Their second album, Colour By Numbers, sold over 10 million copies and in the process set off a chain of events that helped turn Boy George into something of a national treasure, albeit an outspoken character with a biting wit.

At their peak they were chart fixtures with a string of memorable international hits, including ‘Church of the Poison Mind’, the now-standard ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’ and ‘Karma Chameleon’. The band won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1984 when they also picked up a Brit Award for Best British Group.

No band was better than George O’Dowd’s when it came to marketing an image and in their lead singer Culture Club had a flamboyant secret weapon with a fine soul voice and the ability to entertain the press. At its best, this period saw a renaissance in great British pop music, which sold worldwide thanks to the growing importance of the MTV cable and video explosion.

Boy George, Jon Moss, Roy Hay and Mikey Craig will always be viewed with affection as spearheads in the English New Wave that span off into the New Romantic movement of the 1980s.

Culture club ip casino