A Scottish-born doctor, a London band and a song that argued back

Dr. Robert was born Bruce Robert Howard in Haddington, Scotland, and spent five years in Australia before coming back to the United Kingdom. In 1981 he formed The Blow Monkeys in London as singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, with Mick Anker on bass, Neville Henry on saxophone and either Tony Kiley or Crispin Taylor on drums. The first single arrived in 1982 and the debut album, Limping for a Generation, followed in 1984.

The breakthrough came in 1986 with “Digging Your Scene”, from the second album, Animal Magic. The song drew attention for lyrics about the AIDS-fuelled backlash against gay people. It reached number 12 in the UK and number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to number 7 on the dance club chart. A year later the third album, She Was Only a Grocer’s Daughter, nodded in its title to Margaret Thatcher. Its big single, “It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way”, reached number 5 in the UK and turned up in Police Academy 4. Curtis Mayfield joined them for a duet on the record.

Dr. Robert also stepped out on his own for a single called “Wait”, with Kym Mazelle on lead vocals. It reached number 7 in the UK and went on the fourth album, Whoops! There Goes the Neighbourhood, which peaked at number 5 on the UK albums chart in 1989. The group split in late 1990 after the fifth album. Robert briefly worked with Dee C. Lee as Slam Slam, then went solo, contributing to Paul Weller’s solo debut and co-writing with both Weller and Lee.

In 2007 the original members announced a reunion, and the album Devil’s Tavern appeared the next year, paid for by fan pre-orders. Q magazine said the frontman still sounded like he dressed in velvet and smoked cigarillos. More records followed, including Staring at the Sea in 2011 and Feels Like a New Morning in 2013. By now the band has put out thirteen albums in total.