The Passions

by Andy Kellman The Passions were a post-punk band formed by guitarist/vocalist Barbara Gogan, bassist Claire Bidwell, drummer Richard Williams, vocalist Mitch Barker, and guitarist Clive Temperley. Prior to forming in 1978, most of the members had spent time in other groups. Most notably, Temperley was an ex-101'er, and Williams was in Prag Vec precursors the Derelicts. The Passions debuted in March of 1979 with the Needles and Pins single on Soho, which helped them gain a contract with Fiction, home of the Cure. A year passed between the release of the single and Michael and Miranda, the band's debut LP. Another single and a pair of trips to the BBC studios for recording sessions preceded the release of their highest charting song, "I'm in Love With a German Film Star," which hit number 25 on the U.K. pop chart during the winter of 1981. At some point prior to its release, Bidwell and Barker had exited (the former to join the Wall), and David Agar took over on bass. The band's second album, 30,000 Feet Over China, was released in August 1981. Something of a split between a compilation and a new record, the LP collected a number of previously released A-sides and added several new recordings. Temperley was out by the end of the year and was replaced by Kevin Armstrong, who had played previously with Local Heroes. The group also added a keyboard player by the name of Jeff Smith, who had played with Lene Lovich. Following another pair of singles, the LP Sanctuary saw the light of day in September of 1982. Shortly after that, the band dissolved. Gogan popped up again in 1998 when she released Made on Earth, a record made with experimentalist Hector Zazou.