Lene Lovich: How ‘Lucky Number’ birthed a new wave icon

Posted On October 12, 2024October 12, 2024

New wave marked the point at which the subversive punk rock revolution turned mainstream. Groups like Blondie or Talking Heads, who had begun life as defiant, revolutionary punk bands, suddenly found mainstream success with colourful, polished, pop-centric anthems, making a plethora of artists household names in the process. On the flip side, the advent of new wave also produced a variety of one-hit wonders and groundbreaking artists who went underappreciated and overlooked despite penning some of the era’s greatest efforts.

Although punk rock largely had its roots in the concrete jungle of New York City, it soon became a transatlantic affair, with England fostering an equally vibrant and inventive punk scene. For the most part, this cross-ocean musical synergy continued with the arrival of new wave, too. In fact, some of England’s biggest new wave stars were American in origin, like the strange case of Lene Lovich, who had relocated to Hull from her beginnings in Detroit during the 1960s.

Lovich already boasted a more diverse background than most new wave artists, the product of an American father and a Serbian mother. Furthermore, growing up in the musical haven of Detroit before being plucked up and moved to the grey industrialism of Hull as a teenager is a journey very few people have experienced. So, when Lovich first began experimenting with creating her own music alongside guitarist Les Chappell, the results were expectedly diverse, original, and compelling.

Throughout the early 1970s, Lovich honed her musical and performance craft by taking a variety of strange, odd jobs and opportunities. At any given point in a week, you could have found Lovich busking in tube stations, working as a dancer in cabaret clubs, or touring the nation as a session saxophonist. Although these experiences might have worn down any normal person into giving up on their musical ambitions for something a little less tiresome, Lovich managed to channel all of these strange and unique experiences into her own material.

Despite being a relative unknown throughout much of the decade, Lovich still managed to earn her keep in the music industry. Not only did she perform alongside Arthur Brown in the Royal Albert Hall, but she also wrote lyrics and music for the popular French disco star Cerrone, alongside creating music with her own funk group, the Diversions. Ultimately, it was inevitable that Lovich would end up being a star in her own right; her story was simply too unique and compelling for her to be anything other than a musician.

So, when the early days of new wave started to creep into the UK music scene, Lovich was perfectly positioned to take advantage. After recording a version of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tommy James and the Shondells, Lovich was signed to Stiff Records, one of the most renowned and influential independent labels of the punk age. Record label boss Dave Robinson thought the cover version would be a hit, but Lovich and Chappell would have to write a B-side on very short notice in order to get the 45 rpm single published.

This short writing and recording period eventually produced the song ‘Lucky Number’. Undoubtedly, the singer’s defining track, ‘Lucky Number’ eventually found its way onto the A-side of her Stiff Records release, which, in turn, made it all the way to number three in the UK singles chart. In those days, it was particularly impressive for a previously unknown, largely unadvertised musician on an independent label to reach such commercial success. In essence, Lovich introduced the distinctive sound of new wave to UK audiences for the first time when the single was released in 1979.

Over the next three years, Lovich would find herself in the singles charts five more times, with tracks like ‘Say When’, ‘Bird Song’, and ‘It’s You, It’s Only You’. While she never managed to recapture the commercial success of ‘Lucky Number,’ Lovich had successfully cemented herself as an icon of the new wave scene, and her music continues to be loved by a dedicated cult audience.

Her golden age might have been during the Stiff Records period of 1978 to 1983, but Lovich certainly has not fallen by the wayside in the intervening four decades. Having performed alongside a wide range of artists, from East German punk prodigy Nina Hagen to the dark cabaret masters The Dresden Dolls, Lovich’s appeal has never waned for those who favour originality and intrigue in their music.

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