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Equally rooted in new wave, post-punk, and hard rock, Gene Loves Jezebel enjoyed their fair share of success in the UK and the US during the late 80s. Throughout the years, the band went through several lineup changes, with identical twin brothers Jay and Michael Aston being the only constant members. Initially formed in their hometown of Porthcawl, Wales, in 1980, the group was created by the Aston brothers as a goth rock outfit named Slav Arian. In 1981, the pair moved to London and renamed themselves Gene Loves Jezebel, as a homage to rock musician Gene Vincent. Their energetic live shows caught the attention of indie label Situation Two, who offered them a record deal shortly after. Preceded by the singles “Shaving My Neck,” “Bruises,” and “Screaming (For Emmalene),” Promise (1983), their studio debut, peaked at Number 8 on the UK Indie Charts. A radio session with legendary DJ John Peel ensued, and the band was soon touring throughout the UK with John Cale. They rapidly followed up with Immigrant (1985) and Discover (1986), which reached Number 32 on the UK Albums Chart and received heavy airplay on college radios in the US. Success knocked on their door once again with The House of Dolls (1987) and the single “The Motion of Love” managed to get into Billboard’s Hot 100 at Number 87. Following Michael Aston’s departure, the band released Kiss of Life (1990), which spawned “Jealous,” a massive hit that reached Number 68 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and topped the Alternative Airplay chart. The group disbanded after the release of Heavenly Bodies (1992), mainly due to the collapse of Savage Records, their American label. The Aston brothers reunited once again for the Pre-Raphaelite Brothers Tour in 1997 and released VII (1998), only to split up shortly after. Following a long legal rift between the two, both Jay and Michael Aston continued to tour and release music under the moniker Gene Loves Jezebel on their respective sides of the Atlantic.
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