Cy Curnin’s voice, a stabbing guitar and a lyric that sounds like a warning. In 1983 the Fixx gave American radio “One Thing Leads to Another”, and new wave got a little more paranoid.
From Portraits to the Fixx
The band formed in London in 1979 as Portraits: Cy Curnin on vocals, Jamie West-Oram on guitar, Rupert Greenall on keyboards and Adam Woods on drums, with Dan K. Brown later on bass. They changed the name to the Fixx and signed to MCA. The debut, Shuttered Room (1982), brought “Stand or Fall” and “Red Skies”, and “Red Skies” became an early MTV favorite.
Reach the Beach
Reach the Beach (1983) reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and became their biggest album. “One Thing Leads to Another” was the hit, sharp and twitchy with a chorus you can’t shake. “Saved by Zero” showed the cooler, more reflective side.
Phantoms and beyond
Phantoms (1984) kept the run going with “Are We Ourselves?”, “Sunshine in the Shade” and “Less Cities, More Moving People”. Walkabout (1986), with “Secret Separation”, Calm Animals (1988) and Ink (1991) followed.
Is The Fixx new wave?
Yes. The Fixx are a British new wave band who found their biggest success in America. Their atmospheric keyboards, sharp guitar and Curnin’s anxious, political lyrics made “One Thing Leads to Another” a defining MTV-era new wave single.
They never stopped
Unlike a lot of MTV-era bands, the Fixx kept making records: Want That Life (2003), Beautiful Friction (2012) and Every Five Seconds (2022). They still tour, and new listeners keep finding them. See current dates on New Wave Concerts.
The essential Fixx songs
“Stand or Fall” · “Red Skies” · “One Thing Leads to Another” · “Saved by Zero” · “Deeper and Deeper” · “Are We Ourselves?” · “Sunshine in the Shade” · “Less Cities, More Moving People” · “Secret Separation” · “Built for the Future” · “Driven Out” · “Precious Stone”
The essential albums
Shuttered Room (1982) · Reach the Beach (1983) · Phantoms (1984) · Walkabout (1986) · Calm Animals (1988) · Ink (1991) · Beautiful Friction (2012) · Every Five Seconds (2022)
New to the Fixx? Start here
Reach the Beach, start to finish. Then “Red Skies” and “Stand or Fall” from the debut, which some fans rate even higher.
Like the Fixx? Try these next
- A Flock of Seagulls: atmospheric MTV-era new wave
- The Police: rock, reggae and new wave
- Tears for Fears: emotional, sophisticated pop
- The Psychedelic Furs: atmospheric guitars and big melodies
- Echo & the Bunnymen: moody, cinematic Liverpool rock
- China Crisis: elegant, melodic British new wave
- The Church: lush Australian guitar rock
- Big Country: anthemic guitars and big feelings
Hear The Fixx on New Wave Radio
Request “Saved by Zero” on your next commute.
Official links: thefixx.com · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube · Spotify
