The tale of
the Assembly is one of unfulfilled potential. After
Yaz split up in 1983, keyboardist
Vince Clarke, also formerly of
Depeche Mode, began searching for another vocalist he could collaborate with. He eventually found one:
Feargal Sharkey, ex-leader of the Irish pop-punk band
the Undertones. Along with producer Eric C. Radcliffe and guitarist
Dave "Clem" Clempson, the quartet released the single "Never Never" in 1983 as
the Assembly. However, Sharkey wasn't intended to be
the Assembly's permanent singer; instead, Clarke and Radcliffe wanted to have a revolving door of vocalists, a different one for every track. It didn't happen. "Never Never," a moving ballad about unrequited love, topped the pop charts in England, but it was
the Assembly's only record.
the Assembly became a new wave footnote, an answer to the trivia question, "What group was
Vince Clarke in between
Yaz and
Erasure?" After "Never Never," Sharkey released a self-titled solo album, while Clarke formed
Erasure in 1985 with
Andy Bell. "Never Never" didn't disappear with
the Assembly, though. In 1995, the track was resurrected on New Wave Hits of the 80s, Vol. 14. A year later, the song was re-released as a CD single that included its extended version and the instrumental B-side "Stop/Start." ~ Michael Sutton