The Paris Angels "Perfume" (1991, Virgin)

Despite being the optimum age for 'Madchester', I could never bring myself to invest in a pair of flares.  As usual, I surveyed the scene from a safe distance: Birmingham, to be precise.  I did buy a few of the records though, including the 12" of "Perfume" by the Paris Angels which had been given the seal of approval by John Peel and had reached the giddy height of number 6 in his 1990 Festive Fifty.

"Perfume" is a storming four-on-the-floor belter, quite unlike most of the laid-back 'baggy' fare of the time.  Originally released in 1990 on the Sheer Joy label, the track was later beefed up and re-issued when the band signed to Virgin.  Tellingly, the song was the result of a collaboration with “Blue Monday” engineer Michael Johnson.  The mix of squelchy acid synthesizers with jangly guitars and morose male/female vocals is somehow looser than New Order, with the 'Loved Up' version of “Perfume” bounding along like an over-excited puppy.

Despite the massive popularity of "Perfume" in indie circles, The Paris Angels never managed to cross over into the mainstream.  Their album "Sundew" failed to shift major label units and when Virgin was sold to EMI the band was one of the many acts that were culled.