108 / 116
7:00 PM FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018
PAVILION
7:00 PM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018
“LIFE” TOUR
THOMPSON TWINS’
TOM BAILEY
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THE B-52s
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CULTURE CLUB
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†
Ravinia debut
CULTURE CLUB
As new wave began rising to its crest in the
UK, George O’Dowd (a.k.a. Boy George) be-
came well known in the London music scene
for his extravagant lyrical (and fashion) sense,
occasionally singing with the group Bow Wow
Wow under a di erent stage name, Lieutenant
Lush. He soon departed to form his own band,
recruiting bassist Mikey Craig, drummer Jon
Moss, and guitarist Roy Hay, toying with sev-
eral monikers before landing on Culture Club.
A er a series of demo recordings failed to curry
the favor of EMI in early
, Culture Club in-
stead found a home on Virgin and Epic Records.
Around the same time that the trade press began
to recognize Boy George as a glam icon, Culture
Club also scored a breakthrough with “Do You
Really Want to Hurt Me,” capturing top or sec-
ond spots on charts throughout Europe and
North America. e group’s debut album,
Kiss-
ing to Be Clever
, was released less than a month
later, climbing to numerous top- positions.
A new single not found on the disc (except for
later re-releases), “Time (Clock of the Heart),”
helped Culture Club stay on top of playlists into
the new year, as did another album track, “I’ll
Tumble Ya,” which became a top- hit in the
US. e release of
Color by Numbers
almost ex-
actly a year a er
Kissing
solidi ed Culture Club’s
place among the pantheon of “new romantics”
with the singles “Church of the Poison Mind”
and “Karma Chameleon,” another worldwide
chart topper. e hit parade kept marching into
with “Miss Me Blind” and “It’s a Miracle.”
at fall’s
Waking Up with the House on Fire
be-
came another international platinum seller with
“ e War Song,” which kept Culture Club in the
top throughout Europe. e group paused for
a breath in
, returning the following year
with
From Luxury to Heartache
and one more
major hit, “Move Away,” before disbanding in
. A late-’ s reunion produced “I Just Wan-
na Be Loved” with the disc
Don’t Mind If I Do
,
and this fall Culture Club will release its rst
new music in years on
Life
. Culture Club is
making its Ravinia debut.
RAVINIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 27 – SEPTEMBER 2, 2018
106