Julian Cope, the enigmatic solo artist and singer for the Teardrop Explodes, was born 40 years ago today in Deri, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. Cope is well known for his neo-psychedelic lyrics and entirely unpredictable stage presence. He started off playing music with future Echo & The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch before starting up the retro-sounding Teardrop Explodes in 1978. Their albums captured a psychedelic-pop sound which incorporated elements of the forthcoming new wave, but never caught on beyond a cult audience. The group split in 1983 and Cope kicked off his solo career by intentionally stabbing himself in the stomach with a microphone stand at a concert in London.

Cope released World Shut Your Mouth in 1983, an album that didn't hit very big but inspired critics to compare him to such mysterious sonic wordsmiths as Syd Barrett and Roky Erickson. 1984's Fried was such a recording-non-grata that he was released from his contract by Mercury, though he was eventually snatched up by Island. 1987 brought the release of his most mainstream album, Saint Julian and a minor hit named after his first album, "World Shut Your Mouth." 1988's My Nation Underground wasn't quite as effervescent, but its "5 O'Clock World" and "Charlotte Anne" received critical praise. After the promotion period for the album, Cope essentially disappeared from the scene for a few years, re-appearing in 1990 for the first time in a long time at an anti-Poll Tax demonstration dressed as an alien. His 1991 double-album Peggy Suicide was widely considered an artistic success by critics but failed to get a rise out of the masses. Cope's lyrics had grown quite enigmatic by this time, a move which many claim has alienated all but the hardest core of fans -- with some even questioning his sanity. The remainder of his albums in the nineties have followed a similar pattern: trippy-sounding pop songs, critical acclaim and strong sales to a die-hard audience. Cope published a memoir entitled Head On in 1994.

Other birthdays: Norman Wright (Del-Vikings), 60; Jimmy Beaumont (Skyliners), 57; Manfred Mann, 57; Steve Cropper, 56; Ron Elliot (Beau Brummels), 54; Lee Loughnane (Chicago), 51; Tetsu Yamauchi (Free/Faces), 50; John "Rabbit" Bundrick (Free/Crawler), 49; Steve Lukather (Toto), 47; and Charlotte Caffey (Go-Go's), 44.