Editing The Associates (band) (section)

===1982–1988: WEA/Warner years===
As Situation Two's parent label [[Beggars Banquet Records|Beggars Banquet]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beggars.com/group/qanda|title=Beggars Group|website=Beggars.com|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shsu.edu/~lis_fwh/book/punk_newwave_postpunk/support/BeggarsBanquet.htm|title=Beggars Banquet|website=Shsu.edu|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> had a labels deal with [[Warner Music Group|WEA International]] at the time (primarily for Gary Numan), the Associates found themselves signed to Warner with their releases now going out on their own Associates record label.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/party-fears-two/|title=party fears two &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> The band's breakthrough came in 1982 with the release of the single "[[Party Fears Two]]". Buoyed along by the popularity of synthpop at the time, the song reached No. 9 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> with the band becoming one of the leading acts of the [[new pop]] movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wearecult.rocks/the-associates-perhaps-expanded-collection-reviewed|title=The Associates: 'Perhaps' (Expanded Collection) reviewed » We Are Cult|first=Ange|last=Chan|website=Wearecult.rocks|date=27 February 2020|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/the-associates-perhaps-2cd-expanded-digipak-collection/|title=The Associates: Perhaps, 2CD Expanded Digipak Collection|website=Cherryred.co.uk|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> Two other hits followed, "Club Country" and "18 Carat Love Affair", a vocal version of the instrumental track "Nothinginsomethingparticular". On 14 May 1982, the band released their most commercially successful album, ''[[Sulk (album)|Sulk]]''. [[Martha Ladly]], of [[Martha and the Muffins]], contributed backing vocals and keyboards to this album.

[[File:Billy-Mackenzie-Dundee-Scotland-1985.jpg|thumb|right|200px|MacKenzie performing in 1985]]

At the last minute, MacKenzie refused to proceed with the extensive tour that had been planned to promote the release of ''Sulk''. This proved disastrous for the band's career; the band was being courted by [[Seymour Stein]] of [[Sire Records]], but without MacKenzie's willingness to tour, Stein lost interest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity-interviews/scottish-legends-associates-talks-stage-7913955|title=The Associates in talks to stage anniversary concerts|first=John|last=Dingwall|date=6 May 2016|website=Dailyrecord.co.uk}}</ref> In the aftermath of MacKenzie's refusal, Rankine left the band. MacKenzie continued to write and record music under the name Associates until 1990. In 1985 the album ''[[Perhaps (album)|Perhaps]]'' was released and charted at No. 23 in the [[UK Albums Chart]].

In 1988, WEA/Warner rejected the fourth Associates album ''The Glamour Chase'' considering it not commercially viable (it was later released on a two-disc set with ''Perhaps'').  However, they decided to release MacKenzie's synthpop/techno-pop cover of "Heart of Glass"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/heart-of-glass/|title=heart of glass &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> as a single and also put the track on the record company's ''Vaultage From The Electric Lighting Station'' compilation. This track was to be MacKenzie's last release whilst under contract to WEA in the United Kingdom, as he signed to [[Virgin Records|AVL/Virgin]] subsidiary Circa Records (still under the Associates name at this point).  "Heart of Glass" was released in September 1988 on a number of formats<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://postpunkmonk.com/2014/10/10/a-young-persons-guide-to-associates-heart-of-glass/|title=A Young Person's Guide To: Associates – Heart Of Glass|website=Postpunkmonk.com|date=10 October 2014|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> including a 12 inch single with an anaglyphic 3-D cover (which came with 3-D glasses) and a CD single. It reached number 56 on the UK Singles Chart and was put on ''Popera: The Singles Collection'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/popera-the-singles-collection-mw0000311469|title=Popera: The Singles Collection - The Associates &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> by WEA in 1990 alongside withdrawn follow-up single "Country Boy", and a version of the MacKenzie/[[Boris Blank (musician)|Boris Blank]] song, "The Rhythm Divine".

Between 1987 and 1992, MacKenzie worked with Blank and musical partner [[Dieter Meier]] of [[Switzerland|Swiss]] avant-garde outfit [[Yello]]. MacKenzie wrote the lyrics of the song "The Rhythm Divine", which can also be found on the Yello album, ''[[One Second (Yello album)|One Second]]'', with lead vocals by [[Shirley Bassey]] and MacKenzie singing backing vocals. During these years MacKenzie contributed to three Yello albums: ''One Second'' (1987), ''Flag'' (1988) and ''Baby'' (1991), whilst tracks for ''The Glamour Chase'' and ''Outernational'' were recorded with Blank at Yello's [[recording studio]].<ref name="vvbrt" />