80s night: The Teardrop Explodes

Where were you when you first heard "Reward"? I was sitting at home on my sofa one Saturday afternoon early in 1981 when I heard it on BBC Radio 1 and immediately was blown away. I wanted to know everything about this band and hear every record they'd ever made, so promptly went out and bought the "Kilimanjaro" album and all their previous singles. Immediately fell in love with Julian Cope after seeing him on "Top of The Pops" dressed in his flying jacket (!) Spent 1981 and the early part of 1982 as obsessive Teardrops fan, whilst realising that Mr Cope was, er, a "complex character" with self-destructive musical tendencies. This meant that the Teardrops would have a limited shelf-life: after the underrated "Wilder" album there was only a 12" EP and not much more. Following a solo career Julian Cope turned his attention to archaeology and prehistoric monuments: a genuine eccentric whom we celebrate this evening.