Stephen John Pearce, commonly known as Stevo (born 26 December 1962), is a British record producer and music industry executive, best known as the owner of indie record label Some Bizzare Records.
Biography
He was born in Dagenham, Essex, England, and later came from Haverhill, Suffolk. He left school at sixteen with no qualifications and entered a work training placement with sub contracted distribution company distributing Phonogram Records. His mother purchased a mobile disco unit on hire purchase and Stevo began a Monday-night residency at the Chelsea Drugstore in London's King's Road. Around this time he was banned from playing certain clubs due to his eccentricities. He was chased out of one club for just repeating "Yes hello, hello yes, it's highly psychological", and after mixing Mickey Mouse into Cabaret Voltaire at half speed. Other things that the public were not used to included playing six different records at the same time, causing a very intense sound.
After the residency at the Drugstore, Stevo moved on to working a regular night at the Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith. The nights at the Clarendon were known as "Stevo's Electro Tunes" where bands like DAF, Fad Gadget, Last Dance, Naked Lunch and Boyd Rice played. At this time Stevo regarded himself as a music anarchist in the music scene and felt it important for musical barriers to be broken down. After these nights attracted interest Stevo was asked to compile an electronic music chart in the Record Mirror, soon followed by his "Futurist Chart" in Sounds. He did not like the term "Futurist", feeling the name was "a bit of a joke". The Sounds chart was filled with demos that were sent to him by new unknown bands.
In 1980, after realising he was receiving some good material, he decided to put together a compilation album, the Some Bizzare Album.
Stevo went on to sign some of the most important underground, alternative bands of the 1980s, becoming notorious in the way he signed bands, especially with major record labels who knew how important the deal was to them. Eccentric record contract signings included Test Department's deal, which was signed on a rocking-horse named Horace. Stevo also was sent sweets every week as part of a deal with Phonogram Records. There is also the story of a teddy bear sent to a meeting, to clinch the deal for Soft Cell. The teddy was appropriately dressed as Robin Hood.
Associated artists
Stevo Pearce has been involved with many artists and bands as their manager or through his label Some Bizzare Records.
Soft Cell
The Warehouse Leeds, Yorkshire, was where Soft Cell first had a meeting with Stevo, who had hitch-hiked to Leeds from London, picked up at Staples Corner by the band Modern English as he was holding a sign saying "Leeds". Marc Almond was impressed with Stevo, who, he is quoted as saying, "had the gift of the gab" and was "immensely likeable". Stevo said that he was putting together the Some Bizzare Album, which would include bands that "broke down barriers". He preferred to include undiscovered bands that he could then license to major record companies through his Some Bizzare label. Stevo wanted to include Soft Cell on the Some Bizzare Album, and also wanted to manage the band. After returning to his home in Leeds, Almond discussed the meeting with bandmate Dave Ball and sought advice from Tony Mayo (of Naked Lunch), who would also appear on the Some Bizzare album. They decided that working with Stevo is what they wanted. Stevo was only seventeen at the time.