On January 2, 2025, the High 40 will rejoice its sixtieth anniversary. Within the run-up to that magical date, we’ll take a tour of varied friends from the Netherlands’ oldest and hottest hit listing: artists/acts and group members who’ve as soon as been within the High 40 and have been born in 1965. This week: Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, the singer of Curiosity Killed The Cat.
Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot was born on Could 19, 1965 in Earls Court docket, London. His father, Jean Claude Volpeliere-Pierrot, was a well-known photographer within the sixties. His mom Belinda Watson was a mannequin. Ben attended Woolverstone Corridor College close to Ipswich. There he gained expertise singing in musicals. When he was at artwork faculty, he usually attended the Embassy Membership, the place he stood out together with his hat. He noticed the post-punk band Twilight Youngsters play there. He got here into contact with the band members and after they dropped their singer he was requested to return to their apply room. The group had plenty of songs together with Curiosity Killed The Cat, a reputation that turned the band title on the recommendation of businessman Peter Rosengard, their supervisor. Curiosity Killed The Cat was based in 1984. Along with Ben as singer, the band consisted of Julian Godfrey Brookhouse (guitar), Nicholas Bernard Throp (bass), Michael Drummond (drums) and Toby Anderson (keyboards). From that point on, Ben began carrying his Greek bucket hat backwards.
In 1985 the band signed with Phonogram and Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare would initially produce their debut album. Nonetheless, they have been faraway from the challenge and changed by Stewart Levine, who was greatest recognized for his knowledgeable work on Merely Purple. In consequence, the album was delayed for nearly a yr. Their first single Misfit was launched in July 1986 and initially flopped.
However none apart from the nice Pop Artwork artist Andy Warhol turned a fan of the band. Curiosity’s supervisor was capable of organize for the band members to be included on the visitor listing of Warhol’s exhibition in London, his first in 20 years. Warhol even needed to make a video with the band. He directed the video for the primary single Misfit, which was recorded in New York and even made a cameo.
The following single Down To Earth from November 1986 initially appeared to endure the identical destiny as Misfit, however in early 1987 like-minded teams resembling Johnny Hates Jazz and Dwelling in a Field emerged and Curiosity was then capable of trip on this wave. Down To Earth spent three weeks at quantity 3 within the British chart in February of that yr. Our nation adopted a month later and Down To Earth managed to succeed in quantity 12. In the identical interval additionally they participated in Ferry Assist’s charity single Let It Be, for the victims of the Herald of Free Enterprise catastrophe.
Because of the success of Down To Earth, Misfit was re-released and reached quantity 7 within the UK. Misfit, from their album Maintain Your Distance (#1 within the British album chart), reached quantity 35 within the Dutch High 40. The third single Bizarre Day peaked at quantity 11 in their very own nation, however acquired caught within the Tipparade. In 1989 that they had their new British (#14) and final Dutch High 40 hit (#24) from their second album Getahead with the one Identify And No. Two years later the group shortened their title to Curiosity. 1992’s Cling On In There Child peaked to quantity three within the UK chart. The band disappeared from the music scene till they participated within the ’80s nostalgia tour Right here and Now in 2001. Ben had launched a solo single within the nineties Gotta Get You Residence, which was not successful.
In 2018, Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot appeared on Channel 4’s First Dates. This system paired him with a woman ten years youthful, however there was no attraction. As an alternative, she known as her mom and advised she go on a date with the singer of the band Curiosity Killed The Cat.
(18/05/2024)
