More than 20 years ago, Vince Clarke spread the word
that he was looking for a singer to join him in his
new project. A former member of the bands Depeche Mode
and Yazoo, keyboardist Clarke had a vision for a new
band, but he wasn’t exactly having any luck finding
the ideal bandmate. Then Andy Bell auditioned.
Clarke and Bell hit it off, and Erasure was born. Erasure
released their first album, “Wonderland,”
in 1986, and it tanked, receiving devastatingly bad
reviews, and racking few sales. To counteract the disappointment
of their first album, Erasure quickly released the single
“Sometimes.” “Sometimes” shot
to the second spot on the British charts, and was only
a preview of the success Erasure would have in the ensuing
twenty years.
Their sophomore offering, “The Circus,”
hit store shelves in 1987, and remained steady at number
six on the British charts. It wasn’t until the
following year and the release of “The Innocents”
that Erasure hit pay dirt. “The Innocents”
jumped to the number one slot on the British charts,
making Erasure a bona fide success.
But there was still one more hurdle Erasure needed
to face: the tough U.S. market. Having released the
single “Chains of Love,” off of “The
Innocents,” Erasure made a huge dent in the American
market, with the single peaking at number 12 on the
U.S. charts.
Erasure quickly became a fan favorite on both sides
of the pond and continued releasing albums on a frequent
basis. In 1988, Erasure released “Crackers International,”
and a year later “Wild” hit store shelves.
In their two decades together, Erasure has released
a total of sixteen albums, including: Union Street (2006),
The Erasure Show (2005), Nightbird (2005), Loveboat
(2000), and Wonderland (1986). Additionally, they’ve
sold more than 14 million albums worldwide.
In 2005, Bell, heralded as one of the first openly
gay musicians, shocked fans by sharing that he was diagnosed
with HIV in 1998. Soon thereafter, Erasure’s album
“Nightbird,” was released.
As they have grown and evolved as musicians, Erasure
has continued to thrill fans and win new fans, so much
so that Erasure concert tickets are one of the most
popular tickets around.
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