Fine Young Cannibals

Fine Young Cannibals are a soulful and exceptional British pop-rock band from Birmingham, England. The group was formed in 1984 after the disintegration of the British ska revival outfit the Beat. Bassist Andy Cox and guitarist David Steele recruited singer Roland Gift to form Fine Young Cannibals (more than 500 potential singers auditioned for the spot before Cox and Steele decided on Gift). The band's unusual name was inspired by the 1960 film "All the Fine Young Cannibals." The group released their self-titled debut album in 1985. Fine Young Cannibals had two Top 10 UK pop chart hits with the rousing "Johnny Come Home" and an excellent cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds;" both of these songs peaked at #8. The group appeared as a nightclub house band in the 1987 movie "Tin Men." Fine Young Cannibals released their second album "The Raw and the Cooked" in 1988. The band scored massive international smashes with the stirring songs "Good Thing" and "She Drives Me Crazy," both of which soared to the #1 spot on the American Top 40 pop charts in 1989. Fine Young Cannibals broke up in 1992. The band briefly reunited to record the single "The Flame" and released the greatest hits album "The Finest" in 1996. Their songs have been featured on the soundtracks to such films as "Something Wild," "Down Twisted," "Gross Anatomy," "The Handmaid's Tale," "Opportunity Knocks," "Fever Pitch," "Hitch," "Nothing Is Private," and "Doomsday." Gift went on to reactivate the band name and toured as Roland Gift and the Fine Young Cannibals in the 2000s.