45RPM: #97 Going Left Right - Department S (1981)

Going Left Right / She's Expecting You

Stiff Records (BUY 118)

Produced by David Tickle

Released 19th June 1981

UK Chart #55

A-Side

Going Left Right

B-Side

She's Expecting You

Department S
    Vaughn Toulouse – vocals
    Mike Herbage – keyboards, guitar on "She's Expecting You"
    Mark Taylor – guitar, keyboards on "She's Expecting You"
    Tony Lordan – bass guitar
    Stuart Mizon – drums

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If you ask someone to name the first thing that comes into their head when they hear the name Department S there is every chance they will say Is Vic There? It's a shame that is so because they actually made a couple of other great singles in their time including this one Going Left Right that is under the spotlight today.

Department S began life as Guns For Hire and released only one single in 1980 on Korova, I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight. A name change and some personnel changes and Department S were unleashed upon a watching world at The Rock Garden in London in September of 1980. The Debut Single, Is Vic There? followed in December and it gave them a hit, peaking at #22. The B-Side was a cracking version of Solid Gold Easy Action originally released by T-Rex. It was released on Demon, a label that had been set up by former Stiff man Jake Rivera and Andrew Lauder who had worked A&R for United Artists. The plan was to use the label to release one-off singles by bands but they changed track later by securing more long term artists to their roster.

In 1981 they signed with Stiff and released what I think is their best single and it's a real shame that depsite getting fairly decent airplay that Going Left Right didn't break into the Top 30.

Department S are still on the go these days (Check Out Going Left Right from this year's Rebellion Festival) and earlier this year released a brand new album When All Is Said and All Is Done.

Read a Decent Review of the New Album Here.