Birmingham's original punk group, The Prefects, had been part of The Clash's 'White Riot Tour', recorded a couple of Peel sessions and released a 45 on Rough Trade (plus they had two retrospective cds issued in the naughties to all round rave reviews, from Rolling Stone to webzines).
The Nightingales was formed by former members of The Prefects following that band's demise in 1979.
A seminal and uniquely English art rock band, The Nightingales helped bring much needed experimentation and iconoclasm to the indulgent '80's and at the same time were being publicly praised by assorted music biz elite, from Alan Mcgee to John Taylor of Duran Duran.With an ever fluctuating line up, based around their gifted wordsmith Robert Lloyd, the 'gales enjoyed cult status in the early '80's as darlings of the credible music scene and were championed by John Peel, who said of them - "their performances will serve to confirm their excellence when we are far enough distanced from the 1980's to look at the period rationally and other, infinitely better known, bands stand revealed as charlatans".
The group recorded a bunch of critically acclaimed singles (almost always 'single of the week' in the music press) and three albums, plus many radio sessions for their great supporter Peel - indeed more than any other band bar The Fall. They also regularly toured the UK and Northern Europe, as headliners and supporting acts as diverse as Bo Diddley and Nico, before splitting up in the late '80's.
The Nightingales reformed occasionally but infrequently before re-grouping in earnest in spring 2004, with Lloyd being joined by original prefects guitarist Alan Apperley. after fucking about with various wastrels, precious sorts and mercenaries (plus teen guitar sensation Matt Wood and Volcano the Bear's Aaron Moore) the group's current line up features Lloyd, Apperley, ex Pram drummer Daren Garratt, Andreas Schmid (from Faust studio) on bass and guitarist Christine Edwards (from Christy & Emily).