The band was formed in 1983 as the brainchild of lead vocalist/keyboardist Nick Richards, who had just purchased Maison Rouge Recording Studios in London.
By the mid-1980s, the band's line-up had stabilised around principal members Richards and keyboardist Brian Chatton (one of the session players on the debut EP), along with Jeff Seopardi on drums, Nico Ramsden on guitar, and Mark Smith on bass.
Chatton previously played keyboards with 1970s progressive band Jackson Heights, contributing heavily to their last three albums, The Fifth Avenue Bus in 1972, Ragamuffin's Fool published the same year and Bump 'n' Grind in 1973.
They would go on to release two full-length albums: a self-titled debut in 1986, which included "I Wanna Be a Cowboy", and a follow-up the following year titled Who the Am Dam Do You Think We Am.
The follow-up single to "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" was (necessarily perhaps) a complete departure; "Cities On Fire", an energetic rush of synth-rock which was released in 7" and 12" remix form, received early attention from MTV but failed to connect with fans of the novelty hit and didn't receive enough airplay to create a new fanbase.
On 30 July 1997, co-writers Nick Richards and Brian Chatton sued Paula Cole, Warner Brothers Records, and Imago Records, along with remix producers DJ EFX, Big Ed, and the E-Team, for $7 million in the US District Court for the Central District of California, claiming that Cole's remix of "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?"
Rather, the name has its origins in some whispered lyrics from fellow British band 10cc's hit song "I'm Not in Love" (specifically, "be quiet... big boys don't cry").
[2] However, the band were evidently completely aware of (and perhaps amused by) the confusion surrounding their name, and they even included an (almost-entirely) instrumental bonus track titled "The Cure" on their second album as a joke.
[citation needed] The band played a New Year's Eve show in Hollywood with special guest stars including Roy Hay from Culture Club and Nina Hagen.