China Drum
Encyclopedia
China Drum were an English
punk rock
band
from Ovingham
in Northumberland
active from 1989–2001, playing their final years under the name The Drum.
Adam Lee. In 1993, the band released their debut single
, "Simple". This was followed the next year by a second single, "Great Fire", released by Fluffy Bunny Records, to coincide with a UK and European tour with Green Day
.
After The Barrier EP, numerous other EPs and support by BBC Radio One, they released their debut album
, Goosefair, in 1996. Their breakthrough hit was a high-tempo cover
of Kate Bush
's "Wuthering Heights
", released as the B-side
to 1996 single "Can't Stop These Things". They later recorded Crowded House
's "Fall at Your Feet
" in a similar vein. The theme tune to the television programme The Adventures of Rupert Bear
was a fan favourite at concerts.
Live drummer Jan Alkema eventually joined the band, allowing Lee to solely perform vocal duties. In 1997, they released their second album, Self Made Maniac. After renaming themselves The Drum, they released their final album, Diskin, in 2000. They disbanded the following year.
Leatherface
included a cover of China Drum's "Meaning" on their "Little White God" single, whilst Bodyjar
covered "Fall Into Place", amongst a number of other covers, on You Got Me A Girl's Bike You Idiot.
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...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Ovingham
Ovingham
Ovingham is a civil parish and village in the Tyne Valley of south Northumberland, England. It lies on the River Tyne east of Hexham with neighbours Prudhoe, Ovington, Wylam and Stocksfield....
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
active from 1989–2001, playing their final years under the name The Drum.
History
China Drum were formed in 1989 by brothers Bill and Dave McQueen, who played guitar and bass respectively, and singing drummerDrum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Adam Lee. In 1993, the band released their debut single
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...
, "Simple". This was followed the next year by a second single, "Great Fire", released by Fluffy Bunny Records, to coincide with a UK and European tour with Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
.
After The Barrier EP, numerous other EPs and support by BBC Radio One, they released their debut 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...
, Goosefair, in 1996. Their breakthrough hit was a high-tempo cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
's "Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights (song)
"Wuthering Heights" is a song by Kate Bush released as her debut single in January 1978. It became a No.1 hit in the UK singles chart and remains her biggest-selling single. The song appears on her 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside. The B-side of the single was another song by Bush named "Kite" -...
", released as the B-side
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...
to 1996 single "Can't Stop These Things". They later recorded Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
's "Fall at Your Feet
Fall at Your Feet
"Fall at Your Feet" is a 1991 song by rock group Crowded House from their 1991 album Woodface. It is the only song written solely by the group's leader Neil Finn from Woodface that was released as a single as all other singles from the album were cowritten by Finn with his brother Tim Finn...
" in a similar vein. The theme tune to the television programme The Adventures of Rupert Bear
The Adventures of Rupert Bear
The Adventures of Rupert Bear was a live-action/puppet television series, based on the Mary Tourtel character Rupert Bear, produced by ATV Network, and aired from 28 October 1970 to 24 August 1977 on the ITV network, with 156 11-minute episodes produced over four series...
was a fan favourite at concerts.
Live drummer Jan Alkema eventually joined the band, allowing Lee to solely perform vocal duties. In 1997, they released their second album, Self Made Maniac. After renaming themselves The Drum, they released their final album, Diskin, in 2000. They disbanded the following year.
Leatherface
Leatherface (band)
Leatherface is a British punk rock band from Sunderland fronted by Frankie Stubbs. The band is known for an eclectic style spanning American folk music, hardcore punk and post-hardcore.-History and background:...
included a cover of China Drum's "Meaning" on their "Little White God" single, whilst Bodyjar
Bodyjar
Bodyjar were an Australian punk rock/pop punk band based in Melbourne. They began performing under the name Bodyjar in 1994; their previous names included Damnation and Helium.-History:...
covered "Fall Into Place", amongst a number of other covers, on You Got Me A Girl's Bike You Idiot.
Albums
- Goosefair (1996) - 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...
#53 - Self Made Maniac (1998)
- Diskin (2000) - as 'The Drum'
EPs/Singles
- "Simple" (1993) - Bitzcore
- "Great Fire" (1994) - Fluffy Bunny
- "Barrier" (1995) - Fluffy Bunny
- China Drum / The Flying Medallions - split 7" (1995) - Fierce Panda - tour giveaway featuring "Wuthering Heights" and "Cloud 9"
- "Fall Into Place" (1995) - Mantra
- "Enter at Your Own Risk"(1995) - Mantra
- "Pictures" (1995) - Mantra
- "Barrier" (US version) (1995) - 510 Records
- "Rolling Hills and Soaking Gills" (US & European compilation)
- "Can't Stop These Things" (1996) - Mantra - 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 ...
#65 - "Last Chance" (1996) - Mantra - UK #60
- "Wipeout" (1996) - Mantra
- "Fiction of Life" (1997) - Mantra - UK #65
- "Somewhere Else" (1997) - Mantra - UK #74
- "Stop It All Adding Up" (1998) - Mantra
- "Horns Front" (2000) - Mantra - as 'The Drum'
Compilation appearances
- Snakebite City 3 (Bluefire Records – features electric version of "Meaning")
- Best Punk Rock In England Son - Snuffy Smiles (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese compilation featuring different version of "Cloud 9") - Built To Blast EP (1994) - Fierce Panda (featured "One Way Down")