Despite heavy rotation on MTV and other music video shows at that time, the single was only moderately successful, and the album's other two singles – 'Never Again (The Dancer)' and 'Remember David' (released only in a few European countries) – did not make any headway. Faced with disappointment, the group changed direction from their science fiction themes and produced a more conceptual emotion-based third album in 1984 called The Story of a Young Heart, with 'The More You Live, the More You Love' as the lead single. Three more singles were released from Listen in 1983, including a re-recorded version of their debut single '(It's Not Me) Talking', but they were only minor successes in the UK and abroad.

On Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday,, A Flock of Seagulls performed at the US Festival along with Oingo Boingo, Men at Work, and others. Later, the band was praised for having broken the ground for other musical acts during the advent of the video music area, but as it turned out, 1982 was the peak year of their commercial and critical success. In late 1982, the band finally found major success in their home country with 'Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)', the first single from their next album Listen, which reached the Top 10. The track 'D.N.A.' won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Their debut album and single 'Space Age Love Song' were both successful. In 1982, the group's fourth single 'I Ran (So Far Away)', produced by Mike Howlett, the former bass player of the band Gong, became a worldwide hit, reaching number 1 in Australia and the Top 10 in both the US and New Zealand. This 5 track EP was also their first release in the U.S. Originally released as a 4 track EP on both 7' and 12', the 12' edition was soon reissued, adding 'Telecommunication'. Their third release was the EP 'Modern Love is Automatic'. The single was also produced by Nelson and became a club hit. They were then signed to major label Jive, distributed through CBS records, where they released their second single 'Telecommunication'. The group released their debut single '(It's Not Me) Talking', on Bill Nelson's Cocteau label. Eventually, under the management of Harry Maguire, Tommy Crossan, and Mick Rossi, all directors of Checkmount Limited, they began to release singles through Jive Records.

They recorded sessions for John Peel's show on BBC Radio 1 in May 1981. The band practised above Mike Score's hair salon, and then started playing clubs, eventually signing a recording contract. Soon afterwards, Edmondson departed to make way for a returning Ali, while teenager Paul Reynolds, a close friend of Edmondson, replaced Woo at the behest of Maudsley, thus creating the band's classic line-up. Guitarist Willie Woo was added, while Mark Edmondson replaced Ali on drums when the Score brothers fell out. The original line-up of the band featured Mike on lead vocals and keyboards, Ali Score on drums, and Frank Maudsley on bass. According to Mike Score, the band's name was taken from the song 'Toiler on the Sea' by punk rock band the Stranglers and the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Historyġ979–1986: Formation and mainstream successĪ Flock of Seagulls were started by Mike Score in late 1979 in Liverpool. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, hit the peak of their chart success in the early 1980s. A Flock of Seagulls are an English new wave band formed in Liverpool in 1979.

Flocks of seagull