Erasure facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erasure
Vince Clarke (left) and Andy Bell (right) in 1989
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Electropop synth-pop dance-pop dance
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Mute Sire Reprise Elektra Maverick Live Here Now
Members	Andy Bell Vince Clarke

Erasure is an English synth-pop music group. It was formed in London in 1985. The group has two members: Andy Bell is the lead singer and songwriter, and Vince Clarke plays keyboards and writes songs. Vince Clarke was also a co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of Yazoo.

Erasure became very popular in the UK from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Their fourth song, "Sometimes" (1986), helped them become famous. From 1986 to 2007, they had 24 songs that reached the top 40 in the UK charts. Many of their songs made it into the top 10. In 1989, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.

Their first album, Wonderland (1986), did not do very well. But their second album, The Circus (1987), was a big success. It reached number 6 in the UK and had four songs in the top 20. Their third album, The Innocents (1988), became a number one album. After this, they had five more albums that reached the top spot in the UK. These included Wild! (1989), Chorus (1991), the ABBA tribute EP Abba-esque (1992), the collection Pop! The First 20 Hits (1992), and I Say I Say I Say (1994).

Some of Erasure's most famous songs are "Oh L'amour", "Sometimes", "A Little Respect", "Drama!", "Blue Savannah", "Chorus", "Love to Hate You", and "Always". After 1995, their popularity started to slow down. Their album Erasure (1995) was liked by critics but confused some fans. Later albums like Cowboy (1997) and Loveboat (2000) were not as popular.

In the mid-2000s, Erasure made a comeback, especially in Europe and the United States. Their cover album Other People's Songs (2003) and Nightbird (2005) helped them regain fans. Songs like "Solsbury Hill" (2003) and "Breathe" (2005) were successful. Later albums like The Violet Flame (2014), World Be Gone (2017), and The Neon (2020) also reached the top 20 in the album charts. Even if their newer songs don't always hit the charts, Erasure still has many fans around the world. They continue to tour and sell their music.

Erasure is very popular in the UK and also in countries like Ireland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden. They also have many fans in South American countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Peru. In the US, their biggest hits were "Chains of Love" (1988), "A Little Respect" (1988), and "Always" (1994). In Russia and other former Soviet countries, they are mostly known for the song "Love to Hate You". In France, "Oh L'amour" (1986) was their only big hit.

Overall, Erasure has written over 200 songs and sold more than 28 million albums worldwide.

The Story of Erasure

How the Band Started

Vince Clarke loved electronic music from a young age. He was one of the people who started the famous band Depeche Mode. He wrote their first three songs, including "Just Can't Get Enough". After leaving Depeche Mode in 1981, Vince formed another successful group called Yazoo.

After Yazoo, Vince worked on a short project called the Assembly. They had a hit song called "Never Never". Then, Vince decided to look for a new singer for a new project. He put an advertisement in a music magazine. Andy Bell called him and was chosen after an audition. Andy had always looked up to Vince.

Erasure's music was inspired by other artists like OMD, Kraftwerk, Gloria Gaynor, and ABBA.

Early Success and Big Hits: 1985–1994

Andy Bell and Vince Clarke in 1986

Erasure's first three songs were not very popular in the UK. However, their third song, "Oh L'amour", did well in Australia and some European countries like France and Germany. Their first album, Wonderland, came out in 1986. It did not do well in the UK but was popular in Germany.

Their fourth song, "Sometimes", finally became a big hit in the UK in late 1986. It reached number 2 in the UK and Germany. This song started a long period of many hits for Erasure. The album that included "Sometimes", called The Circus, was released in 1987. It reached number 6 in the UK and sold many copies. It also had three more hit songs: "It Doesn't Have To Be", "Victim of Love", and "The Circus".

Erasure's third album, The Innocents, came out in 1988. It had the popular song "Ship of Fools". This album became number one in the UK. It also had two top 20 hits in the US: "Chains of Love" and "A Little Respect". The Innocents was the first of five albums in a row that reached number one for Erasure in the UK. These included Wild! (1989) and Chorus (1991).

In 1992, Erasure released an EP (a shorter album) called Abba-esque. It had covers of four ABBA songs. This EP became Erasure's first and only number one song in the UK. The music video showed Andy and Vince dressed in ABBA outfits. This helped bring back interest in ABBA's music in the 1990s.

Bell performing live in Magdeburg, Germany, 1992

In 1992, a collection of their songs called Pop! The First 20 Hits also reached number one. It included all their songs released from 1985 to 1992.

In 1994, Erasure released I Say I Say I Say. This was their fifth album in a row to reach number one in the UK. Its first song, "Always", became a top 20 hit in the United States. The song "Run to the Sun" was released in July and was their last UK top 10 hit until 2003.

Music from 1995 to 2007

In October 1995, Erasure released their album Erasure. This album sounded different from their usual short pop songs. It was more thoughtful and experimental. It still reached the UK top 15 and had two top 20 songs: "Stay with Me" and "Fingers & Thumbs".

In 1997, the album Cowboy came out. It went back to their pop sound but did not become as popular as their earlier albums. Cowboy reached number 10 in the UK but only stayed on the charts for a short time. However, it was one of their most successful albums in the US. The song "In My Arms" reached number 13 in the UK.

In October 2000, Erasure released their ninth album, Loveboat. It did not do very well, only reaching number 45. The first song from it was "Freedom".

In 2003, Erasure released Other People's Songs, which was an album of cover versions of other artists' songs. Their cover of Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" reached the UK top 10. This allowed Erasure to perform on the TV show Top of the Pops again. Another song from the album, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)", reached number 14 in the UK. Also in 2003, a new "best of" collection called Hits! The Very Best of Erasure was released. It included a new version of "Oh L'amour", which became a top 15 hit this time.

Erasure's 2005 album Nightbird was very successful. Its first song, "Breathe", reached number 4 in the UK charts. This was their first top 5 hit in over ten years. It also reached number one on the US Dance chart.

Erasure in concert in Brooklyn in 2007

Union Street (2006) was a special project where the band played their old songs in an acoustic and country & western style. The album was named after the studio where it was recorded.

In 2007, they released Light at the End of the World. This album had more of a dance sound. The first song from it, "I Could Fall in Love with You", reached number 21 in the UK.

Music from 2009 to 2019

Total Pop! The First 40 Hits, a collection of Erasure's first 40 hits, was released in 2009. It reached number 21 in the UK.

In 2010, the song "Always" became very popular again. This was because it was used in a computer game called Robot Unicorn Attack.

Vince Clarke mentioned that the band wanted to finish a special album of nursery rhymes. In 2011, Erasure announced a new album called Tomorrow's World. It was released in October 2011. The album reached number 29 in the UK. The song "Be with You" reached the top 10 on the US Dance chart.

Erasure went on a long world tour in 2011. They visited many new places, including Russia and Ukraine. They also toured South America.

Vince Clarke and Andy Bell onstage, 2011

In 2013, Erasure released their first Christmas album, Snow Globe. The first song from the album was a cover of "Gaudete".

In 2014, Erasure announced their sixteenth album, The Violet Flame. It was released in September 2014 and entered the UK charts at number 20. This was their first top 20 album since 2003.

In 2015, to celebrate 30 years in music, Erasure released a new version of "Sometimes" and a new collection album called Always: The Very Best of Erasure.

In 2017, Erasure announced their seventeenth album, World Be Gone. It was released in May 2017. To celebrate, the band played three shows in the UK. They also toured Europe as special guests for Robbie Williams.

In 2018, an album called World Beyond was released. It was a new version of World Be Gone with a classical music style. This album reached number 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums charts in the US.

Recent Music: 2020–Present

On August 21, 2020, Erasure released their eighteenth album, The Neon. This album reached number 4 in the UK. It was their highest-charting album in the UK in 26 years. The band said they wanted to go back to their original sound for this album. Vince Clarke used some of his older synthesizers.

In 2021, Erasure released a new song called "Secrets". This was followed by an album called The Neon Remixed, which had different versions of songs from The Neon. This album also charted in the UK. The band also went on a tour of the UK in October 2021.

In June 2022, Erasure announced their nineteenth album, Day-Glo (Based on a True Story). It was released on August 12, 2022, and was a follow-up to The Neon.

Erasure's Albums

Awards and Recognitions

See also

In Spanish: Erasure para niños