Animal Nightlife

Animal Nightlife was a British group in the 1980s. It consisted of Andy Polaris on vocals, Leonardo Chignoli on bass, Steve Brown on guitar, Billy Chapman on saxophone and Paul Waller on drums. Founded in 1980 in the London night club scene,their sound has been described as white funk or cool jazz – a 1980s dance sound that is rooted in blues, soul, R&B and jazz. They are described by one reviewer as "a staunchly Labour collective" whose instrumentals tended to impart escapism. The group started as friends who enjoyed the nightlife at various clubs, including Blitz and Le Beat Route. They decided to create a group with their "love of swing, jazz, and funk", but needed a lead vocalist. They joined up with Andy Polaris, who at the time was Boy George's roommate. By 1983, they had opened for bands like Blue Rondo à la Turk and gained a following in gay clubs. Their debut single, "Love Is Just The Great Pretender" and the follow-up "Native Boy", came out on the Innervision label. The latter entered the UK Singles Chart at Number 60 in 1983. In August 1984, they reached Number 25 with "Mr. Solitaire", their most successful release. They hit the chart again in July 1985 with a re-recording of "Love is Just the Great Pretender", which reached Number 28. Their first album, Shangri-La, was released on Island Records a month later in August 1985. The band ended its recording career in 1988 after the release of their second non-compilation album, Lush Life, on Virgin subsidiary 10 Records. A "best of" album was released on the Music Club label in 2000. In November 2016, Shangri-la was re-issued in a deluxe two-CD edition by Cherry Red.