Gene Loves Jezebel are a British rock band formed in the early 1980s by brothers, Michael Aston and Jay Aston. Gene Loves Jezebel's best-known songs include "Heartache", "Desire (Come and Get It)" (1986), "The Motion of Love" (1987), "Jealous" (1990), and "Break the Chain" (1993), as well as alternative club hits "Bruises" (1983), "Influenza (Relapse)" (1984), "Shame", "Screaming for Emmalene" and "The Cow" (1985). "Desire" and "Heartache" were the most successful UK singles.
Early years: 1980–1989
Originally named Slavaryan by Michael , Gene Loves Jezebel was formed in 1980 with the Aston brothers, guitarist Ian Hudson, bassist Stephen Davis, and drummer Steve Snowy Evans. Essentially, Gene (Michael Aston) and Jezebel (Jay Aston) were a duo with a never-ending revolving door of back up players. The Astons grew up in Cornelly, and Michael later in Porthcawl, in Wales, and moved to London in 1981. With a new home, and shortly afterwards, the new name, the trio with bassist Julianne Regan and drummer James Chater (later replaced by John Murphy (the Associates) and then Richard Hawkins) played several live shows and were signed by Situation Two. Gene Loves Jezebel underwent numerous lineup changes between 1981 and 1985. In May 1982, Situation Two released Gene Loves Jezebel's demo and single, "Shaving My Neck". Regan exited within a year to form All About Eve. This left Ian Hudson briefly playing bass and Albie DeLuca as the guitar player until Stephen Marshall joined. "Desire", was the bands most successful single, with Michael producing and writing the crucial chorus and come and get it refrains. (Goldmine)
In 1983, Albi Deluca moved to guitar and Ian Hudson to bass, the band released two more singles, "Screaming (For Emmalene)" and "Bruises", and then their first album, Promise, which peaked at number 8 in the UK Indie Chart. In 1984, the group recorded a John Peel radio session for the BBC and toured the UK with fellow Welsh artist John Cale. and recorded in New York with Cale. The second Album, Stephen Marshall was hired as bass guitar and John Murphy played drums with Richard Hawkins appearing on a few tunes too.
The band's second album, Immigrant, was released in mid-1985. However, at the start of a long American tour for Immigrant, founding member Ian Hudson had a nervous breakdown and was replaced by former Chelsea and Generation X guitarist James Stevenson (who later also played rhythm guitar on tour with the Cult).
During 1986, the group moved to Situation Two's parent company, Beggar's Banquet Records, and distribution rights in the U.S. were given to Geffen Records. The subsequent promotion increased pop-chart success for the group. The single "Sweetest Thing" briefly hit the top 75 in the U.K., and the album Discover reached number 32 in the UK Albums Chart. At this time, the group also found heavy rotation on college and counterculture radio stations across America. The band had slowly turned their attention to dance music. The singles "Desire" and "Heartache" reached #6 and #72, respectively, on Los Angeles' new wave station, KROQ-FM. Later that year, former Spear of Destiny and Thompson Twins member Chris Bell became the band's fifth drummer.
Gene Loves Jezebel's fourth album, The House of Dolls, was released in 1987 and yielded the singles "20 Killer Hurts" and "The Motion of Love". The third single from The House of Dolls, "Suspicion", marked the band's first appearance on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Split and brief reunion: 1990–1997
While Michael Aston went solo, the rest of the band continued as Gene Loves Jezebel and recorded two albums, Kiss of Life (1990) and Heavenly Bodies (1992). The band were dropped by Geffen Records and Beggars Banquet due to poor sales and lack of interest from the what was left of the fan base. Heavenly Bodies was the final nail and Jay's solo Gene Loves Jezebel efforts, But in 1993, the brothers reformed the band with a new lineup; Francois Perez replaced James Stevenson and drummer Robert Adam was retained.
While Jay Aston performed occasional acoustic shows under his own name, Michael Aston formed a new band called the Immigrants (renamed Edith Grove) and later released a primarily acoustic solo album, Why Me, Why This, Why Now. The brothers began working together again that same year and recorded two songs with Stevenson, Bell, and Rizzo for a compilation album, The Best Of, released in September 1995. Jay Aston also recorded a solo album, Unpopular Songs, produced by Stevenson.