The gothic pop band
Balaam & the Angel were formed in Birmingham, England in 1984 by the Scottish-born
Morris brothers -- vocalist/bassist
Mark, drummer
Des, and guitarist Jim. The siblings started their career while still children, playing men's clubs as a cabaret-styled act; as adults, they began as a more pop-oriented unit, but found themselves affiliated with the goth rock movement after a series of opening dates for
the Cult. After founding their own label, Chapter 22 Records,
Balaam & the Angel released their debut EP, Love Me, in 1985; the subsequent Day and Night brought the group to the attention of Virgin, which issued the full-length
The Greatest Story Ever Told in 1987. After touring in support of
Iggy Pop and
Kiss, the group resurfaced with second guitarist Ian McKean in 1988 with the harder-edged
Live Free or Die. Like its predecessor, the LP failed to make a dent in the charts, but
Balaam & the Angel soldiered on, traveling to San Francisco to record 1989's
Days of Madness; when it also failed commercially, Virgin opted to cut their losses and dropped the band from their contract. Under the abbreviated name
Balaam, they issued the 1991 heavy metal EP No More Innocence; Prime Time followed in 1993. ~ Jason Ankeny