Chapterhouse
Encyclopedia
For the religious buildings, see Chapter house
Chapterhouse are a British
shoegazing
band
originally of the early 1990s, from Reading
, Berkshire
, England
. Formed in 1987 by Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman, the band began performing alongside Spacemen 3
. After the band split, Sheriff later formed Biocom.
, England; guitar/vocals), Stephen Patman (born 8 November 1968, Windsor, Berkshire
, England; guitar/vocals), Simon Rowe (born 23 June 1969, Reading, Berkshire; guitar), Dale Robertson (born 19 June 1970, Nottingham; guitar), Jon Curtis (bass) and Ashley Bates (born 2 November 1971, Reading; drums).
Chapterhouse took the unusual step of rehearsing
and gigging
for well over a year before recording even a demo
tape. They were initially compared to the British acid rock
scene, a mistake hardly rectified by the band's early performances supporting Spacemen 3. Chapterhouse eventually found themselves associated with the shoegazing groups of 1991 (with Lush
, Ride
, Moose
and Slowdive
).
Bassist Jon Curtis left early on to study, being replaced by Russell Barrett (born 7 November 1968, Vermont
, United States
) who also fronted his own garage band, the Bikinis. Chapterhouse eventually signed to the newly formed Dedicated
label, releasing a series of singles
, including "Pearl," which featured guest vocals by Rachel Goswell
of Slowdive
and reached #67 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Their first album
, Whirlpool
, released in 1991, has been cited as one of the genre's high points, but failed to capture a wider market despite reaching #23 in the UK Albums Chart
. In the same year, Chapterhouse also appeared in their home town Reading Festival immediately following Nirvana
's performance.
Blood Music
, stylistically different, was released in 1993. Two singles from this album, "She's a Vision" and "We Are the Beautiful", were relatively successful, but the album was withdrawn due to a sampling
lawsuit. Global Communication
reworked Blood Music for a remix
album, Pentamerous Metamorphosis
.
The band then released no further new material other than a double album
, Rownderbout in 1996, compiling their singles, various B-sides
, rarities and unreleased demos which featured Slowdive drummer Simon Scott. Sherriff went on to form Bio.com and Rowe went on to play guitar for Mojave 3
. Bates formed Cuba
and now plays in the British folktronica band Tunng
, and Chapterhouse ceased to be for almost fifteen years.
The music of Chapterhouse was mostly out of print on CD until March 2006, when Cherry Red Records reissued the album Whirlpool with bonus tracks, and for the first time, lyrics.
The band played a version of "Love Forever" with Ulrich Schnauss
on the Barn Stage at the 2008 edition of Truck Festival
. In response to requests over the years, Chapterhouse played live at Club AC30's Reverence show at the ICA on 26 November 2009 along with Ulrich Schnauss
and Kirsty Hawkshaw
. This was preceded on 23 November by a warm up show at the Luminaire in Kilburn. The band also played at The Scala in London on 18 March 2010, and undertook on short tours of Japan in April 2010, and North America in May 2010. The North American tour had to be postponed due to the Icelandic ash cloud cancelling flights, stranding Patman in Japan. Chapterhouse rescheduled the North American tour for September and October 2010.
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
Chapterhouse are a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
originally of the early 1990s, from Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Formed in 1987 by Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman, the band began performing alongside Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia"...
. After the band split, Sheriff later formed Biocom.
Career
The band comprised Andrew Sherriff (born 16 May 1969, WokinghamWokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
, England; guitar/vocals), Stephen Patman (born 8 November 1968, Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, England; guitar/vocals), Simon Rowe (born 23 June 1969, Reading, Berkshire; guitar), Dale Robertson (born 19 June 1970, Nottingham; guitar), Jon Curtis (bass) and Ashley Bates (born 2 November 1971, Reading; drums).
Chapterhouse took the unusual step of rehearsing
Rehearsal
For other uses, see Rehearsal or Dress rehearsal A rehearsal is a preparatory event in music and theatre that is performed before the official public performance, as a form of practice, and to ensure that all details of the performance are adequately prepared and coordinated for professional...
and gigging
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
for well over a year before recording even a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
tape. They were initially compared to the British acid rock
Acid rock
Acid rock is a form of psychedelic rock, which is characterized with long instrumental solos, few lyrics and musical improvisation. Tom Wolfe describes the LSD-influenced music of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Cream,...
scene, a mistake hardly rectified by the band's early performances supporting Spacemen 3. Chapterhouse eventually found themselves associated with the shoegazing groups of 1991 (with Lush
Lush (band)
Lush were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1987 and disbanded in 1998. They were one of the first bands to attract the "shoegazing" label...
, Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
, Moose
Moose (band)
Moose were a British indie rock band who formed in London in 1990. The original line-up included Russell Yates , K.J. “Moose” McKillop , Damien Warburton , and Jeremy Tishler . After Warburton and Tishler left the band they were replaced with Lincoln Fong , his brother Russell , and Richard Thomas...
and Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
).
Bassist Jon Curtis left early on to study, being replaced by Russell Barrett (born 7 November 1968, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) who also fronted his own garage band, the Bikinis. Chapterhouse eventually signed to the newly formed Dedicated
Dedicated Records
Dedicated Records was a British independent record label in the 1990s. It was founded by Doug D'Arcy after leaving Chrysalis Records where he had been Managing Director, later President and director of the Chrysalis group...
label, releasing a series of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, including "Pearl," which featured guest vocals by Rachel Goswell
Rachel Goswell
Rachel Goswell is a singer-songwriter who was a vocalist with shoegazing pioneers Slowdive. Goswell, along with Neil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and former Chapterhouse member Simon Rowe became Mojave 3 when Slowdive transitioned to a more country/folk rock style...
of Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
and reached #67 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Whirlpool
Whirlpool (Chapterhouse album)
Whirlpool is the debut album by British band Chapterhouse. The album was reissued in 2006, on the label Cherry Red, with seven bonus tracks taken from three EPs released in the same time frame as the album. The Cherry Red reissue also included, for the first time, lyrics to all of the songs...
, released in 1991, has been cited as one of the genre's high points, but failed to capture a wider market despite reaching #23 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. In the same year, Chapterhouse also appeared in their home town Reading Festival immediately following Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's performance.
Blood Music
Blood Music (Chapterhouse album)
Blood Music is the second and last studio album by British band Chapterhouse. Early copies of this album, as well as North American and Japanese editions, include the bonus remix CD Pentamerous Metamorphosis by Global Communication...
, stylistically different, was released in 1993. Two singles from this album, "She's a Vision" and "We Are the Beautiful", were relatively successful, but the album was withdrawn due to a sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
lawsuit. Global Communication
Global Communication
Global Communication is an electronic music act, composed of Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard. Their debut LP, 76:14 is one of the most acclaimed albums from the ambient music genre and from 1990s electronic music in general....
reworked Blood Music for a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album, Pentamerous Metamorphosis
Pentamerous Metamorphosis
Pentamerous Metamorphosis is an album by Global Communication originally released in 1993 on Dedicated. It is a reworking of the Blood Music album by Chapterhouse and was originally only available as a bonus CD bundled with the Chapterhouse album...
.
The band then released no further new material other than a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, Rownderbout in 1996, compiling their singles, various B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, rarities and unreleased demos which featured Slowdive drummer Simon Scott. Sherriff went on to form Bio.com and Rowe went on to play guitar for Mojave 3
Mojave 3
Mojave 3 are a British band, consisting of Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, Simon Rowe, Alan Forrester, and Ian McCutcheon. Goswell, Halstead and McCutcheon previously played in Thames Valley shoegazing band Slowdive....
. Bates formed Cuba
Air Cuba (band)
Cuba were a Big Beat superduo formed by Christopher Andrews and former Chapterhouse drummer Ashley Bates. The group was known for their club performances in Europe and recordings for 4AD Records...
and now plays in the British folktronica band Tunng
Tunng
Tunng are an experimental folk band from the United Kingdom.The band is often associated with the folktronica genre due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work.-Biography:...
, and Chapterhouse ceased to be for almost fifteen years.
The music of Chapterhouse was mostly out of print on CD until March 2006, when Cherry Red Records reissued the album Whirlpool with bonus tracks, and for the first time, lyrics.
The band played a version of "Love Forever" with Ulrich Schnauss
Ulrich Schnauss
-Biography:Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of Kiel in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Chapterhouse, and early bleep & breakbeat tracks...
on the Barn Stage at the 2008 edition of Truck Festival
Truck Festival
Truck Festival is an annual independent music festival in Oxfordshire, England. It was started in 1998 by the Bennett family , who decided that mainstream festivals such as Glastonbury had become too commercial and predictable. It is held in July at Hill Farm in Steventon, near Abingdon...
. In response to requests over the years, Chapterhouse played live at Club AC30's Reverence show at the ICA on 26 November 2009 along with Ulrich Schnauss
Ulrich Schnauss
-Biography:Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of Kiel in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Chapterhouse, and early bleep & breakbeat tracks...
and Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw is a British dance/electronica/house/trance musician and songwriter. She is known for her participation as lead vocalist for the group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers....
. This was preceded on 23 November by a warm up show at the Luminaire in Kilburn. The band also played at The Scala in London on 18 March 2010, and undertook on short tours of Japan in April 2010, and North America in May 2010. The North American tour had to be postponed due to the Icelandic ash cloud cancelling flights, stranding Patman in Japan. Chapterhouse rescheduled the North American tour for September and October 2010.
Studio albums
- WhirlpoolWhirlpool (Chapterhouse album)Whirlpool is the debut album by British band Chapterhouse. The album was reissued in 2006, on the label Cherry Red, with seven bonus tracks taken from three EPs released in the same time frame as the album. The Cherry Red reissue also included, for the first time, lyrics to all of the songs...
(1991, reissued in 2006) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#23 - Blood MusicBlood Music (Chapterhouse album)Blood Music is the second and last studio album by British band Chapterhouse. Early copies of this album, as well as North American and Japanese editions, include the bonus remix CD Pentamerous Metamorphosis by Global Communication...
(1993)
Singles
- "Something MoreSomething More (Chapterhouse song)Something More is a single by English Shoegazing band Chapterhouse. It also appears on their debut album Whirlpool. The single has a 3.41 rating on rateyourmusic.com....
" (1990) - "PearlPearl (song)Pearl is a single by English Shoegazing band Chapterhouse released in 1991. It peaked at #67 in the UK Singles chart, and #7 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks Chart. The main drum track is an oft-used John Bonham sample as well as Schooly D's "P.S.K. What Does It Mean? during the bridge, along with...
" (1991) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#67 - "Falling Down" (1991) promo
- "MesmeriseMesmerise (song)Mesmerise is a single by English Shoegazing band Chapterhouse released in 1991. It is rated very highly by critics and fans alike. It appeared in the charts for 2 weeks, entering and peaking at 60....
" (1991) - UK #60 - "Mesmerise (remix)" (1991)
- "Don't Look Now" (1992)
- "She's a VisionShe's a VisionShe's a Vision is a single by English Shoegazing band Chapterhouse released in 1993. -Track listing:# "She's a Vision" - 4:38# "Don't Look Now" - 5:08# "Don't Look Now " - 6:11# "For What It's Worth" - 2:18...
" (1993) - "We Are the Beautiful" (1993)
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Modern Rock | |||
| 1991 | "Pearl" | 7 | Whirlpool Whirlpool (Chapterhouse album) Whirlpool is the debut album by British band Chapterhouse. The album was reissued in 2006, on the label Cherry Red, with seven bonus tracks taken from three EPs released in the same time frame as the album. The Cherry Red reissue also included, for the first time, lyrics to all of the songs... |
| 1992 | "Mesmerise" | 21 | - |
| 1994 | "We Are the Beautiful" | 29 | Blood Music Blood Music (Chapterhouse album) Blood Music is the second and last studio album by British band Chapterhouse. Early copies of this album, as well as North American and Japanese editions, include the bonus remix CD Pentamerous Metamorphosis by Global Communication... |