“And You Know We’re Homosapien, Too”

On This Date, August 24th in 1981: Pete Shelley released his first post-Buzzcocks single, the very fun dance hit “Homosapien.” The single did not chart in the UK, helped in great part by a BBC ban on the song because of its underlying reference to homosexuality. By the late ’80s, Shelley had re-formed the classic lineup of The Buzzcocks for some touring and, soon after, a new Buzzcocks was created with Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle forming the core. They still record and perform today. I interviewed Pete Shelley a number of years ago and was quite amused when he told me that he’d never been employed outside of music because, “Having a day job is something I just can’t get my head around.”