Big Break Ups

Television : Ain't That Nothin' (Run-Through)

[Purchase]

Me and Lloyd and Fred were walking somewhere one day and I just said, 'God, I really just want to do something else.' And Lloyd said something that really surprised me, 'Yeah, maybe we should have a change.' And that was sort of it. Fred was scratching his head and I think he told Billy.
-Tom Verlaine, From the Velvets to the Voidoids

There were three soundtracks in the US Top 10: Grease, Sgt Pepper and Saturday Night Fever in August of 1978. 

No wonder so many bands just gave up. 

With one masterpiece and one near masterpiece in their discography, Television amicably broke up following three sensational nights playing at The Bottom Line. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd would pursue solo careers while drummer Billy Ficca managed to get a job with The Waitresses.

Be Bop Deluxe : Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus

[Purchase]

Failing to find an audience in the country that produced all of his favorite science magazines, Bill Nelson disbanded Be Bop Deluxe, jettisoning all but Andy Clark on keyboards,  to form Bill Nelson's Red Noise.  The new band may not have achieved mass success but Clark would perform on David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" and Peter Gabriel's "Big Time".

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers : Ice Cream Man

[Purchase]

Jonathan Richman also broke up the latest incarnation of The Modern Lovers to go solo. He would vanish into obscurity for the next couple of years.