Delta 5 Mind Your Own Business

It’s safe to assume that the mouths of wizening hipsters across the country dropped open with astonishment when they heard “Mind Your Own Business,” a relatively obscure, 40-year-old song by short-lived British post-punk quintet Delta 5, blasting from their TVs when a new Apple ad aired during the NBA play-ins.

The song was the first single by Delta 5, which grew out of the late ‘70s Leeds University art-school scene that spawned post-punk luminaries like Gang of Four and the Mekons. Unusually, the group had two bassists, and the song is built around a driving beat, throbbing bassline (oddly reminiscent of the Slits’ cover of “Heard It Through the Grapevine,” released around the same time), stabs of grating, Gang of Four-like guitar and chanted, in-your-face vocals. The group achieved some indie acclaim in the U.K. and U.S., but split in 1981 after a lukewarm response to its debut album, “See the Whirl.”

However, the song and the group acquired a cult following over the years, with a handful of indie covers and occasional airplay on alternative radio, and a compilation was released in 2006 on the long-running indie label Kill Rock Stars — which is essentially how the song landed in Apple’s “Privacy on iPhone” ad, which dropped Thursday.

The spot was placed by Terrorbird Media, whose sync licensing department was started by Lauren Ross — who began her career as an intern at Kill Rock Stars before branching into licensing and joining Terrorbird.

Delta 5 Mind Your Own Business

Delta 5, circa 1980 Courtesy Kill Rock Stars

“‘Mind Your Own Business’ has been one of my favorite songs, ever since Kill Rock Stars reissued a Delta 5 compilation while I was working there,” she tells Variety. “The song has a wonderfully deadpan sass to it and features one of my favorite basslines ever. Our team knew this would be the perfect song for an upcoming Apple campaign, given Apple’s recent emphasis on privacy. All of us at Terrorbird and Kill Rock Stars were thrilled to see it materialize, as was the band!”

She was quick to credit Media Arts Lab, an agency that works often with Apple, for the ad’s concept and execution — “We just provided the music. They did a phenomenal job editing picture to music and music to picture,” she adds.

Delta 5 Mind Your Own Business

Delta 5 performing live, circa 1980 Courtesy Kill Rock Stars

“Mind Your Own Business” has gotten a couple of synchs in recent years — on Netflix’s “Sex Education” and the BBC’s “The A Word” — but as artists from Feist to Lizzo and Tones & I can attest, an Apple ad is a different story. A rep for Kill Rock Stars confirmed to Variety that the band holds the song’s copyright, approved the use and “they will be getting paid.”

“This is part of what I love so much about sync licensing,” Ross concludes. “Generally, there is no expiration date for musical relevance. Whether it’s a new release or a song by an inactive band, if the song tells the right story at the right time, it’s going to stick.”

Read More About:

A Mind Your Own Business
B Now That You've Gone

  • Artwork [Cover]Jon*
  • BassBethan*, Ros*
  • DrumsKelv*
  • GuitarAlan*, Julz*
  • Guitar [Extra Guitar]Jon*
  • Mastered ByRays*
  • Plated ByMax*
  • ProducerD5*, Rob Warr
  • VocalsBethan*, Julz*, Ros*

A & B-side label identical

  • Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, variant 1): RT-031-A LYN 7450-IT MAX RAYS
  • Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, variant 1): RT-031-B LYN 7451-IT MAX RAYS
  • Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, variant 2): RT-031-A LYN 7450-1T MAX RAYS LB W-4 1
  • Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, variant 2): RT-031-B 1 LYN 7451-1T MAX RAYS LB W-3

Title (Format)LabelCat#CountryYear

New Submission

Mind Your Own Business (7", 45 RPM, Single, Porky Prime Cut) Rough Trade RT 031 UK 1979

New Submission

Mind Your Own Business (7", 45 RPM, Single) Rough Trade RT-3 Japan 1981

Recently Edited

Mind Your Own Business (7", 45 RPM, Single, Repress) Rough Trade RT 031 UK 1981

Recently Edited

Mind Your Own Business (7", 45 RPM, Reissue) Kill Rock Stars KRS 517 US 2009

New Submission

Mind Your Own Business TP (7", Reissue, Test Pressing) Kill Rock Stars KRS 517 US 2009

  • T Mobile commercial brought me here lol. Ive been hearing the song endlessly on the t mobile commercials and love the song. It reminds me of Chumbawamba and the Slits and it sounded like it came out in the late 79's or early 80's. So i did my research and found out first it was a band called Delta 5 and it was a record released on Kill Rock Stars in 2009. At first i thought it was just some wannabe post punk hipster band on KRS. Boy was I wrong. And i come to find out Delta 5 is actually an old school post punk band from the UK and this song which is a big hit now Mind Your Own Business was originally released in 1979 on Rough Trade Records. This is the real deal awesome 1979 post punk.

  • anyone else's copies have these stickers: on the a-side label a circular "delta 5" sticker, and on the rear side of the jacket a "made in u.k."

  • Other markings for this Lyntone pressing: in the middle of the label just under the inner circle is a stamped 'A520541' on both labels. No idea what this refers to!

  • Have:1076
  • Want:1157
  • Avg Rating:4.41 / 5
  • Ratings:101
  • Last Sold:Sep 13, 2022
  • Lowest:A$11.73
  • Median:A$58.42
  • Highest:A$94.45

kraut, kwulf, brixtonmc, Punk303, ubongo, Secondedition, helix, Opdiner, oneotherguy, KarimG, Buddy_Overstreet, firstissue, dimension7records, hudsonia, Dan-Gerous, FrankHancke, lootje, Kloppstock, annexxe, tapirella

Where is Delta 5 now?

Delta 5 drummer Kelvin Knight died on 2 December 2015 from liver and kidney failure at the age of 56. Singer and guitarist Julz Sale died from cancer in Thailand on 20 September 2021.

Who sings Mind your own business Apple commercial?

It's safe to assume that the mouths of wizening hipsters across the country dropped open with astonishment when they heard “Mind Your Own Business,” a relatively obscure, 40-year-old song by short-lived British post-punk quintet Delta 5, blasting from their TVs when a new Apple ad aired during the NBA play-ins.

Who wrote the song Mind your own business?

Hank WilliamsMind Your Own Business / Composernull