 - Waiting For Love
1986 - On Your Own
1987 - Love Me Love My Dog
1989 - Homosapien II (feat. Power, Wonder & Love)
Ciancio DJ © Copyright - 2018 by Antonio Stanzani