One of more memorable acts to rise from the British new wave scene of the late '70s, the Fabulous Poodles combined a lean, rootsy sound (complete with fiddle) and bar band stomp with an insouciant energy and a very British sense of humor that won them a cult following in the U.K. and the U.S. Originally a pub rock act known as the Poodles, they released their first album in 1977. While the debut and 1978's Unsuitable were only modestly successful at home, their American debut, Mirror Stars (featuring tracks from the first two albums) sold well thanks to heavy touring and radio play of the title track. While 1979's Think Pink was musically strong, it didn't match the success of Mirror Stars, and in 1980 the band folded, though occasional reissues of its catalog kept the group's legacy alive.

The Fabulous Poodles began life simply as the Poodles, a band active on the U.K. pub rock circuit. Formed in London in 1974, the Poodles featured Tony de Meur on lead vocals and guitar; Jon Bentley on bass and vocals; Bob Suffolk on piano; Bobby Valentino on violin, mandolin, and vocals; and Gordon Coxon on drums. (John Parsons, while never a proper member of the Poodles, would contribute songwriting to the group throughout its career.) The Poodles earned a reputation for their eccentric live shows, featuring a strong dose of comedy and the use of props on-stage, and they landed a one-off record deal with Private Stock Records, which issued "Chicago Boxcar (Boston Back)" b/w "Love and Sorrow" in early 1975. The single flopped, and Bentley, Suffolk, and Coxon left the group (Suffolk went on to a successful career designing recording studios). Bringing aboard a new rhythm section -- bassist Richie Robertson and drummer Bryn Burrows -- the group soldiered on as the Fabulous Poodles, and as punk and new wave became the latest news in British rock, their offbeat style and quirky humor found a context where they fit in. In 1977, they signed with Pye Records, and their debut album, simply titled The Fabulous Poodles and produced by John Entwistle of the Who, appeared later that year. While the album received a positive review from rock critic and DJ John Peel and earned the band a spot on the BBC music series The Old Grey Whistle Test (where the group's antics managed to outrage host Bob Harris), the album didn't fare well commercially, despite extensive touring in the U.K. and Europe.

Undaunted, the Fabulous Poodles headed back to the studio and emerged with 1978's Unsuitable; six tracks were produced by Muff Winwood, while the group produced the rest in collaboration with Howard Kilgour. In England, Unsuitable didn't make much of an impression on the charts, but that same year the Fabulous Poodles signed an American record deal with Epic Records, and they soon issued Mirror Stars, an album compiled from tunes recorded for The Fabulous Poodles and Unsuitable. Epic had confidence in the Fabulous Poodles, and they toured the United States extensively, headlining clubs and playing larger venues opening for Sha Na Na, the Ramones, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty, and Chuck Berry (where they also served as Berry's backing band). The title song on Mirror Stars achieved some scattered airplay in the States, and the LP ended up reaching number 61 on the U.S. album chart, more than respectable for a British new wave act in 1978.

Having found an audience in the United States, the Fabulous Poodles returned to London to begin work on their third album, and Think Pink was released in 1979; Epic handled the American release, while the band was moved to Pye's rock subsidiary Blueprint Records for the U.K. While "Bionic Man" and a cover of the Everly Brothers' "Man with Money" were released as singles, Think Pink didn't match Mirror Stars' American success, peaking at number 185 on the U.S. charts. With their career fading on both sides of the Atlantic, the Fabulous Poodles broke up near the end of 1980. Tony de Meur went on to a career as an actor, comedian, and writer under the name Ronnie Golden. Bobby Valentino enjoyed a successful career as a studio musician and sideman, while also recording with his band Los Pistoleros and occasionally working as an actor and model. Bryn Burrows later drummed with Freur, Underworld, and Ron Chadwick. And Richie Robertson played with U.K. country artist Hank Wangford before moving to the United States and joining Barrence Whitfield the Savages. In 2018, the British Cherry Red label released Mirror Stars: The Complete Pye Recordings 1976-1980, a three-disc set featuring expanded editions of the Fabulous Poodles' three U.K. albums. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi