The Blow Monkeys are back!

Hey, Blow Monkeys fans! (All three dozen of you ... just kidding! I love those squirrelly little guys.) Eighteen years after their last album, the band is reforming and recording a new studio album. A tour is expected to follow.

The reunion includes all four original members of the band -- Dr. Robert, Mick Anker, Neville Henry and Tony Kiley. The British "sophisti-pop" band was best known for its 1986 hit "Digging Your Scene." The band originally broke up in 1990.

But here's the odd twist: According to the band's new website, fans are being asked to buy the record in advance so the Blow Monkeys can offset the production costs. In return, fans get a signed, numbered edition of the disc, a thank-you letter from the Monkeys and entry into a drawing for free concert tickets.

"We want to make an album free of record company executives and PR spin," the band writes on its blog. "An album for the fans. Raw and funky. Essential Blow Monkey music. Simian Soul. Primate Punk. Delicious melodic Glam Jazz that only Blow Monkeys know how ... but this time with your input and backing."

Interesting strategy. Anyone out there a fanatic enough to pony up the money in advance for a Blow Monkey disc? Come on, I know you're out there.

Comments

[Jeff in Cuba]

Every mention of Dr. Robert on my radio show comes with the prefix "horribly pretentious", but the reason I talk about him is that I'm a big Blow Monkey's fan. I'm not sure if I would call "Digging Your Scene" as their claim to fame. While it didn't do anything here in the US, their album "She Was Only A Grocer's Daughter" was huge in the UK (and absolutely brilliant). I play the opening cut, "It Doesn't Have To Be That Way", on the air all of the time. I've also been known to play their version of "You Don't Own Me" from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

Pop Quiz, Spears: How did (the horribly pretentious) Dr. Robert get his medically-inspired stage name?

[Spears]

No idea, Commander. Do spill the beans.

[Clark]

I don't have an opinion one way or another on the Blow Monkeys music, but I'm a fan of anybody who tries to circumvent the recording industry's distribution of material (Prince, Radiohead, et al). These experiments, successful or otherwise, will eventually pay immeasurable dividends for generations of artists (and fans) in the future.

[Marissa]

Man! I hope this pop quiz doesn't have to be in proper essay format.
So, me being me (bored), I had to Google the dear Dr. At this very moment I'm listening to an acoustic version of "Digging your Scene".
On your recommendation, Jeff, I'll go peruse more of their catalog.

[Jeff in Cuba]

The story goes that young Bruce Robert Howard was such a sympathetic listener to his boarding school classmates, that they started calling him "Doctor".

To be honest, this story has always seemed a bit "off" to me. When I think of all ways you could pick up that particular nickname in boarding school, that one strikes me as fairly pedestrian.

[Clyde]

The Blow Monkeys make me ill. Truly the worst example of sophistipop. But instead of having blind hatred, I decided to do a little research on them. You know...a know-your-enemy type of thing.

I stumbled across a Dr. Robert interview on some 80's Nostalgia website and was taken aback by the amount of arrogance that this man possesses. I'd give a free pass if it was Robert Plant...but this is Dr. Robert. Arrogance is acceptable when tinged with just the slightest bit of humor, but jokes-a-plenty were not to be found Dr. Robert's home to fill in.

[Al]

Wow these guys really sucked.

[GlennS.]

I always figured Dr. Robert was a reference to the Beatles song.

[Jeff in Cuba]

Clyde,
You'll get no argument from me about the good doctor. Appallingly full of himself, painfully arrogant, and what's the word? Oh yes, "horribly pretentious".

But "Grocer's Daughter" is still awesome.

[james q. penus]

i like farts

[Brad]

You have got to be kidding me.

"Hi, we decided to get back together - but only if you send us some money."

Super. Don't sit up waiting for the check.

[Rich]

Ha Ha, It was a Scottish/Australian guy who was trying to be a London Yuppie - but then moaning about Margaret Thatcher and joining red wedge? The image did not suit their ideas. Take the Pet Shop Boys as another example of socialists (however at the time 'Lots of Money') there was no talk of socialism so they are kind of forgiven. I think Blow Mokeys wanted there cake and eat it. They thought we couldn't see through this veneer. Dr Robert - The Beatles