Ricky Gervais in the music charts?

You may or may not be aware that, before becoming a comedian, Ricky Gervais attempted to become a music star.

The Office and Extras creator was the lead singer in British New Wave group Seona Dancing in the 1980s (pictured). However, it'd be fair to say that his music career wasn't exactly the success that his foray into comedy has been.

1983 was the key year for Seona Dancing with their biggest 'success' being their second single, Bitter Heart, which realised a chart high of, er... #79. A year later, the group split and Gervais started working towards becoming a comedy writer and performer instead.

Here's Seona Dancing's music video for Bitter Heart, made in a garage for just £300:

Now a rising Manchester indie band called Super 8 Cynics are hoping for chart success with a cover of Bitter Heart. They're confident their 'modernised' version of the song stands a good chance of hitting the Top 40.

Reportedly, the band received a "warm blessing" earlier this year from Gervais and his former bandmate Bill Macrae to go ahead. Super 8 Cynics' lead singer Ady Hall said: "Bitter Heart is a bit of a forgotten record, probably best known for its connection with Ricky Gervais. But strip away the shoulder pads and hair spray and at its heart you have a seriously catchy song worthy of greater recognition. We've rearranged the song, brought it up-to-date and made it our own. The entire band is proud of Bitter Heart and we believe it's a chart contender."

Here's a video of the new Super 8 Cynics version:

Released by Longevity Records, the new version of Bitter Heart is available now from iTunes. To find out more about the band see www.super8cynics.com