Cook da Books
Encyclopedia
Cook da Books were a British
new wave
group active in the 1980s.
, Liverpool
, composed of former members of The Dogems and Brooklyn. The initial line-up was Peter "Digsy" Deary (vocals, guitar), Owen Moran (bass, vocals), Tony Prescott (keyboards), and John Legget (drums).
They initially gained attention with their acclaimed, and politically-charged, debut single "Piggie in the Middle 8", about the widespread British riots in 1981
(which hit Liverpool hard) and other local issues. They then hit the bigtime when they were included on the soundtrack to successful French film La Boum 2
. They can be seen giving a concert during the movie, and the track of theirs which was included, "Your Eyes", was very popular, hitting #1 in France
and Hong Kong
, and scoring the band international recognition, while they remained relatively unknown in their home country and the United States
, despite high profile support slots with Men at Work
, Joan Armatrading
and The Undertones
, among others. The band recorded two sessions (in 1983 and 1984) for John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show. They appeared on the BBC TV show Whistle Test in 1985. In 1985 they contributed "Piggy In The Middle 8" to Ronnie Flood's Jobs For the Boys compilation album, released to highlight the lack of jobs available at the time in Liverpool.
After Prescott's departure, the remaining three members became simply "Da Books", and re-emerged a year later with a cover of Stevie Wonder
's "Living for the City
", released on Probe Plus
.
The band also recorded "The Lookout is Out" (based on the melody of "Asterix est la" by Plastic Bertrand
) the theme song for the 1986 animated film Asterix in Britain
.
Singer/guitarist Peter "Digsy" Deary went on front Smaller
, the band (which featured his brother Stephen on drums) having hits on the UK Singles Chart
in 1996 and 1997 with "Wasted" and "Is", and was celebrated in the Oasis
song "Digsy's Dinner" from their debut album, Definitely Maybe
, Oasis's Noel Gallagher
also later guesting on Smaller's 1997 album Badly Badly. He then fronted The Sums in the 2000s.
was released on Polymer Records, and they were also signed to 10 Records (part of Virgin Records
), Cook Da Books remained fiercely independent throughout their career, running their own label, Kiteland Records. According to the band themselves in an interview with Explicit magazine in 1983: "Being independent means that you've got the freedom to choose whatever we want, have whatever product we want marketed when we want".
, U2, and Squeeze.
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...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group active in the 1980s.
History
Cook Da Books formed in 1980 in FazakerleyFazakerley
Fazakerley is a suburb of north Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and a Liverpool City Council Ward. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 15,062...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, composed of former members of The Dogems and Brooklyn. The initial line-up was Peter "Digsy" Deary (vocals, guitar), Owen Moran (bass, vocals), Tony Prescott (keyboards), and John Legget (drums).
They initially gained attention with their acclaimed, and politically-charged, debut single "Piggie in the Middle 8", about the widespread British riots in 1981
Toxteth riots
The Toxteth riots of July 1981 were a civil disturbance in Toxteth, inner-city Liverpool, which arose in part from long-standing tensions between the local police and the black community...
(which hit Liverpool hard) and other local issues. They then hit the bigtime when they were included on the soundtrack to successful French film La Boum 2
La boum 2
La boum 2 is a 1982 French language motion picture comedy directed by Claude Pinoteau and starring Claude Brasseur, Brigitte Fossey, Sophie Marceau, and Lambert Wilson. La boum 2 is the sequel to La boum...
. They can be seen giving a concert during the movie, and the track of theirs which was included, "Your Eyes", was very popular, hitting #1 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and scoring the band international recognition, while they remained relatively unknown in their home country and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, despite high profile support slots with Men at Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
, Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
and The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
, among others. The band recorded two sessions (in 1983 and 1984) for 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...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show. They appeared on the BBC TV show Whistle Test in 1985. In 1985 they contributed "Piggy In The Middle 8" to Ronnie Flood's Jobs For the Boys compilation album, released to highlight the lack of jobs available at the time in Liverpool.
After Prescott's departure, the remaining three members became simply "Da Books", and re-emerged a year later with a cover of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's "Living for the City
Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
", released on Probe Plus
Probe plus
Probe Plus is a record label based in Liverpool, England. It was founded by Geoff Davies, an enthusiastic promoter of small, unsigned bands, who describes the label as "Music to drive you to drink"....
.
The band also recorded "The Lookout is Out" (based on the melody of "Asterix est la" by Plastic Bertrand
Plastic Bertrand
Plastic Bertrand is a Belgian musician, songwriter, producer, editor and television presenter, best known for the 1977 international hit single "Ça plane pour moi".-Early life and bands:...
) the theme song for the 1986 animated film Asterix in Britain
Asterix in Britain (film)
Asterix in Britain is an animated film released in 1986; the fifth Asterix feature film, and the last from Dargaud Films. It is based on the book of the same name...
.
Singer/guitarist Peter "Digsy" Deary went on front Smaller
Smaller
Smaller were an alternative rock band from Liverpool, England, active during the 1990s. They had hits with "Wasted" and "Is" in 1996 and 1997.-History:...
, the band (which featured his brother Stephen on drums) having hits on 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 ...
in 1996 and 1997 with "Wasted" and "Is", and was celebrated in the Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
song "Digsy's Dinner" from their debut album, Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe is the debut album by English rock band Oasis, released in August 1994. It was an immediate commercial and critical success in the UK, having followed on the heels of singles "Supersonic", "Shakermaker" and "Live Forever"....
, Oasis's Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
also later guesting on Smaller's 1997 album Badly Badly. He then fronted The Sums in the 2000s.
Modus operandi
Though the soundtrack to La Boum 2La boum 2
La boum 2 is a 1982 French language motion picture comedy directed by Claude Pinoteau and starring Claude Brasseur, Brigitte Fossey, Sophie Marceau, and Lambert Wilson. La boum 2 is the sequel to La boum...
was released on Polymer Records, and they were also signed to 10 Records (part of Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
), Cook Da Books remained fiercely independent throughout their career, running their own label, Kiteland Records. According to the band themselves in an interview with Explicit magazine in 1983: "Being independent means that you've got the freedom to choose whatever we want, have whatever product we want marketed when we want".
Musical style
The band received comparisons to Duran DuranDuran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, U2, and Squeeze.
Singles/EPs
- 1982: "Piggie in the Middle Eight" / "Turn to Black" (#18)
- 1982: "Rich Men Don't" / "Low Profile"
- 1983: "Piggie in the Middle Eight" / "I Wouldn't Want to Knock It"
- 1983: "Your Eyes"
- 1985: "Low Profile" / "Rich Men Don't" (#13)
- 1983: "I Wouldn't Want To Knock It" / "Up In Smoke" / "In Da Papers" (#20)
- 1984: "Caress Me Like a Flower" / "Say Something Good"
- 1984: "Golden Age" / "Soho"
- 1985: "You Hurt Me Deep Inside" / "Piggie in the Middle Eight" / "Low Profile" (
- 1986: "Living for the City" / "All I Want is Everything" / "How Could You Be So Low" / "Giving Up the Acid" / "England May as Well Be Cuba"
- 1986: "The Look Out Is Out" (Theme song for the animated film, Asterix in BritainAsterix in Britain (film)Asterix in Britain is an animated film released in 1986; the fifth Asterix feature film, and the last from Dargaud Films. It is based on the book of the same name...
)
Tracklist
- "Heart of Fire"
- "Rich Men Don't"
- "Wouldn't Want To Knock It"
- "Sankapou"
- "Falling"
- "Piggie In The Middle Eight"
- "Who Are You To Cry?"
- "Soho"
- "This Is Not The Time"
- "Up In Smoke"
- "Say Something Good"
Compilation appearances
- "This is Not the Time" (included on Crackin' Up at the Pyramid compilation) (May 1982)
- "Get it Together" / "Your Eyes" / "Silver Man" (included on La Boum 2La boum 2La boum 2 is a 1982 French language motion picture comedy directed by Claude Pinoteau and starring Claude Brasseur, Brigitte Fossey, Sophie Marceau, and Lambert Wilson. La boum 2 is the sequel to La boum...
soundtrack LP) (France:Philips, Germany:Carrere 6.26431) - "Piggie in the Middle Eight" (new version) (Jobs for the BoysJobs for the Boys"Jobs for the Boys" is the seventh episode of the BBC comedy series Yes Minister and was first broadcast 7 April 1980. In this episode, the final ' Yes Minister ' is uttered by Sir Humphrey Appleby...
compilation (Natalie Records) (January 1985)