Early days (1977–1980) Richard Butler stated that the Psychedelic Furs began rehearsing in his family's front room but were soon banished because of the noise. The band was initially called RKO, then Radio. They later vacillated between calling themselves the Europeans and the Psychedelic Furs, playing gigs under both names before permanently settling on the latter. The word psychedelic was chosen to separate the band from
punk rockers who ostentatiously scorned the legacy of 1960s rock music. The band initially consisted of Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass guitar), Duncan Kilburn (saxophone), Paul Wilson (drums), and Roger Morris (guitars). By 1979, this line-up had expanded to a sextet with Vince Ely replacing Wilson on drums and
John Ashton joining as a second guitarist. In 1982, the band was reduced to a quartet with the departures of Morris and Kilburn and moved to the U.S. in search of a producer. A more overtly commercial effort than their prior recordings, the album also featured the single "
Heartbreak Beat", the Furs' biggest Top 40 hit in the US. The album also featured drummer Paul Garisto and saxophonist
Mars Williams, both of whom toured with the band. In the wake of
Midnight to Midnight, Ely returned, and the Furs issued the single "
All That Money Wants", a track recorded for the 1988
best-of compilation album All of This and Nothing. 1989's
Book of Days, produced by the band and
David M. Allen, featured the singles "Should God Forget" and "
House". Produced by the band and
Stephen Street, 1991's
World Outside included the single "
Until She Comes" and was the Furs' final studio album for nearly three decades. which included a new studio recording, "Alive (For Once in My Lifetime)". In 2006, Richard Butler released a solo album,
Richard Butler. Since re-forming in 2001, the band continued to tour worldwide. The current Psychedelic Furs touring line-up includes Richard Butler, Tim Butler,
Zack Alford,
Amanda Kramer, and
Rich Good. In 2017, the band's 1984 single "The Ghost in You" was featured in the second season of
Netflix hit series
Stranger Things and was included on the
Sony Music soundtrack companion to the season,
Stranger Things: Music from the Netflix Original Series, released in October 2017. That same year, the band's 1982 single "Love My Way" was played several times in the
Oscar-nominated film
Call Me by Your Name. The Psychedelic Furs released their eighth studio album
Made of Rain on 31 July 2020 to positive reviews. This release marked the first full-length studio album by the band since 1991's
World Outside. It became the band's second-highest charting UK Album ever and featured at the end-of-year Best Albums roundup in
Mojo,
Uncut,
Classic Pop, ABC's
Good Morning America, and
Vive Le Rock among others. Richard Butler co-wrote songs with
Martin Gore for
Depeche Mode's fifteenth studio album
Memento Mori (2023), including the lead single "
Ghosts Again". Saxophonist Mars Williams died on 20 November 2023, with his final performance being October 14, 2023, at the Pearl Concert Theater, Las Vegas. ==Members==