T'Pau

T'Pau was a late-1980s rock group led by singer Carol Decker. They had a string of Top 40 hits in the UK, and several hits in the United States and Europe.

T'Pau formed in 1986. The members originated from the towns of Shrewsbury and Wellington in central England and took their name from a Vulcan high priestess in the classic Star Trek episode Amok Time. Their debut single and first hit was the 1987 release Heart and Soul. Initially a flop in the UK, it first became a hit in the U.S. Billboard charts, reaching #4, a feat it repeated in the UK Singles Chart some months later. The same year, the band had their biggest hit with the ballad, China in Your Hand, which spent five weeks at Number One in the UK chart, and also claimed the top slot in several European countries, although oddly the song made little impact on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

They had a number of smaller hits which made it to at least the UK Top 40, including the singles Valentine, Sex Talk (a new recording of early flop single Intimate Strangers), I Will Be With You, and Secret Garden. Their 1987 album Bridge Of Spies (the album was called T'Pau in the U.S.) was a best seller and won several British record industry awards.

Nevertheless, the band failed to maintain their success and split in 1991. But Decker reformed the band with a new line-up in 1998, and T'Pau have in recent years attempted a comeback.

In May 2005, Carol Decker reached the final round of the ITV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, singing the T'Pau hit China in Your Hand.

See also: Official site