Racey

Career

The original members of Racey were Richard Gower (born 1955 in Hackney, London, who sang and played keyboards, piano, and guitar), Phil Fursdon (guitar and vocals), Pete Miller (bass and vocals), and Clive Wilson (drums, percussion, and vocals). They first found success playing local pubs, which led to Mickie Most taking notice. Their debut single, "Baby It's You," came out in 1978 and was written by Chris Norman and Pete Spencer of Smokie. The second single, "Lay Your Love on Me," became their first hit, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1978 and early 1979.

The third single, "Some Girls," written by Mike Chapman, peaked at number 2 in the UK; Barry Manilow later covered it for his 1982 album Here Comes the Night. In the US, Infinity Records released both "Lay Your Love on Me" (1978) and "Some Girls" (1979), but neither charted there. Their only album, Smash and Grab, was never issued in the US. Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn wrote or produced all of the band's hits.

After that album, Racey split from Chinn and Chapman, continued touring and playing, but only put out a few more singles that failed to match earlier success. The band officially broke up in 1985. In 1990, Wilson and Fursdon were asked to play at a Fourth of July party, leading to a reunion. Pete Miller died of cancer on 6 May 2003.

In 1991, Richard Gower started his own version of the group with Gary Combes, Steven Lawrence, and Simon Ryland. Both versions of Racey are still active and performing, with several albums and CDs of re-recorded hits and new material available. In August 2021, the band released "It's a Glorious Day."