The Belle Stars

Lore & Background

The Belle Stars formed in 1980 after the breakup of The Bodysnatchers, with guitarists Stella Barker and Sarah-Jane Owen, saxophonist Miranda Joyce, keyboardist Penny Leyton, and drummer Judy Parsons recruiting bass player Lesley Shone and lead vocalist Jennie Matthias. Their first performance was on Christmas Day 1980, before they had chosen a name. They quickly gained attention in London, appearing on the front cover of Sounds magazine in early 1981 and signing with Stiff Records.

The band released several singles produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, including "Hiawatha" and "Slick Trick," which failed to chart. After keyboardist Penny Leyton left in late 1981, Clare Hirst replaced her on saxophone and keyboards. The band achieved their first chart success in June 1982 with their cover of "Iko Iko," peaking at number 35 in the UK. They followed with "The Clapping Song" and "Mockingbird." In January 1983, they released their signature single "Sign of the Times," which peaked at number three in the UK and became the 30th-best-selling single of 1982. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1983, reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart.

Subsequent singles were less successful, and by 1984 Matthias and other members left, leaving only Owen, Joyce, and Shone. Under producer Trevor Horn, the remaining members recorded a new album, but only the single "World Domination" was released, which flopped in Britain but peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart. The band then broke up. In March 1989, "Iko Iko" reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being included on the Rain Man soundtrack.

Reader's Guide

The Belle Stars occupy a notable place in early 1980s British pop/rock, emerging from the two-tone ska scene via The Bodysnatchers. Their biggest success came with "Sign of the Times," a chart-topping single in the UK and across Europe, and their cover of "Iko Iko" achieved lasting recognition through its inclusion in the film Rain Man, giving the band a belated US hit in 1989. The band's career illustrates the challenges of sustaining commercial momentum after an initial peak, as later singles failed to replicate the success of "Sign of the Times." Their legacy is also tied to the changing fortunes of Stiff Records, which merged with Island Records and was later liquidated. Despite their relatively short active period, the Belle Stars remain remembered for their distinctive blend of original songs and cover versions, and for the enduring popularity of "Iko Iko," which also appeared on the soundtrack of the 2009 film The Hangover.

Did You Know?

• Their single "Iko Iko" was released at the same time as another version by Natasha England, whose version reached the UK Top Ten.
• "Sign of the Times" was produced by Peter Collins for Loose Ends Productions, a company managed by Pete Waterman before he became famous as part of Stock/Aitken/Waterman.

Origins and the Stiff Records Era

The Belle Stars emerged from the ashes of the two-tone group The Bodysnatchers, which disbanded in 1980. Guitarists Stella Barker and Sarah-Jane Owen, saxophonist Miranda Joyce, keyboardist Penny Leyton, and drummer Judy Parsons banded together and recruited bassist Lesley Shone and vocalist Jennie Matthias, who also went by the name Jennie Bellestar. Remarkably, their very first gig took place on Christmas Day 1980, before they had even settled on a band name. Within months, the group had caught the attention of London's music scene, earning a front-cover feature in Sounds magazine in early 1981. That visibility led to a signing with Stiff Records, the label then riding high on the success of Madness. Their debut single, "Hiawatha," arrived in late spring 1981, produced by Madness's own Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. The band supported ska acts The Beat and Madness on the road, and in May 1981 they opened for The Clash on dates in Brussels, Lille, and Paris. Yet neither "Hiawatha" nor the follow-up "Slick Trick" managed to crack the UK Singles Chart, a frustrating pattern that would continue before the group found a breakthrough.

The Covers Strategy and "Sign of the Times"

After three original singles failed to chart, the Belle Stars pivoted toward cover versions and finally found commercial traction. Their rendition of The Dixie Cups' 1965 classic "Iko Iko" became their first UK Singles Chart entry, peaking at number 35 in June 1982. They followed with "The Clapping Song," a remake of Shirley Ellis's 1965 hit that became their first top-20 single, and then "Mockingbird," previously a hit for Inez and Charlie Foxx and later for James Taylor and Carly Simon. The real breakthrough came in January 1983 with "Sign of the Times," which soared to number three in the UK and became a chart success across Europe. The accompanying music video, featuring the band in dinner jackets, received heavy rotation on MTV in the United States. The track was produced by Peter Collins for Loose Ends Productions, a company managed by Pete Waterman before his fame as part of the Stock/Aitken/Waterman team. It finished as the 30th-best-selling single of 1983 in Britain. A month later, the band's eponymous debut album reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, blending original material with covers including Bob and Earl's "Harlem Shuffle" and Al Wilson's "The Snake."

Decline, Label Turmoil, and Dissolution

"Sign of the Times" marked the absolute ceiling of the Belle Stars' commercial fortunes. Every subsequent single underperformed its predecessor: "Sweet Memory" reached number 22 in April 1983, "Indian Summer" managed only number 52 by August, and "The Entertainer" failed to chart at all. A minor hit, "80's Romance," appeared in August 1984 at number 71 before dropping out after a single week. The mounting pressure took its toll on the lineup; Matthias departed, followed by other members, until only Owen, Joyce, and Shone remained. Owen assumed the role of de facto lead vocalist, though the trio often sang in unison in a style reminiscent of Bananarama. Meanwhile, Stiff Records was in financial trouble, merging with Island Records in 1984 and being liquidated by July 1985, when it was acquired by ZTT, the label of producer Trevor Horn and his wife Jill Sinclair. Under Horn's direction, the three remaining members recorded a new album in New York City with the 4th & Broadway production team. Only the single "World Domination" was released, which flopped in Britain but peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart in the US. After that release, the band called it quits.

Legacy and Life After the Band

The Belle Stars' story did not end with their breakup. In March 1989, their "Iko Iko" cover reached number 14 on the Billboard Top 100 after being featured on the soundtrack to the film Rain Man, starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, who had been a personal fan of the song. Matthias traveled to the US to promote the single, and the track later appeared on the soundtrack of the 2009 comedy The Hangover. Individual members pursued new musical paths: Penny Leyton joined the all-girl ska group The Deltones in 1984, who released an album on Unicorn Records in 1989. Matthias guested on Skaville UK's albums 1973 (2007) and Decadent (2008), formed a ska band called The Dance Brigade with Madness's Lee Thompson around 2008, and later created her own group, 1-Stop-Experience, with Skip McDonald, Paget King, and Chico Chigas, which disbanded in 2013. She also performed at the Let's Rock 2019 festival. In September 2019, Edsel Records released Turn Back the Clock, a comprehensive box set containing four previously unreleased tracks from the Anne Dudley sessions for the band's second album alongside a live concert recording from 1983, giving fans a fuller picture of the group's brief run.