A Popular History Of Signs

A Popular History Of Signs were a London electro-pop and post-punk group formed in 1979 by bassist and singer Andrew Jarman. The group went through several line-up changes during the 1980s, gradually shifting between minimal electronic rhythms, synth-pop, artier new wave and a more developed indie-electronic sound. Their early records have a particularly stripped-down character, with drum machines and synthesizers providing much of the framework around Jarman's bass and vocals.

The original core of the band featured Jarman alongside Peter Scammell on synthesizer and Paul Clarke on percussion. This line-up made the first three singles, beginning with 'Justice Not Vengeance / Possession' on Melodia Records in 1980. 'Crowds / Crossing The Border' followed in 1981, and 'Dancing With Ideas / The Traveller' appeared in 1982, giving the group a small but steadily developing catalogue of electronic new wave.

 
Scammell eventually left and Andrew Smith joined on guitar, synthesizers and vocals. The changing personnel gave A Popular History Of Signs a less strictly minimal approach, while Jarman remained the central figure. Their records were picked up by John Peel, who also recorded a session with the group for his BBC programme in 1983. Around this period they were becoming more active outside London, including touring in Britain with Shriekback and playing extensively in France and Spain.

 
Their first album, 'Comrades', was recorded in 1984 and issued by Jungle Records. The line-up for the album included Jarman on vocals, bass, keyboards and drum programming, Lindsey Smith on guitar, keyboards and drum programming, Paul Patient on percussion, and Christeen Isherwood on vocals. The ten tracks included "Body And Soul", "Crowds", "Tidy", "Halcyon Days", "Lenin", "October Already", "Father And Son", "Five Towns", "Land Of The Free" and "Comrades". 

'Comrades' showed the group moving beyond the stark drum-machine sound of their earliest singles. The arrangements brought in funkier bass lines, percussion, keyboards and a looser rhythmic feel, while the songs continued to retain the cool, slightly austere character of British early-'80s electronic pop. Several titles and themes also reflected Jarman's political interests, particularly "Lenin", "October Already" and "Comrades".

 
Jungle Records became their main label during this period. The group issued the 'If She Was A Car' 12-inch, followed by the 'Body And Soul' single and 12-inch, while tracks such as "House", "Ladder Jack" and "Stigma" expanded their electronic palette. "Ladder Jack" and "House" later attracted the attention of Al Jourgensen, who remixed both tracks for the American Wax Trax! label, giving A Popular History Of Signs a connection with the emerging industrial and electronic underground in the United States. 

The group's changing membership continued through the middle of the decade. Paul Clarke was eventually replaced by Mark Tattersall on drums, while Andrew Smith left in 1986. Other musicians passed through the line-up, including John Lucibello, Vini Champier, Nick Cash, Cliff Ovenden and Carrie Brooks on later recordings and appearances. This constant reshuffling meant that A Popular History Of Signs never really settled into a fixed format for very long. 

Jungle Records later gathered much of the group's material on 'Taste', issued in 1987. The album brought together songs from different stages of the group's career, including "Crowds", "Justice Not Vengeance", "Dancing With Ideas", "Stigma", "Art Of Persuasion", "If She Was A Car", "Ladder Jack", "Trapped", "Body And Soul", "House", "Rock & Roll" and "Run Through The Jungle". The last two were covers of songs by the Velvet Underground and John Fogerty respectively. 

The final phase came with 'England In The Rain', issued by Jungle Records in 1988. By then the group had moved further towards a more straightforward pop-oriented electronic sound. Songs from the release included "City Don't Sleep", "Crawling 4 U", "Word To The Wise", "Salvation Train", "Shoeshine Boy" and "Western Wind". 

A Popular History Of Signs' recorded history therefore runs from the sparse, drum-machine-driven "Justice Not Vengeance" in 1980 through increasingly elaborate synth and percussion arrangements and finally the more accessible material of 'England In The Rain'. The band remained active through 1988, with Jungle Records documenting much of the later period, while their first three singles had established the group through Melodia. 

After A Popular History Of Signs, Andrew Jarman continued working with music and later became associated with the psychedelic project Strange Fruit before developing Southern Arts Society. Jungle Records still lists A Popular History of Signs among its catalogue of artists, describing them as "Electro indie".