The rumors flew, but now it's old news. Mac the Mouth is gone.

Echo and the Bunnymen, the band which formed in Liverpool in 1978, recently called it quits. Rumors say that lead singer Ian McCulloch left the group, but the other band members will continue as "The Bunnymen," according to Spin, but nothing is confirmed.

McCulloch's outspoken nature earned him the nickname "Mac the Mouth," as he rarely sugarcoats his comments about life or other bands.

"For a long time I think I was motivated by a need to prove something, to prove everyone wrong somehow," McCulloch said in an interview with Infashion. "Now I do what I do to make me proud of myself. And maybe to make my wife and kid proud as well," he said.

The band spent 10 years in the forefront of alternative music, changing minds and influencing other bands. McCulloch's deep vocal tones set a precedent for frontmen in the classic style of Jim Morrison.

The original band, consisting of Ian with lead vocals, Will Sergeant on guitar and Les Pattinson on bass, relied on the talents of a drum machine named Echo, at least until percussionist Peter de Freitas joined the band. The result of that collaboration was their first LP titled Crocodiles, to follow up their first single "Pictures on My Wall." The album remains one of the most important and influential recordings of the post-punk era. Its subtle, minimalist qualities are highlighted by insightful lyrics.

Their subsequent tour didn't meet with much success, however, because American audiences were slow to accept the group's different sound. The band members were not discouraged; in 1981 they released their second effort, Heaven Up Here.

Echo and the Bunnymen had their first hit with "The Cutter" in January, 1983, followed by their album Porcupine, which was released in February of the same year.

American success was theirs in 1984 when they released the EP Echo and the Bunnymen. It contained the hit "Never Stop" as well as a powerful live version of "Do it Clean."

Once it had a larger following and the fans thought they knew what to expect, the band released the incredibly rich Ocean Rain in 1984. It featured the songs "The Killing Moon" and "Seven Seas," as well as the esoteric title track. The lyrics still played one of the most important roles in the excellence of the music, though some of the meanings are bizarre.

But the bomb of popularity exploded with Songs to Learn and Sing which included "Bring on the Dancing Horses," a song from the John Hughes movie Pretty in Pink. The song was the first commercial success for the band, and it soon filmed a corresponding video.

In this height of success, drummer de Freitas left the band to join The Sex Gods. His return to the Bunnymen at the end of 1986 caused them to scrap most of the material they has prepared for their next LP.

McCulloch said in an interview with Village View, "(de Freitas) came to America for a break. I think he was starting to crack up anyway. Then he spent all of his money. He went off his head really."

Their next LP became Echo and the Bunnymen in the States and The Game in the UK and was their most successful effort to date. It featured songs like "Lips Like Sugar" and "New Direction" as well as the Doors-y "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo." The general Doors-ishness of the album can be attributed to behind-the-scenes help from Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek.

Manzarek produced the Bunnymen's version of People are Strange which appeared on the soundtrack to The Lost Boys, a movie about modern-day vampires. Manzarek's easily recognizable keyboard riffs finally sewed up the Doors/Bunnymen comparison.

The band often complimented other bands with a cover song, such as the Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black." McCulloch's deep voice lends itself easily to such songs.

"I think (my) voice is maybe more (similar to Morrison's) now than ever -- same kind of register, maybe same kind of phrasin' -- but I always thought I could do more with my voice and mine was a bit subtler," McCulloch said.

Now the band's fans are left to savor the fruits of their past labors because Echo and the Bunnymen will undoubtedly be different without McCulloch's voice and wit. But we may end up with a new effort from the Bunnymen and a solo LP from McCulloch.