Controversial band is set to reunite for the first time in 30 years after their song was banned for receiving ONE Ofcom complaint – but do YOU recognise them?

One of the most prolific pop groups of the 1970s has announced that they are getting back together, more than thirty years after their last performance.

The group released six top 20 singles in eight years before going their separate ways in 1974.

It also faced controversy in later years when their signature song Melting Pot was banned by Ofcom for containing ‘derogatory references to certain ethnic groups’, despite receiving only one complaint.

The band has reunited in the past, but two members will reunite for a one-off show at London’s Cadogan Hall on April 13.

Do you recognize the group?

It’s blue mink!

Originally formed by Madeline Bell, Roger Cook, Roger Coulam, Alan Parker, Herbie Flowers and Barry Morgan, the band’s debut song Melting Pot was released in 1969 and reached number three in the charts.

At the time, there were few British pop groups with a female singer and even fewer where the female singer was black. If the band had a sense of novelty, that may have been intentional.

Until then, Madeline, who was a backing singer for Dusty Springfield and sang on Joe Cocker’s cover of The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends, had had limited success.

Following the success of Melting Pot, Blue Mink reached the top 10 again in 1971 with their song Banner Man, before reaching number nine with 1973’s Randy.

Later songs failed to find an audience and they split in 1974. Elton John announced them on stage for their last performance in America.

The band reformed in 1976 with Mike Mordan in the lead role, and recorded several other singles before splitting up again the following year.

But now singer Madeline will reunite with fellow singer Roger for a one-off show in the coming months.

After receiving rave reviews at Madeline’s sold-out concert last year to celebrate Madeline’s 80th birthday, she is set to perform again in London with the world’s most recorded orchestra of its kind: the English Chamber Orchestra.

Sticking to the basics, conductor and arranger Matthew Jones delves deeper into Bell’s near-endless discography to present a new program featuring his celebrated choir.

The show showcases her gospel beginnings and time as an in-demand session singer for the likes of Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker and The Rolling Stones, as well as her solo career, which dates back to albums such as Bell’s a Poppin’, Do Things and This is One Girl.

Roger remains one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation. He wrote, among others, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony), You’ve Got Your Troubles and Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart.

Although Blue Mink’s most famous song was originally written as a plea for racial harmony, it has taken on a completely different meaning in recent years after being banned by Ofcom in 2019 due to lyrics deemed ‘offensive’.

Ofcom said references to ‘curly Latin kinkies’ and ‘yellow Chinkies’ were too extreme for modern audiences.

The media watchdog said ‘Chinky’ was an unacceptable anti-China slur and was made worse by the use of the word ‘yellow’.

Other words deemed unsuitable for the ears of easily offended modern listeners included “Red Indian boy” and “coffee-colored people” because of the risk of hurting minority groups.

The ruling means that the hit cannot be played without contextual justification and is therefore banned by several radio stations.

Speaking to The Ny Breaking about the ban in 2019, bass guitarist Herbie admitted he was baffled by the row caused by a single complaint to Ofcom over the song’s airing on golden oldies radio station Gold.

‘I guess we were just quite naive musicians. Racism and sexism were not part of our consciousness then,” he says.

‘I don’t think it occurred to any of us that there was anything wrong with it. People didn’t say ‘what a terrible text’, they thought it was quite catchy.

‘Of course I understand why it wouldn’t be so acceptable now, but as it is now, there are much worse things being played on Radio 1 these days, songs full of obscenities and violence.’

For Herbie, the dispute resembles a similar row over the Lou Reed song Walk On The Wild Side, which he featured on and which was banned from the airwaves for its references to “colored girls.”

“I think there are much more important things to worry about these days than musical lyrics, like the fast trucks driving through our town and the lack of a crosswalk,” he said.

At the time, Blue Mink’s sound was described as ‘white soul’.

For her part, Madeline said of the lyrics, “They captured the mood of the moment, I think.

‘It was meant as an ironic comment, but many people take it seriously. Obviously, the idea of ​​mixing up all colors, races and religions is quite ridiculous.

“And even if we were all green with blue hair, we’d still find something to argue about.”

Madeline Bell with the English Chamber Orchestra: Encore!, presented by Paul Gambaccini, takes place at Cadogan Hall on April 13. Tickets are on sale now.