Au Pairs were a British rock band that formed in Birmingham in 1978 and broke up in 1983, just before they began recording a third album. They produced two studio albums and three singles.
Au Pairs blend political lyrics, a tough, funk-dance-rock idiom and at least initially dispassionate vocal style, rather like the Gang of Four meeting the Young Marble Giants.
The politics of their lyrics is not the usual anarchism or communitarian leftism, although that may underlie their ideology. The texts concentrate instead on the politics of modern-day personal relations, confronting the realities of sexual and romantic tensions with frankness and insight.
Band members:
Lesley Woods – guitar, vocals
Paul Foad – guitar, vocals
Jane Munro – bass
Peter Hammond – drums.
"Playing With A Different Sex" by Au Pairs is the debut studio album, released in 1981 on Human Records. The album was reissued in 1992 with eight bonus tracks on RPM Records.
Tracks:
1-10 LP Playing With A Different Sex
11-13 7" You, released in 1979
14-15 7" Diet, released in 1980
16-18 12" Inconvenience, released in 1981.
Tracklisting:
1. We're So Cool
2. Love Song
3. Set-Up
4. Repetition
5. Headache For Michelle
6. Come Again
7. Armagh
8. Unfinished Business
9. Dear John
10. It's Obvious
11. You
12. Domestic Departure
13. Kerb Crawler
14. Diet
15. It's Obvious
16. Inconvenience
17. Pretty Boys
18. Headache For Michelle
VBR ~253K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Sense & Sensuality" by Au Pairs is the second and final album, released in 1982 on Kamera Records. The album was reissued in 1993 with six bonus tracks on RPM Records.
Tracks:
1-10 LP Sense And Sensuality
11-16 unreleased tracks written for a never completed third album.
Tracklisting:
1. Instant Touch
2. America
3. Sex Without Stress
4. Intact
5. Stepping Out Of Line
6. Shakedown
7. Don't Lie Back
8. (That's When) It's Worth It
9. Tongue In Cheek
10. Fiasco
11. She Runs With Honey
12. No More Secret Lives
13. Beat Of A Machine
14. Lion Love
15. Hokka He Ha
16. Taking Care Of Him
VBR ~247K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Live In Berlin" is a live album, released in 1983 on A.K.A. Records. The album was reissued in 1996 on Essential.
It is a live recording during the "Feministisches Rockfestival" at Tempodrom, Berlin on 20 June 1981.
There was debate when this album came out in 1983 whether it was officially sanctioned or not. Lesley Woods received a £5,000 advance for the tapes of this live recording and then left the band. The rest of the band disowned the release and made this statement "The release of the album "Live In Berlin" was not authorised by Au Pairs. This should be apparent from its poor quality and the banality of the cover design and sleeve notes."
Tracklisting:
1. Diet
2. Headache For Michelle
3. Dear John
4. Love Song
5. Set Up
6. Inconvenience
7. Armargh
8. Repetition
9. Were So Cool
10. Cum Again
11. Piece Of My Heart
VBR ~256K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Equal But Different BBC Sessions 79-81" is a compilation album, released in 1994 on RPM Records.
Tracks:
1-4 John Peel Session 26/10/1979
5-8 John Peel Session 28/05/1980
9-10 Richard Skinner Session 08/01/1981
11-14 John Peel Session 21/01/1981
15-17 Richard Skinner Session 27/08/1981
18-20 John Peel Session 15/03/1982.
Tracklisting:
1. Monogamy
2. Pretty Boys
3. Come Again
4. Ideal Woman
5. Dear John
6. The Love Song
7. It's Obvious
8. Repetition
9. Unfinished Business
10. Diet
11. We're So Cool
12. Armagh
13. The Set-Up
14. Headache
15. Intact
16. Shakedown
17. Instant Touch
18. America
19. Steppin' Out Of Line
20. Sex Without Stress
VBR ~253K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
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