Formed from the punk debris of UK punk band the Adverts, the Explorers saw TV Smith (b. Timothy Smith, Devon, England; vocals) and Tim Cross (guitar) combine with Erik Russell (guitar), Colin Stoner (bass) and John Towe (drums). After only one gig at the London Marquee in March 1980, Cross quit, and three performances later, Towe followed suit. With Mel Wesson and Dave Sinclair, respectively, stopping the musical gap, the new line-up signed to Chiswick Records. The aggressive ‘Tomahawk Cruise’ was voted Single Of The Week in Sounds music paper, but failed to chart. Over the next two years, the band recorded several singles and an album for the Epic Records subsidiary Kaleidoscope, until Smith moved on to a solo career. After recording ‘War Fever’ and Channel Five, he formed a new outfit, Cheap, before resuming his solo career.