Quando Quango

Electro dance group from Manchester, UK. Formed in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1980 by Hacienda DJ [a=Mike Pickering] (songwriting) and Dutch siblings [a=Gonnie Rietveld] (programming) & [a=Reinier Rietveld] (drums). Reinier Rietveld left the group in 1983 for his own group [a=Spasmodique] and was replaced by [a=A Certain Ratio]'s percussionist [a=Simon Topping]. The same year [a=52nd Street]'s [a=Derek Johnson] joined the group, soon after to be replaced by his brother [a=Barry Johnson (8)]. They were signed at [l=Factory] where they released a series of singles (their earliest ones produced by [a=New Order]'s [a=Bernard Sumner] and [a=A Certain Ratio]'s [a=Donald Johnson]) and one album with guests from the Manchester scene ([a=Andy Connell], [a=Johnny Marr], [a=Vini Reilly], [a=Beverly McDonald]). Their 1983 single [url=/release/26296]Love Tempo[/url] was a dancefloor hit on both sides of the Atlantic and is considered a precursor of the US house scene. After the album release in 1985 they disbanded. [a=Mike Pickering] formed [a=T-Coy] and later [a=M People], playing a crucial role in the UK acid house scene.