Lost in the mists of musical history, the Monochrome Set appeared in the hazy period just after punk and hung around for a good two decades, releasing clever albums full of hook-crammed melodies and coloured with a dark sense of humour.
Frontman Bid's arch vocals gave the band a wonderful camp quality, and it was probably his lyrical smarts that alerted a young Morrissey to their presence; they were even one of his favourite groups before he formed the Smiths.
Johnny Marr recalls first meeting Morrissey and flicking through his singles collection that Morrissey had whittled down to just 10 seven-inchs. Along with some girl groups and T-Rex, were the Monochrome Set. This must have impressed Marr, because they too were one of his favourite bands.
That from a Guardian review published in 2009, which is before everyone decided they never liked the Smiths anyway.
The review goes on to say:
Another Monochrome Set devotee was Alex Kapranos who, in his pre-Franz Ferdinand incarnation of Karelia, coaxed Bid out of semi-retirement to produce him. When Franz Ferdinand emerged in 2002 they were bizarrely compared to Gang of Four – a band they sounded nothing like – when their most obvious role model was the Monochrome Set.
And listening to this song, the band that first comes to mind - from the melody and even the style of singing - is the Divine Comedy.
Their first incarnation ran from 1978 to 1985, when they were feted by John Peel. The Mouse Trap is a track by the their 1990s version - it's a track from their 1995 album Trinity Road.
And they are still going today, with Bid - real name Ganesh Seshadri - at their heart.
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