I was sad to learn about the passing of Tuxedomoon bassist Peter Principle, who evidently died this morning of natural causes. I was very late to the table with Tuxedomoon, only really first hearing them circa 2001 via a viewing of "Downtown 81." Oddly, I just picked up the band's 1981 album, Desire, literally last week during a random visit to Downtown Music Gallery in Chinatown.
This is normally the part wherein I wax rhapsodic about trivia and personal association, but beyond what I learned in "Downtown 81," I don't have much to tell. A San Fransisco band heavily influenced by the Residents, Tuxedomoon spent a great amount of time here in NYC in the early 80's. I was immediately intrigued by the song, "Desire," which was featured in the "Downtown 81" soundtrack, but also knew them fleetingly from the song, "In a Manner of Speaking," because of cover versions by Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and Nouvelle Vague. When I spotted that first album at DMG (featuring both "Desire" and the other single below), I figured I should snap it up.
This suitably nightmarish video below for "No Tears" was shot in NYC, although the NYC of 1981, which might explain its apocalyptic sheen. ADDENDUM: It's actually not a proper Tuxedomoon video, it's footage repurposed from the 1981 horror film, "Wolfen." My mistake.
Pour one out of Peter Principle.
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