Pauline Murray


Pauline Murray is best known as the lead singer of the punk rock band Penetration, originally formed in 1976.

Early years

Pauline Murray was born in Waterhouses, County Durham, England, and her parents later moved to Ferryhill. She left school at age sixteen, studied art at Darlington College and then worked at odd jobs. In May 1976 the 18-year-old Murray saw the Sex Pistols perform, and she and her Ferryhill comrades became Pistols devotees, earning for themselves the title of "Durham Contingent".

Penetration

In late 1976, Murray formed a band with friends Robert Blamire and Gary Smallman and named it after the Stooges' song "Penetration." They played their first gig in October 1976 at the Middlesbrough Rock Garden, and played their first gig in London at The Roxy in January 1977, supporting Gen X.
The band debuted on vinyl with the single "Don't Dictate", issued by Virgin in November of the same year. The band went on to release two studio albums, Moving Targets and Coming Up for Air, as well as an official bootleg. Later there would be a Best of Penetration compilation album. After a measure of success during 1978/79, including a headline show at the Rainbow Theatre and a five-week American tour, they announced a split in October 1979.
Penetration played a number of gigs around London in 2001–2002, leading to a band reunion. In 2015 the band announced they would release Resolution, a new studio album.

Solo work

In 1980 Murray worked on her first solo album with record producer Martin Hannett's band The Invisible Girls, which also included ex-Penetration member and co-writer Robert Blamire, as well as guesting Manchester musicians such as Vini Reilly, guitarist in The Durutti Column, and Steve Hopkins. John Maher from Buzzcocks also drummed for the band. The resulting album, Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls, reached Number 25 on the UK Albums Chart in October 1980 and spawned the singles "Dream Sequence" and "Mr. X". The album was well received by critics. A reviewer for Melody Maker called it, "Unquestionably a musical highpoint of this year or any other. An exciting new area of electronic pop where Motown meets the modern world."
Murray also provided vocals for The Only Ones on their song "Fools" and backing vocals on "Me and My Shadow".
In the early 1980s, Murray formed the band Pauline Murray and The Storm, with Robert Blamire, Tim Johnston and Paul Harvey, releasing the singles "Holocaust" in 1984, a cover of Alex Chilton/Big Star and the self-penned "New Age" in 1986. In 1989 Murray released the EP This Thing Called Love and the album Storm Clouds under her own name.
In 2011 Murray established Polestar Studios with Robert Blamire in Byker where bands can rent out rehearsal and recording space. In 2013 she booked a number of solo acoustic dates around the North End in the UK. She said about the gigs, "This is the first time in my career that I’ve done a full solo set with just me and my guitar." During the tour, she played a number of older songs from her career and also played a number of new songs she had recently written.

Personal life

Murray was married to Peter Lloyd, Penetration's road manager, but split with her husband after the release of Searching for Heaven in 1980. She and Robert Blamire then became a couple and moved together to Liverpool. She currently resides in Newcastle upon Tyne. Murray has two children.

Discography

All UK releases except as noted.

Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls