And if someone comes along and says “do you guys want to do an EP?” then we’ll think about that. So you’re not anticipating recording any new-new material? I don’t particularly want to get back together with the original band unless it’s something spectacular – but maybe that will come along. And it was over and done, I came back to America and where it goes from there I’m not sure.
And it just so happened that two of the guys were in Liverpool - where we’re basically from - and I was there for a family visit, so it was quickly, “let’s get together for an afternoon, do some filming.” And it was good as far as nostalgia goes, we were chatting, and everyone knew let’s not bring up old shit, so we got along nicely. Well, we only got together for one day, and that was when we were making a video. Because the record company was like “let’s get this out in a couple months.” We wanted to make it easy for ourselves and let the record company do the work, because it was really their idea. And that was the quickest way for us all to play it. A couple have different intros, but personally, if I see a band live, I don’t like them to change it too much. We didn’t want to change much, just add the orchestra and give it a different edge. Re-recording these well-known songs, was there some pressure? You have to think “well, we can’t really best the hit version”? And it’s not like the old days where you had to be together - we could be recording in separate studios. We just had to go back and do stuff we knew. And everyone concerned with the original hits is playing on these new ones, so we didn’t have to work hard. So I agreed, and he said “well what about the original guys?” And I said “if you can get them, I’ll do it.” And they were into it.
But this one, out of the blue, John Bryan (of August Day) said, “How would you feel about doing your hits orchestral?” And I never imagined doing anything like that - but I’d like to hear it myself. I wanted to move on a bit for my own solo thing, so I gave it a go but then went back to my own thing. Twelve or so years ago we did a bit of a reunion, and that didn’t work out well for me. So Ascension is the first recording with the original four since 1984. But additionally, they’re delving into what has become a strangely satisfying late-career choice for bands: A symphonically augmented hits album (The Beach Boys and Foreigner have recently gone the same route).Īnd for A Flock of Seagulls, their new album, Ascension, is something special – it finds the original quartet reunited on a recording for the first time since 1984, with Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds reteaming to rework gems like “I Ran (So Far Away),” “Space Age Love Song” and “Wishing (I Had a Photograph of You)” with the Prague Symphony Orchestra.Īhead of its release, frontman Mike Score got on the phone with Billboard to talk about the reunion, writing their most iconic song and what he thinks about the band’s continued pop culture relevance. But 23 years after their last album – and 34 years after gracing the Billboard Hot 100 - what’s left for the band to do? Well, there’s obviously the touring route – and sure enough, they’re in the midst of the Lost ’80s Live tour with fellow new wave vets The Romantics and Men Without Hats.
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