Breathe

(c’84-’92) David Glasper (vocals), Marcus Lillington, (guitar), Ian “Spike” Spice (drums), and Michael Delahunty (bass).

Four ex-members of Yateley’s Catch-22 worked on some demos that struck a chord with Virgin Records A&R, leading to a contract with subsidiary Siren Records in ’85. In May ’85 they were in the studio with producer Bob Sargeant, releasing the “Don’t Tell Me Lies” single in January ’86, which reached No.77 in the UK Singles Chart. But, May ’86’s follow-up “In All Honesty” failed to chart.

Producer-engineer Chris Porter was commissioned to take a look at them in ’87, remixing “Hands to Heaven” and 7 other tracks. Up-tempo “Jonah” was released in May ’87. A couple of months later, in July ’87, the “All That Jazz” LP was completed and A&M Records released it in the US in August ’87 along with “Jonah” as the band’s first stateside single, failing to chart again. Also in August, Siren released the “All That Jazz” single as a prelude to the LP scheduled for an UK release in October ’87. The LP carried two of Breathe’s best-known hits, “Hands to Heaven” (No.2 in US, No.4 in UK) and “How Can I Fall?” (No.3 in the US).

In ’88, manager Karl Adams and Delahunty left the ‘project’. Breathe opened 10 dates for Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Good Heavens Tour’ in September ’88, including Hammersmith Odeon on 16 September ’88. That same month the “All That Jazz” LP was re-released in the U.K. In October ’88 they performed at the Ku Club, Ibiza at the Ibiza ’92 Music Festival. In January ’89 A&M issued “Don’t Tell Me Lies,” in the US, reaching No.10; making Breathe the first group to achieve three Top 10 singles from a debut album for A&M. In May ’89, Billboard Magazine named Glasper and Lillington in its top 20 pop songwriters for ’88. The second LP, “Peace of Mind”, was released in August ’90 in the U.K., Europe and internationally, and issued in the United States the following month. Three singles were released from this LP: “Say A Prayer” (No.3 in US, No.93 in UK); “Say Hello” (No.88 in UK), and “Does She Love That Man?” (No.34 in US). By ’92 Breathe disbanded.

Glasper was last heard of 2014, somewhere in Thailand, and about to become a grandfather. Lillington co-founded web design firm called Headscape in 2002 and co-hosted the web design podcast, Boagworld.com. He was in Hampshire based Skiffle/country/blues band, The Showdogs, c’2000, and Stroke the Toad around 2008 with former Catch-22 member Phill Harrison. Spice died, reportedly in a car accident, in Thailand in September 2000. Delahunty is a mystery.

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