Re-Flex

The British new wave band Re-Flex had one nearly forgotten Top 40 smash, 1983's "The Politics of Dancing," that became a staple of '80s compilation CDs in the '90s. Featuring Baxter (vocals, guitar), Paul Fishman (keyboards), Nigel Ross-Scott (bass), and Roland Vaughan Kerridge (drums), Re-Flex were shamelessly derivative, pillaging from Heaven 17, Gary Numan, and David Bowie in massive doses. In fact, "The Politics of Dancing" could've been mistaken for a Heaven 17 tune. Nevertheless, the group had a knack for crafting radio-friendly hooks, and "the politics of ooo feeling good" line in "The Politics of Dancing" sounded irresistible in clubs and on new wave stations. The track peaked at number 24 on the Billboard charts on November 26, 1983. However, the song wasn't catchy enough for the producers of Footloose; they rejected the tune in favor of Shalamar's "Dancing in the Sheets." Re-Flex's debut album, The Politics of Dancing, was also released in 1983; they recorded the follow-up, Humanication, in 1985 and then split up. "The Politics of Dancing" was resurrected on '80s retrospectives in the '90s, and the full-length was even finally issued on CD. In 2000, Fishman and ex-Frankie Goes to Hollywood member Peter Gill formed the experimental outfit London, Ltd., releasing About Eight Minutes in 2001. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide