The Apollinaires
The Apollinaires, also known as The Volkswagens, were a British funk-influenced 2 Tone/post-punk band from Leicester. They were active from 1981 to 1983 and signed to 2 Tone Records.
They started in Leicester as a six‑piece group made of local players and students from the Leicester School of Art. Four members had been in I Y A Volkswagens, who released a single on Rough Trade called "Kill Myself." After that band ended, they reformed as The Volkswagens and moved toward a danceable sound, adding members from The Swinging Laurels as a horn section.
In 1982 they signed with Coventry’s 2 Tone Records and changed their name to The Apollinaires, expanding to about ten members with an in-house horn section. They recorded their first single, "The Feeling's Gone," with Jerry Dammers and Rhoda Dakar on vocals. They then toured the UK with The Higsons and The Beat, played in France, and recorded BBC Radio 1 sessions for John Peel and Kid Jensen. Their second single, "Envy the Love," followed, and they appeared on Channel 4's The Switch.
A third single, "Put People First," was released in 1983 on a small Birmingham indie label. The band eventually split because coordinating such a large lineup proved difficult.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:24 (CET).