Mighty Mighty

The British band Mighty Mighty developed a larger following in Japan than they did in their native country. However, the group's Japanese fan base evolved posthumously; the band was actually only active for a few years. Mighty Mighty was formed in Birmingham, England, in 1986 by Hugh Harkin (vocals, harmonica), Mick Geoghegan (guitar), Peter Geoghegan (organ, guitar), Russell Burton (bass), and David Hennessey (drums). They made their debut at the NME/ICA Rock Week concerts and were even included on a C-86 cassette compilation. Mighty Mighty released their first single, "Everybody Knows the Monkey," in 1986. Often compared to Orange Juice, Mighty Mighty only recorded one LP, 1988's Sharks, before splitting up. The band's jangly singles and B-sides were collected on The Girlie Years, the title referring to the name of the group's own label. Vinyl Japan also released Mighty Mighty's BBC sessions in 2001. The band's popularity in Japan resulted from a keen interest in U.K. guitar pop among indie collectors.