Fine Young Cannibals

Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) were a British pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984 by ex-Beat bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox with singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz). Their self-titled 1985 debut album contained "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of "Suspicious Minds", two songs that were top 40 hits in the UK, Canada, Australia, and many European countries. Their 1989 album, The Raw & the Cooked, topped the UK, US, Australian, and Canadian album charts, and contained their two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing". In 1990, the band won two Brit Awards: Best British Group, and Best British Album (for The Raw & the Cooked). History The group was formed in 1984 after the dissolution of The Beat, with whom Cox and Steele previously played. Their name came from the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. The duo of Steele and Cox spent eight months listening to over 500 cassettes of potential singers before picking Gift. They had difficulty obtaining a record contract, but when a video of their song "Johnny Come Home" appeared on British TV show The Tube, recording contract offers flowed in immediately. The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1985, spawning two UK hit singles, "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of Mark James' "Suspicious Minds" featuring additional vocals by Jimmy Somerville. The two songs also became hits internationally, charting in the top 40 in Europe, Canada, and Australia although they failed to make a significant impact on the US charts. Fine Young Cannibals appeared as the house band in a nightclub in the 1987 comedy film Tin Men and also contributed songs to the film's soundtrack, including "Good Thing".