M (band)
British new wave and synth-pop group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
M are an English new wave and synth-pop music project, formed in 1978 in London, England, by Robin Scott.[1] M is most known for the 1979 hit "Pop Muzik", which reached number two in the UK singles chart in May 1979, and number one in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on 3 November 1979.[1] Musicians who contributed to M at one time or another included Wally Badarou, Mark King, Phil Gould and Gary Barnacle of Level 42.[1]
M | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1978–1984 2023–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members | Robin Scott |
Band history
Robin Scott first used the pseudonym M in 1978, when he released the single "Moderne Man".[2] His next single, "Pop Muzik", featured Scott's brother Julian on bass, his wife Brigit Novik on backing vocals, and Wally Badarou on keyboards.[2] The album New York–London–Paris–Munich was released in 1979.[2]
M had three other singles that achieved a chart entry in the UK, "Moonlight and Muzak" (No. 33 in December 1979), "That's the Way the Money Goes" (No. 45 in March 1980) and "Official Secrets" (No. 64 in November 1980).[3] M have released five studio albums throughout their career so far: New York • London • Paris • Munich in 1979, The Official Secrets Act in 1980, and Famous Last Words, mostly recorded in 1982,[1] but not released in the UK until 2000.[4][5] A fourth album, Robin Scott with Shikisha, was recorded in 1984 but was not released until 1998.
M's first single "Moderne Man" was later re-recorded and remixed with "Satisfy Your Lust", the B-side of "That's the Way the Money Goes", for inclusion as a medley on M's album New York • London • Paris • Munich. The original single releases appeared on the 1997 CD re-release.[citation needed] A remixed version of "Pop Muzik" was played before each concert of U2's PopMart Tour.[6]
On 23 June 2023, Scott released "Break the Silence", the first new single by M in 43 years.[7][8] Scott's fifth album as M, The FAQs of Life, was released on 11 July 2025, accompanied by the single "AI?". It marks M's first new album of original material in over 40 years.[9]
Band members
Founding member
- Robin Scott – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, piano, keyboards
Session contributors and credits
- Brigit Novik Vinchon – vocals (1978–1982)
- Wally Badarou – keyboards, synthesizers, sequencer (1978–1984)
- Julian Scott – bass (1978–1982)
- Philip Gould – drums, percussion (1978–1980)
- Gary Barnacle – saxophone, flute (1978–1982)
- David Bowie – handclaps (1978)
- David Vorhaus – synthesizer (1980)
- Mark King – guitar, drums, bass (1980–1982)
- Paddy Keenan – uilleann pipes (1980)
- Marlisse & Steve – backing vocals (1982)
- Mary Bird – backing vocals (1982)
- Andy Gill – guitar (1982)
- Gordon Huntley – guitar (1982)
- Jamie West – guitar (1982)
- Nick Plytas – organ, moog bass, piano, backing vocals (1982)
- Barry Adamson – bass (1982)
- Tony Levin – bass (1982)
- Andy Anderson – drums (1982)
- Sergio Castillo – drums (1982)
- Yukihiro Takahashi – drums (1982)
- John Lewis – synthesizer, sequencer (1982)
- Thomas Dolby – synthesizer, sequencer (1982)
- Sammy Smile – bass (1984)
- Columbo Lamu – brass (1984)
- Tabu Frantal – guitar (1984)
- Mose Fan Fan – guitar (1984)
- Shikisha – vocals (1984)
- Betty Boo Hlela
- Doreen Webster
- Julia Muntu Mathunjwa
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [10] |
US [11] | |||
| New York–London–Paris–Munich | 1979 | 97 | 79 | |
| The Official Secrets Act | 1980 | — | — | |
| Famous Last Words[a] | 1982 | — | — | |
| Jive Shikisha![b] | 1984 | — | — | |
| The FAQs of Life | 2025 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Compilation albums
- Pop Muzik – The Very Best of M (1996, Music Collection International)
- Pop Muzik (1997, Collectables Records) Reissue of the US version of New York–London–Paris–Munich.
- 'M' The History – Pop Muzik The 25th Anniversary (2004, Union Square Music)
- Pop Muzik – 30th Anniversary Remixes (2009, Echo Beach) Remix album featuring 13 remixes of "Pop Muzik".
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [3] |
AUS [10] |
US Hot 100 [13] |
US Dance [14] | |||
| "Moderne Man" | 1978 | — | — | — | 38 | |
| "Pop Muzik" | 1979 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| "Moonlight and Muzak" | 33 | 37 | — | 38 | ||
| "That's the Way the Money Goes" | 1980 | 45 | — | — | ||
| "Official Secrets" | 64 | — | — | — | ||
| "Keep It to Yourself" | 1981 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Danube" | 1982 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Eureka"[a] | 1983 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Crazy Zulu"[a] | 1984 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Pop Muzik" (remix) | 1989 | 15 | — | — | — | |
| "Break the Silence" | 2023 | – | — | — | — | |
| "AI?" | 2025 | – | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
- Billed as Robin Scott
