What do you think?
Rate this book
Conform To Deform: The Weird & Wonderful World Of Some Bizzare
The rise and fall of Some Bizzare—the label that introduced the world to Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, and The The—is the great untold story of alternative music.
Along with Factory, Mute, and Creation, Some Bizzare was the vanguard of outsider music in the 1980s. The label’s debut release reads like a who’s who of electronic music, featuring early tracks from Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Blancmange, and The The, while over the next decade its roster would include artists such as Marc Almond, Cabaret Voltaire, Einstürzende Neubauten, Foetus, Swans, Coil, and Psychic TV.
For a time, Some Bizzare was the most exciting independent record label in the world, but the music is only half of the story. Self-styled label boss Stevo Pearce’s unconventional dealings with the industry are legendary. Sometimes they were playful (sending teddy bears to meetings in his place), other times less so (he and Marc Almond destroyed offices at Phonogram and terrorised staff). Despite this, he was a force to be reckoned with. His preternatural ability to spot talent meant his label was responsible for releasing some of the decade’s most forward-thinking, transgressive, and influential music.
The Some Bizzare story spans the from ecstasy parties in early 80s New York to video shoots in the Peruvian jungle, from events in disused tube stations to seedy sex shows in Soho. There were million-selling singles, run-ins with the Vice Squad, destruction at the ICA, death threats, meltdowns, and, of course, sex dwarves. For a time, Stevo had the music industry in the palm of his hands, only for it all to slip through his fingers. But he and Some Bizzare left a legacy of incredible music that still has an influence and impact today.
Along with Factory, Mute, and Creation, Some Bizzare was the vanguard of outsider music in the 1980s. The label’s debut release reads like a who’s who of electronic music, featuring early tracks from Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Blancmange, and The The, while over the next decade its roster would include artists such as Marc Almond, Cabaret Voltaire, Einstürzende Neubauten, Foetus, Swans, Coil, and Psychic TV.
For a time, Some Bizzare was the most exciting independent record label in the world, but the music is only half of the story. Self-styled label boss Stevo Pearce’s unconventional dealings with the industry are legendary. Sometimes they were playful (sending teddy bears to meetings in his place), other times less so (he and Marc Almond destroyed offices at Phonogram and terrorised staff). Despite this, he was a force to be reckoned with. His preternatural ability to spot talent meant his label was responsible for releasing some of the decade’s most forward-thinking, transgressive, and influential music.
The Some Bizzare story spans the from ecstasy parties in early 80s New York to video shoots in the Peruvian jungle, from events in disused tube stations to seedy sex shows in Soho. There were million-selling singles, run-ins with the Vice Squad, destruction at the ICA, death threats, meltdowns, and, of course, sex dwarves. For a time, Stevo had the music industry in the palm of his hands, only for it all to slip through his fingers. But he and Some Bizzare left a legacy of incredible music that still has an influence and impact today.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
665 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2023
25 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 18, 2023
An important historic document of music that emerged during the 80s and were called names from post-punk to industrial, that were never documented so thoroughly and deeply.
The book is done with many flaws, typos, awkward footnotes, too much journalistic gossip and basically the book is too long and could be cut in 15% at least.
But after all this, for people that grew up on this music that came mostly from Some Bizzare it's a treasure of data that you always dreamed you could have.
I hope they will edit this book better in the future, but it's a must read for fans of any Some Bizzare music.
The book is done with many flaws, typos, awkward footnotes, too much journalistic gossip and basically the book is too long and could be cut in 15% at least.
But after all this, for people that grew up on this music that came mostly from Some Bizzare it's a treasure of data that you always dreamed you could have.
I hope they will edit this book better in the future, but it's a must read for fans of any Some Bizzare music.
March 1, 2023
I am currently on page 41 of this book and I've already spotted about 12 spelling mistakes, not least the actual record label name. Stevo liked to spell it his way (Some Bizzare) and it's been spelled this way some times and sometimes not. Even on the back 'blurb'. Next time splash out on a proof reader!
Okay I've now finished it. As I've already said, it's a shame the book wasn't proof-read as this detracts hugely from the work gone into it, for me at least. A fascinating character is Stevo and this gives some insight into the way he worked. Something written by him (and then properly edited) would have been even more interesting.
Okay I've now finished it. As I've already said, it's a shame the book wasn't proof-read as this detracts hugely from the work gone into it, for me at least. A fascinating character is Stevo and this gives some insight into the way he worked. Something written by him (and then properly edited) would have been even more interesting.
July 31, 2023
What a marvelous trip this book took me on, back to the wonderful music of the 80's. Some Bizzare had some of the most creative and diverse artists such as - Marc Almond, The The, Swans, JG Thirwell, Coil, to name a few. The openess to experimentation and playing on friends records was unprecendented and now everything is the same. This decade truly saw some amazing labels Some Bizzare, Mute, Factory, Rough Trade, Wax Trax, ZE Records. At the epicenter of Some Bizzare was Stevo, a wheeler dealer built like a brick layer. Because of him, he was able to get out some of the most unique music of the 20th century. He just wasn't great at sustaining the momentum.
March 12, 2023
can i play with madness?
collection of interviews patched together to tell the tale of an awesome record label and its unconventional manager Stevø. although we might know it's not going to end well, lovely to get an insight into the bizarre world of Some Bizzare and the 80s record industry. extra points for finally getting me to listen to Foetus. should have known to do that years ago.
collection of interviews patched together to tell the tale of an awesome record label and its unconventional manager Stevø. although we might know it's not going to end well, lovely to get an insight into the bizarre world of Some Bizzare and the 80s record industry. extra points for finally getting me to listen to Foetus. should have known to do that years ago.
March 31, 2023
A fun, light read, but even as a fan of most of the bands covered I couldn't help but find it a little lacking, possibly due to the oral history nature. There are a few baffling decisions (most prominently putting the glossary of bands that all the various people were involved with at the beginning of the book rather than just mentioning what band they're from as the various characters are introduced, meaning you constantly had to refer back to figure out who was talking about what) and I got the impression that there was a lot of risqué topics the bands shied away from - the era of music books like "Please Kill Me" where the debauchery is fully disclosed is over for a good reason, but it often felt like you weren't quite getting the full picture. The decision to make it a oral history also means that there's no analysis of any of the music discussed beyond the artists' own, which means it's not at the level of something like "Rip It Up & Start Again" or some other books covering this time period. It's still a nice read but it really is probably only recommendable to Some Bizzare ultra fans.
May 20, 2025
Anecdotal history of Some Bizzare explores the dangerously fine line between clever and stupid.
Post-punk provided fertile ground for independent record labels and in the last few years there has been a flurry of books celebrating these. Richard King started the trend back in 2012 with “How Soon Is Now?� featuring concise histories of Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet, Mute and many others. Similar publications followed, most notably Martin Aston’s encyclopaedic “Facing the Other Way� in which 4AD finally got the long overdue label history it deserved. As for Factory there has never been any shortage of books about the Manchester scene making it somewhat over-documented compared with the other great cultural explosions of the era. Conspicuous by its absence thus far has been Some Bizzare but we now have Wesley Doyle to thank for plugging the gap with “Conform to Deform� (CTD).
Doyle has interviewed scores of people involved with Some Bizzare over the years but instead of writing an orthodox account he has instead collaged direct quotes to produce an anecdotal picture of the label's history. This could well have resulted in a piecemeal, disjointed narrative but instead the text is coherent, readable and very entertaining. Every time I put this book down I just couldn’t wait to pick it back up again.
The key figure is Steven “Stevo� Pearce the unlikely combination of music biz Svengali and lager lout who founded the label back in 1981. He is among those interviewed here yet for such a flamboyant character he remains a curiously indecipherable presence throughout and the bulk of the story is told by others. Consequently it remains something of a mystery how a barely-educated seventeen year old kid from Dagenham who struggled to read and write succeeded in setting up his own record label. Without any business experience or industry contacts he went on to sign and manage bands while negotiating complex legal contracts with the vastly more experienced suits of the mainstream music industry. It was a staggering achievement under the circumstances and for a few years Stevo’s venture was immensely successful - and just too good to last.
The whole rags-to-riches-and-back-again journey is charted by Doyle through the reminiscences of some colourful characters and if like me you’re a sucker for tales of music biz lunacy you’ll find plenty of them here. Sex, drugs, clashing egos and diva misbehaviour come with the territory, of course. There are also huge chart hits made on the cheap, monstrously expensive projects that flopped, bizarre occult incantations chanted over the telephone and, in a nice comic twist on the old rock n� roll TV set cliché, a photocopier is launched through a window.
The implausible early Smash Hits popularity of Soft Cell bankrolled this mayhem at first but after a few years Some Bizzare was floundering and increasingly bitter disputes over unpaid royalties had soured the carnival atmosphere of the early days. Sporadic chart success for Marc Almond, Matt Johnson and a few others helped keep the label afloat for a while but the likes of Einsturzende Neubauten were never going to deliver the hits � and cash - that the label was getting increasingly desperate for. From here on in Stevo comes across as one of those characters who is a lot more fun to read about than to deal with in real life. “Honestly, he was an absolute liability� sighs a weary, long-suffering Some Bizzare staffer as he recalls a run-in with a gang of squaddies that ended with Stevo ejected from one of the few Soho bars from which he had not already been banned.
By the mid-nineties Stevo was scrabbling around trying to sign up chart-friendly acts to save his ailing label. These were freighted with vast amounts of record company cash then launched on a tide of optimism only to sink without trace. (Seriously, has anyone ever heard of Koot?) This failure to replicate the label’s early commercial success combined with Stevo’s loose cannon tactics pretty much doomed everything in the end.
Some Bizzare never actually folded but it has not been active in any significant way for a long time now. With every passing year a renaissance seems less and less likely, but the book itself is testament to the fact that stranger things have happened so perhaps this story isn’t finished yet. Until then at least we have CTD to remind us of what was, what might have been and (just maybe) what might still be. If like me you were young enough at the time to have been touched in some way by Some Bizzare then no doubt you are old enough now to be forgiven for basking in the nostalgic glow of this book. Of course nostalgia was the absolute last thing that post-punk was supposed to be about, but after all these years here we are anyway so why not just enjoy it?
Post-punk provided fertile ground for independent record labels and in the last few years there has been a flurry of books celebrating these. Richard King started the trend back in 2012 with “How Soon Is Now?� featuring concise histories of Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet, Mute and many others. Similar publications followed, most notably Martin Aston’s encyclopaedic “Facing the Other Way� in which 4AD finally got the long overdue label history it deserved. As for Factory there has never been any shortage of books about the Manchester scene making it somewhat over-documented compared with the other great cultural explosions of the era. Conspicuous by its absence thus far has been Some Bizzare but we now have Wesley Doyle to thank for plugging the gap with “Conform to Deform� (CTD).
Doyle has interviewed scores of people involved with Some Bizzare over the years but instead of writing an orthodox account he has instead collaged direct quotes to produce an anecdotal picture of the label's history. This could well have resulted in a piecemeal, disjointed narrative but instead the text is coherent, readable and very entertaining. Every time I put this book down I just couldn’t wait to pick it back up again.
The key figure is Steven “Stevo� Pearce the unlikely combination of music biz Svengali and lager lout who founded the label back in 1981. He is among those interviewed here yet for such a flamboyant character he remains a curiously indecipherable presence throughout and the bulk of the story is told by others. Consequently it remains something of a mystery how a barely-educated seventeen year old kid from Dagenham who struggled to read and write succeeded in setting up his own record label. Without any business experience or industry contacts he went on to sign and manage bands while negotiating complex legal contracts with the vastly more experienced suits of the mainstream music industry. It was a staggering achievement under the circumstances and for a few years Stevo’s venture was immensely successful - and just too good to last.
The whole rags-to-riches-and-back-again journey is charted by Doyle through the reminiscences of some colourful characters and if like me you’re a sucker for tales of music biz lunacy you’ll find plenty of them here. Sex, drugs, clashing egos and diva misbehaviour come with the territory, of course. There are also huge chart hits made on the cheap, monstrously expensive projects that flopped, bizarre occult incantations chanted over the telephone and, in a nice comic twist on the old rock n� roll TV set cliché, a photocopier is launched through a window.
The implausible early Smash Hits popularity of Soft Cell bankrolled this mayhem at first but after a few years Some Bizzare was floundering and increasingly bitter disputes over unpaid royalties had soured the carnival atmosphere of the early days. Sporadic chart success for Marc Almond, Matt Johnson and a few others helped keep the label afloat for a while but the likes of Einsturzende Neubauten were never going to deliver the hits � and cash - that the label was getting increasingly desperate for. From here on in Stevo comes across as one of those characters who is a lot more fun to read about than to deal with in real life. “Honestly, he was an absolute liability� sighs a weary, long-suffering Some Bizzare staffer as he recalls a run-in with a gang of squaddies that ended with Stevo ejected from one of the few Soho bars from which he had not already been banned.
By the mid-nineties Stevo was scrabbling around trying to sign up chart-friendly acts to save his ailing label. These were freighted with vast amounts of record company cash then launched on a tide of optimism only to sink without trace. (Seriously, has anyone ever heard of Koot?) This failure to replicate the label’s early commercial success combined with Stevo’s loose cannon tactics pretty much doomed everything in the end.
Some Bizzare never actually folded but it has not been active in any significant way for a long time now. With every passing year a renaissance seems less and less likely, but the book itself is testament to the fact that stranger things have happened so perhaps this story isn’t finished yet. Until then at least we have CTD to remind us of what was, what might have been and (just maybe) what might still be. If like me you were young enough at the time to have been touched in some way by Some Bizzare then no doubt you are old enough now to be forgiven for basking in the nostalgic glow of this book. Of course nostalgia was the absolute last thing that post-punk was supposed to be about, but after all these years here we are anyway so why not just enjoy it?
July 10, 2023
Created by the mercurial 17 year-old Stevo Pearce, Some Bizzare was unarguably an era-defining record label (actually more of a management umbrella) in the early 1980s, effectively inventing the “Futurist� genre of electronic music (with Stevo’s regular Futurist charts in Sounds magazine), and being the home for artists such as Soft Cell (and Marc Almond), The The and B-Movie, and later becoming a haven for more challenging acts like Cabaret Voltaire, Psychic TV, Test Department, Einstürzende Neubauten, Coil, Swans, and Jim “Foetus� Thirlwell.
This book tells the story of Some Bizzare in the form of an oral history, with almost all the main players (especially Stevo) contributing their views on the often hilarious ups and downs of the label. Unfortunately, as is the case with many true stories, it doesn’t follow a classic “Hollywood� narrative. In fact, the label strikes paydirt almost from day one with the era-defining “Some Bizzare Album� in 1981 (featuring first appearances by Depeche Mode and Blancmange), followed almost immediately by Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love�, which became the biggest-selling single in the world that year, but from there it’s a tale of decline, first slowly, and then very quickly.
The oral history format mostly works very well, though that does mean a lot of repetition, and also a lack of an overarching editorial viewpoint, which might have been useful, given that Stevo is still given to bigging up his own personal legend rather than being genuinely analytical about his success and eventual downfall. Also on the downside, the book is peppered with (mostly trivial) typos, at least one latter artist (Egill) is missing from the story entirely, and it’s also slightly annoying that the various “speakers� aren’t given fuller descriptions within the main body of the book, and you’re regularly forced to turn to the beginning to see who they are (and to be truly definitive, a full discography would have been nice, too.)
However, this is a book very much written for fans and by a fan, and on that basis I enjoyed it tremendously, though it probably has little interest for anyone else, and although it’s almost certainly the last word on the subject, I can’t quite bring myself to give it 5 stars.
This book tells the story of Some Bizzare in the form of an oral history, with almost all the main players (especially Stevo) contributing their views on the often hilarious ups and downs of the label. Unfortunately, as is the case with many true stories, it doesn’t follow a classic “Hollywood� narrative. In fact, the label strikes paydirt almost from day one with the era-defining “Some Bizzare Album� in 1981 (featuring first appearances by Depeche Mode and Blancmange), followed almost immediately by Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love�, which became the biggest-selling single in the world that year, but from there it’s a tale of decline, first slowly, and then very quickly.
The oral history format mostly works very well, though that does mean a lot of repetition, and also a lack of an overarching editorial viewpoint, which might have been useful, given that Stevo is still given to bigging up his own personal legend rather than being genuinely analytical about his success and eventual downfall. Also on the downside, the book is peppered with (mostly trivial) typos, at least one latter artist (Egill) is missing from the story entirely, and it’s also slightly annoying that the various “speakers� aren’t given fuller descriptions within the main body of the book, and you’re regularly forced to turn to the beginning to see who they are (and to be truly definitive, a full discography would have been nice, too.)
However, this is a book very much written for fans and by a fan, and on that basis I enjoyed it tremendously, though it probably has little interest for anyone else, and although it’s almost certainly the last word on the subject, I can’t quite bring myself to give it 5 stars.
June 3, 2023
This Rashomon-style story the influential table has the same event recounted by multiple interviewees so that the stories differ in ways that are impossible to reconcile, differ in opinion, or only partially agree.
The British label owned by Stephen "Stevo" Pearce (one of the interviewees) began an influential LP discography with the which introduced acts including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, and Blancmange. The story of this seminal compilation is told as well as how the label in the early/mid 1980s produced and released music by Marc [Almond] And The Mambas, The The, Soft Cell, Psychic TV, Coil, Einstürzende Neubauten, Test Dept., Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, Swans, and other electronic and industrial artists. Apart from releasing records, the Some Bizzare Label had releases TV Shows and DVD's Films release it self and also though Warner Virgin, CBS Sony Epic, PolyGram/Universal and the reading here prompted me to track down The The's .
Certainly on the artistic development and the impact of the blend of popular and controversial artists I found the quotes from Matt Johnson (The The) and J.G. Thirlwell (Foetus) the most illuminating and of course the brash Stevo would could produce gems such as:
The British label owned by Stephen "Stevo" Pearce (one of the interviewees) began an influential LP discography with the which introduced acts including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, and Blancmange. The story of this seminal compilation is told as well as how the label in the early/mid 1980s produced and released music by Marc [Almond] And The Mambas, The The, Soft Cell, Psychic TV, Coil, Einstürzende Neubauten, Test Dept., Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, Swans, and other electronic and industrial artists. Apart from releasing records, the Some Bizzare Label had releases TV Shows and DVD's Films release it self and also though Warner Virgin, CBS Sony Epic, PolyGram/Universal and the reading here prompted me to track down The The's .
Certainly on the artistic development and the impact of the blend of popular and controversial artists I found the quotes from Matt Johnson (The The) and J.G. Thirlwell (Foetus) the most illuminating and of course the brash Stevo would could produce gems such as:
You have to be prepared to go into the armpits of society to find great music. The best music comes from anger, from paranoia. It’s the way out of a situation.
August 13, 2023
A wild ride through the earliest of the early '80s with one of the last great record company renegades at the wheel. It is told in first-person interview quotes from all of the major players, including Matt Johnson (The The), Jim Thirwell (Foetus), Marc and Dave from Soft Cell, Daniel Miller (Mute Records), and on and on. Even Michael Gira (Swans) is interviewed and delivers a grudging sort of approval for Stevo, the madman behind Some Bizzarre records. Stevo Pearce took his dyslexia and love of fearless music and threw it all together on an epochal compilation album that included some of the earliest recordings from The The, Depeche Mode, and Soft Cell and made a reputation for himself and many of the artists contained therein. Then, he released "Tainted Love" and the money poured in. With a single that hits as hard as "Tainted Love", the record companies assumed Stevo knew what he was doing and they gave him free rein for a time to uncover some of the geniuses of the era, often to mixed results.
This book has given me a greater respect for people like Marc Almond, who is uncovered as a daring artist and loyal friend to ALL of the artists around him. And it is very endearing to learn of all of the strange (at first glance) friendships and cross-pollinations between artists that occurred around Stevo.
This is a great read while listening to the tracks being discussed. Much great music is to be discovered here. I just purchased my ticket to see Swans live after 40 years of not knowing or caring much about them.
This book has given me a greater respect for people like Marc Almond, who is uncovered as a daring artist and loyal friend to ALL of the artists around him. And it is very endearing to learn of all of the strange (at first glance) friendships and cross-pollinations between artists that occurred around Stevo.
This is a great read while listening to the tracks being discussed. Much great music is to be discovered here. I just purchased my ticket to see Swans live after 40 years of not knowing or caring much about them.
April 26, 2023
What an amazing book! I'm so glad that it came up on my radar about six weeks ago. The Some Bizzare Label was home to some of the UK's most interesting and cool bands, The The, Foetus, Cabaret Voltaire, Neu Eleckrikk, The Fast Set, Naked Lunch, Blancmange, B-Movie, Depeche Mode and the real stars of the show, SOFT CELL. I grew up with all of these bands from 1982 to 1985, and this book gives you not only their story, but the story of the label, and label boss, Stephen Pearce. This is the first book I have ever read that is comprised of quotes, but it works so well because each quote works off the previous one. I couldn't put this book down, it was that good. I also liked the fact that it set the record straight regarding Cindy Ecstasy, who previously got rail-roaded regarding her time with Soft Cell. I'd love to know what she is up to these days. Highly recommended for anyone who listened to 80's synth music, either then or now. Wesley Doyle is a very gifted author.
March 1, 2024
The primary reason I give this book such a high rating is it gave me an inside look into one of my favorite record labels, with anecdotes and details directly from the all the artists and industry people involved. I really liked reading the various viewpoints, hearing about the artists' successes or struggles and corroborating or refuting the stories and legends that had built up over time.
Because the book is exclusively a collection of quotes and transcriptions, there is almost no narrative, direction or guiding thread to link all the material. This made it not particularly enjoyable to read but nonetheless fascinating.
Highly recommended if you're a fan of Some Bizzare and alternative 80's music.
Because the book is exclusively a collection of quotes and transcriptions, there is almost no narrative, direction or guiding thread to link all the material. This made it not particularly enjoyable to read but nonetheless fascinating.
Highly recommended if you're a fan of Some Bizzare and alternative 80's music.
Read
September 9, 2023Rather than being a conventional biography of the Some Bizzare record label, or Stevo its founder, this is a chronological series of soundbites from each of the important players. This features contributions by artists (including Marc Almond who stayed with Stevo for the longest period), Dave Ball also of Soft Cell, one member of Einstuerzende Neubauten (fell out with Stevo, ended up working for competing record companies), The The, Psychic TV, Coil, Cabaret Voltaire, and others, plus some journalists, and Stevo himself obviously.
April 13, 2023
For those interested in the world of independent record labels from the eighties this is an interesting and important read.
Lots of typo's and text errors through the whole book.
It could be of help if besides the names of the person being interviewed also the name of the band they were in would have been mentoined.
The book could easily be about 25 % shorter without leaving neccesary stuff out.
Lots of typo's and text errors through the whole book.
It could be of help if besides the names of the person being interviewed also the name of the band they were in would have been mentoined.
The book could easily be about 25 % shorter without leaving neccesary stuff out.
August 11, 2023
An important historical note for Generation X, and probably an interesting read for the generations following us. There are too many 'talking heads' that don't really add much. The narrative could have been strengthened, by sticking to the crucial protagonists that made up 'Some Bizzare'. Nevertheless, it is easy enough to speed-read through the noise and get to the relevant events.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.