Adam Ant formed the Ants in 1977 and they released their first dark, rhytmic album Dirk Wears White Sox by 1979. The album was ambitious but did not sell well. Adam hired Malcolm McLaren, former manager of the New York Dolls and Sex Pistols, to help rework the band's image. Malcolm, ever conscious of fashion trends, dressed them in pirate outfits and added a more pop-tinged sound to their heavy rhythm. Malcolm also persuaded all of the Ants to leave Adam and form the base for his new group, Bow Wow Wow. Adam immediately hired new Ants. One key new member was Marco Pirroni on guitar who would co-write most of the group's songs with Adam.
The new configuration released the album Kings of the Wild Frontier in late 1980. The album was a phenomenal success in Britain. Adam himself became a pinup star following the group's successful videos. The album was noticed in American dance clubs due to its strong persistent rhythm and the trio of Dog Eat Dog, Kings of the Wild Frontier, and Antmusic peaked at #19 on American dance charts the week of April 25, 1981. By 1982 Adam had dropped the Ants as a group and moved on to an even more successful solo career.
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