Mark Shaw formed Then Jerico in 1982 via an advert in Melody Maker and debuted the band live in London in 1983. After line-up change and just 6 more live gigs in London & New York.
Then Jerico signed a 7-album deal with London Records in 1984. But the label refused to release the group’s first single ‘The Big Sweep’ (produced by Martin Rushent) due to Shaw’s controversial lyrical subject matter: Rupert Murdoch & Robert Maxwell; so in 1985 the band released 1,000 Limited Edition 12” Singles on ‘Immaculate’ – the indie label owned by Pete “Buzzcocks” Shelley & Martin Rushent.
It entered the Indie Charts at #12 – finally persuading London Records to release a further 500 Limited Edition 12” Singles. In 1986 dance-rock anthem ‘Fault’ was released (produced by Rushent & remixed in NYC by John Luongo), bringing Then Jerico international underground dance-floor success followed by the album ‘First [The Sound Of Music]’. Produced by Mark Shaw & Owen Davies, it featured three hit singles: ‘Let Her Fall’, Muscle Deep’ (banned by Radio One for it’s anti-apartheid lyrics) and 1987 Top 20 hit ‘The Motive’ which remained in the UK Top 20 for six weeks & spent 14 weeks in the charts, becoming the highest-played record on BBC Radio One in 1987.
The album brought worldwide success and the band toured constantly playing live sell-out headline shows and selected support tours with Iggy Pop, INXS, Propaganda, and The Explorers.
Then Jerico also headlined two shows at The Royal Albert Hall, in London.
In March 1989, the second album was released: ‘The Big Area (Outside)’, selling over 100,000 copies within just 40 minutes,itimmediatelyreachedGoldandPlatinumstatus.Featuring severalproducersincludingMarkShaw, Peter Henderson; Rick Nowles; Rhett Davis & Bruce Lampcov; and Gary Langan (who produced the massive Top 20 hit single ‘Big Area’).
The album included two more Top 30 hits: ‘What Does It Take?’ (featuring Belinda Carlisle) and ‘Sugar Box’ . The album earned the group a global following and the 1989 ‘TheBigAreaTour’(Outside) drewover 200,000 fans to Then Jerico’s explosive live concerts.
