Anne-Marie Hurst
Encyclopedia
Anne-Marie Hurst was the lead vocalist for the groups The Elements, Skeletal Family, and Ghost Dance
. She was the lead vocalist of Elements until 1982. In December 1982, she helped form Skeletal Family
. After departing from Skeletal Family in 1985, she co-founded Ghost Dance with Gary Marx
(formerly of The Sisters of Mercy
) in 1985.
Hurst has recorded several albums.
Along with founder members Stan Greenwood (Guitars), Roger "Trotwood" Nowell (Bass), Steve Crane (Drums) and Ian "Karl Heinz" Taylor (Keyboards), the Keighley
-based band quickly gained a sizeable local following, producing a self funded single "Trees" released through the Leeds
based Luggage label.
Through regular airings of the single on Radio One's John Peel
late evening show, the band by-passed the usual route of playing the small pub circuit, making their London debut at the Fulham Greyhound to an enthusiastic audience. Also encouraging was the review from the music paper Sounds, which secured the band other prestigious support slots with Sex Gang Children
and Play Dead
.
With a Radio One session booked at John Peel’s request for March 1983, the band recorded their single "She Cries Alone", enlisting the services of Southern Death Cult
guitarist Ian "Buzz" Burrows as co-producer. "She Cries Alone" gave Anne-Marie and the band their first major mark in the independent charts and, armed with this success plus the even more successful follow up single "So Sure", commenced the recording of the debut album "Burning Oil".
Now playing to much larger receptive audiences the band supported The Sisters Of Mercy
on their Black October 1984 tour. Their "Burning Oil" album reached number one in the UK indie charts. With a now much more conspicuous profile and two further Radio One sessions, the band toured Europe and Britain, more than once selling out London's prestigious Marquee club.
For the follow-up album "Futile Combat" the band chose Cult/Gene Loves Jezebel
producer John Brand, aided by Waterboys saxophonist Anthony Thistlewaite and Graham Pleeth on synthesizers. Live favourite "Promised Land" was chosen as the first single off the album, and on release reached the top three of the UK Indie charts. The band ended the year with a guest appearances with Siouxsie & The Banshees
at Brixton Academy and Spear of Destiny at London's Lyceum.
Although from the outside everything was looking bright, tensions within the band were taut, which following various internal squabbles culminated in both Anne-Marie and drummer Martin leaving. With legal commitments for a nationwide tour still standing, Anne-Marie was persuaded to rejoin with Gene Loves Jezebel drummer Dik replacing Martin on drums. Although the tour was a huge success, communications within the band were still strained greatly affecting the band's relationship.
The "River Of No Return" 12” single was released in April 1986, followed by three other 12” singles in 1986, all of which were successful in the independent charts. The band line-up stabilised to consist of Anne-Marie, Gary Marx & Richard Steel (Guitars), Etch (Bass) and John Grant (Drums).
By now, the band were gaining their own groups of fans, who became known as the "Spook Squad". Their debut album "Stop The World" was released in September 1989. Selling relatively well it reached the lower end of the UK charts. However, within a couple of days into a prestigious tour of Europe supporting the Ramones
, Chrysalis announced they were not taking up their option on further recording projects with the band. They played what was to unknowingly be their final gig in Amsterdam on December 4, 1989.
Anne-Marie was approached by various management teams and began working on a batch of songs with glam rock seventies band The Sweet. Rare demos outline the more pop/rock direction being undertaken at the time.
Ghost Dance made one singles compilation and one studio album, with many b-sides never made available on any compilation. The band broke up in 1990.
In 2002 Skeletal Family were approached to reform to play a one off gig at Leeds Cockpit. Despite an initial photo session and provisional meetings, problems arose where Anne-Marie had to back out due to family commitments, The sell out gig was completed by vocalist Katrina who flew in from the USA.
Seven years later, and with a renewed vigour, Anne-Marie contacted Skeletal Family guitarist Stan Greenwood on the off chance possibility of again working together. The idea being to write and play new material in an acoustic setting. These initial sessions worked well with new material written, rehearsed and ready to perform. To augment the sound the duo began enlisting the services of other musicians with a definite view to releasing new material/performing live. As of February 2010 Anne Marie is now back out on the road with Stan and Trotwood in the band, playing songs from her back catalogue and new songs.
Anne-Marie has also recruited local guitarist Ed 'Head' Kellett, formerly of Shipley powerpop foursome Quantico, who performed at recent gigs as far afield as Bradford and Whitby.
Ghost Dance (band)
Ghost Dance were a British gothic rock and post-punk band. formed in 1985 by Gary Marx and Anne-Marie Hurst as both were leaving their respective bands...
. She was the lead vocalist of Elements until 1982. In December 1982, she helped form Skeletal Family
Skeletal Family
Skeletal Family were an English gothic rock band which formed in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England in December 1982. The band formed from the remaining membership of an earlier group, called The Elements, and took their name from the title of the song "Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family"...
. After departing from Skeletal Family in 1985, she co-founded Ghost Dance with Gary Marx
Gary Marx
Gary Marx is a founding member of British rock band The Sisters of Mercy and its lead-guitarist and songwriter from 1979 to 1985....
(formerly of The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
) in 1985.
Hurst has recorded several albums.
Skeletal Family
Anne-Marie's involvement with Skeletal Family began in mid 1982.Along with founder members Stan Greenwood (Guitars), Roger "Trotwood" Nowell (Bass), Steve Crane (Drums) and Ian "Karl Heinz" Taylor (Keyboards), the Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
-based band quickly gained a sizeable local following, producing a self funded single "Trees" released through the Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
based Luggage label.
Through regular airings of the single on Radio One's John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
late evening show, the band by-passed the usual route of playing the small pub circuit, making their London debut at the Fulham Greyhound to an enthusiastic audience. Also encouraging was the review from the music paper Sounds, which secured the band other prestigious support slots with Sex Gang Children
Sex Gang Children
The Sex Gang Children are a positive punk group that formed in the early 1980s in England. Although the original group only released one official studio album, they remain one of the more well-known bands out of the early Batcave scene and have reformed for new albums and touring various times...
and Play Dead
Play Dead
Play Dead were an English Goth rock group from Oxford that grew out of the fading English punk scene in 1980. Though the band was identified with groups like UK Decay and Sex Gang Children, the band felt they didn't belong under the "Gothic" title...
.
With a Radio One session booked at John Peel’s request for March 1983, the band recorded their single "She Cries Alone", enlisting the services of Southern Death Cult
Southern Death Cult
Southern Death Cult was an English positive punk band in the early 1980s. It is now primarily known for having given its lead singer and parts of its name to the multi-platinum hard rock supergroup The Cult...
guitarist Ian "Buzz" Burrows as co-producer. "She Cries Alone" gave Anne-Marie and the band their first major mark in the independent charts and, armed with this success plus the even more successful follow up single "So Sure", commenced the recording of the debut album "Burning Oil".
Now playing to much larger receptive audiences the band supported The Sisters Of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
on their Black October 1984 tour. Their "Burning Oil" album reached number one in the UK indie charts. With a now much more conspicuous profile and two further Radio One sessions, the band toured Europe and Britain, more than once selling out London's prestigious Marquee club.
For the follow-up album "Futile Combat" the band chose Cult/Gene Loves Jezebel
Gene Loves Jezebel
Gene Loves Jezebel are a gothic rock band from the early 1980s, now two separate bands of the same name, founded by identical twin brothers, Michael and Jay Aston .-Early years: 1980-1989:...
producer John Brand, aided by Waterboys saxophonist Anthony Thistlewaite and Graham Pleeth on synthesizers. Live favourite "Promised Land" was chosen as the first single off the album, and on release reached the top three of the UK Indie charts. The band ended the year with a guest appearances with Siouxsie & The Banshees
Siouxsie & the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. Initially associated with the English punk rock scene, the band rapidly evolved to create "a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation"...
at Brixton Academy and Spear of Destiny at London's Lyceum.
Although from the outside everything was looking bright, tensions within the band were taut, which following various internal squabbles culminated in both Anne-Marie and drummer Martin leaving. With legal commitments for a nationwide tour still standing, Anne-Marie was persuaded to rejoin with Gene Loves Jezebel drummer Dik replacing Martin on drums. Although the tour was a huge success, communications within the band were still strained greatly affecting the band's relationship.
Ghost Dance
Already being in communication with Sisters Of Mercy founder Gary Marx, Anne-Marie laid the seeds to form Ghost Dance. They had toured together when Skeletal Family supported the Sisters on their Black October UK tour in 1984. Rehearsals and song writing promptly ensued, and in late 1985, Ghost Dance played their first gig at North East London Polytechnic. The early sets featured, amongst others, glam rock cover versions and Skeletal Family/Sisters songs "She Cries Alone" and "Poison Door".The "River Of No Return" 12” single was released in April 1986, followed by three other 12” singles in 1986, all of which were successful in the independent charts. The band line-up stabilised to consist of Anne-Marie, Gary Marx & Richard Steel (Guitars), Etch (Bass) and John Grant (Drums).
By now, the band were gaining their own groups of fans, who became known as the "Spook Squad". Their debut album "Stop The World" was released in September 1989. Selling relatively well it reached the lower end of the UK charts. However, within a couple of days into a prestigious tour of Europe supporting the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, Chrysalis announced they were not taking up their option on further recording projects with the band. They played what was to unknowingly be their final gig in Amsterdam on December 4, 1989.
Anne-Marie was approached by various management teams and began working on a batch of songs with glam rock seventies band The Sweet. Rare demos outline the more pop/rock direction being undertaken at the time.
Ghost Dance made one singles compilation and one studio album, with many b-sides never made available on any compilation. The band broke up in 1990.
Family commitments
The years followed, with Anne-Marie doing the odd local solo performance, but her main commitments were to her family.In 2002 Skeletal Family were approached to reform to play a one off gig at Leeds Cockpit. Despite an initial photo session and provisional meetings, problems arose where Anne-Marie had to back out due to family commitments, The sell out gig was completed by vocalist Katrina who flew in from the USA.
Seven years later, and with a renewed vigour, Anne-Marie contacted Skeletal Family guitarist Stan Greenwood on the off chance possibility of again working together. The idea being to write and play new material in an acoustic setting. These initial sessions worked well with new material written, rehearsed and ready to perform. To augment the sound the duo began enlisting the services of other musicians with a definite view to releasing new material/performing live. As of February 2010 Anne Marie is now back out on the road with Stan and Trotwood in the band, playing songs from her back catalogue and new songs.
Anne-Marie has also recruited local guitarist Ed 'Head' Kellett, formerly of Shipley powerpop foursome Quantico, who performed at recent gigs as far afield as Bradford and Whitby.
External links
- AnneMarieHurst.Com, official website