The band of six was founded by
Brian Hibbard in 1982 from a group of
actors who had been active with him in
John McGrath's
7:84 theatre group, a fringe theatre organisation who had sung
a cappella in their production of the 1981 play
One Big Blow. The group chose the name the Flying Pickets as band members had played a part in the
UK miners' strikes of 1972 and
1974. Performing in clubs and pubs in
London, the Flying Pickets came up with a concept of transferring the art of
a cappella to the
pop music scene. Joining Hibbard in the group were
Rick Lloyd (who also wrote the music to
One Big Blow), Gareth Williams,
David Brett, Ken Gregson (real name Kenneth Gregory) and Red Stripe (real name David Gittins). The members were internationally renowned for their flamboyant appearance: Hibbard's huge sideburns, Stripe's thick eye-liner, and the others showing off gaudy suits and large hats. Two of the other original members,
Ron Donachie and
Christopher Ryan, left the band before "Only You". "Only You", their first
single, was the UK Christmas number one in 1983, spending five weeks at the top, A second single, a cover version of
Van McCoy's "
(When You're) Young and in Love" (originally written for
Ruby and the Romantics), reached number 7 in the UK, but their third, a cover of the
Eurythmics' "
Who's That Girl", barely
charted. Hibbard and Stripe tried to stay in the
music industry, forming their own act called Brian and Stripe, but their first and only single, a cover version of Yazoo's "
Mr. Blue", failed to chart, and they returned to their separate acting careers. In 1987, the Flying Pickets sang the title song (in Latin,
Dives in Omnia) and endtitles reprise to
Porterhouse Blue, in the style of a medieval university drinking-song. The group sang two songs on the
Eric Woolfson/
Alan Parsons 1990 album
Freudiana. The Flying Pickets' line-up has changed throughout the years, but the band never died; since the Pickets began, there have been around 27 members. The last member of the original line-up, David Brett, left the band in 1990. However, in 1994, the original line-up (minus Lloyd) reformed to record one more album. ,
Drax Power Station, 1984 Although none of the founding members have been part of the group since 1990, the Flying Pickets continue to record albums and tour all over Europe and abroad. ==Post-Picket activities==