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The Silicon Teens
The fictional members of real novelty band The Silicon Teens, which released a 1980 album of synthpop covers titled Music for Parties on Mute Records. In reality, the band was the creation of the label's founder, Daniel Miller, who also presumably invented the fictional members and their backstory for the press release.
The band was portrayed by actors in interviews, press photos, and their music video for their cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee." Musician Frank Tovey, aka Fad Gadget, portrayed Darryl.
The press release's invented bio made them all teenagers and childhood friends in Liverpool. Inspired by the punk movement and subsequent post-punk bands like The Normal and Throbbing Gristle, they used a synthesizer owned by Jacki's older brother Kevin to create their songs.
The Normal was another Daniel Miller project, Throbbing Gristle was on Mute Records at the time, and Fad Gadget was Mute Records' first signed artist. Larry Least, the album's producer and writer of the original tune "Chip 'n' Roll," was another pseudonym of Miller's!
Wow, so much synergy there, Mr. Miller!
Miller even credited the Jacki character on other Mute Records releases! Jacki played synth on the 1980 Missing Scientists album Big City Bright Lights.
