Doctor and the Medics
Encyclopedia
Doctor and the Medics are a London
based psychedelic rock
band which enjoyed greatest success in the 1980s and are best known for their UK No. 1 song, "Spirit in the Sky
". The band currently perform, with a different line-up, as a tribute act to various artists
.
, Liverpool
), a former London
-based DJ
, formed the group with guitarist
Steve McGuire, drummer Vom (aka Steve Ritchie), and bassist
Gareth Thomas and female dancers and singers The Anadin
Brothers in 1981. The group adopted a look inspired by both 1960s psychedelia and kabuki
make-up similar to that of Kiss
.
Their first single
was "The Druids are Here" which was released on Whaam Records in 1982.
They released no further records until 1985, although a four track EP
recorded live at Alice In Wonderland, a Soho
nightclub
where The Doctor was house DJ, was available direct from the band
.
The band's unique female backing singers
were known collectively as The Anadin Brothers. Originally there were 3 Anadin Brothers but this was soon whittled down to Wendi West and Colette Appleby. Their unique performances were extremely well synchronised and featured highly characteristic moves, these were influenced by the fact that the duo had previously competed together as synchronised swimmers.
In 1985 they signed to IRS Records and released "Happy but Twisted" a five track 12" EP including a cover
of Hawkwind
's "Silver Machine". This reached number 2 on the indie charts
. This was followed by "The Miracle of the Age", produced by Andy Partridge
of XTC
.
Around this time the band performed a concert
in a television studio in Limehouse
, London
which was recorded for television broadcast, although it was not shown at the time. At this concert the line up was augmented by Roman Jugg
of The Damned on keyboards
and second guitar.
They scored an international hit
in 1986 with their next single, a cover of Norman Greenbaum
's "Spirit in the Sky
". The single reached number one in the UK among others. They fared less well with subsequent singles; "Burn" and "Waterloo" (the latter of which was a cover of the ABBA
hit, with Roy Wood
on saxophone
, backing vocals and in the video
). "Burn" reached No 29 in the UK Singles Chart
and "Waterloo", No 45.
The band released their final studio
album
Instant Heaven, in 1996 on their own 'Madman' record label
.
In the early 2000s the band's current line-up appeared on retro-themed British TV shows such as ITV1
's Hit Me Baby One More Time
and a Top of the Pops
Christmas special celebrating 50 years of the UK Singles Chart.
In 2003, Jackson left Britain to live in Mexico
, although frequently returned to Britain and in June 2006 appeared on Channel 4
's Bring Back One Hit Wonders with a new line-up. Around this time they released an EP called "Timewarped". In 2008, Jackson moved back to the UK to begin work on a new studio album.
1986 line-up
2003 Reunion line-up
Current line-up
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band which enjoyed greatest success in the 1980s and are best known for their UK No. 1 song, "Spirit in the Sky
Spirit in the Sky
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
". The band currently perform, with a different line-up, as a tribute act to various artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Career
The Doctor (Clive Jackson , born on 7 July 1961 in Knotty AshKnotty Ash
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically within Lancashire, at the 2001 Census, the population was 13,200.-Description:...
, 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...
), a former London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, formed the group with guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Steve McGuire, drummer Vom (aka Steve Ritchie), and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Gareth Thomas and female dancers and singers The Anadin
Anadin
Anadin is a brand of painkiller sold in the UK and Ireland by Wyeth.Several different types of painkiller are sold under the brand. , these include:* Anadin Original - aspirin and caffeine based* Anadin paracetamol tablets - launched in 1988...
Brothers in 1981. The group adopted a look inspired by both 1960s psychedelia and kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
make-up similar to that of Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
.
Their first 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...
was "The Druids are Here" which was released on Whaam Records in 1982.
They released no further records until 1985, although a four track EP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
recorded live at Alice In Wonderland, a Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
where The Doctor was house DJ, was available direct from the 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...
.
The band's unique female backing singers
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
were known collectively as The Anadin Brothers. Originally there were 3 Anadin Brothers but this was soon whittled down to Wendi West and Colette Appleby. Their unique performances were extremely well synchronised and featured highly characteristic moves, these were influenced by the fact that the duo had previously competed together as synchronised swimmers.
In 1985 they signed to IRS Records and released "Happy but Twisted" a five track 12" EP including a 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 Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
's "Silver Machine". This reached number 2 on the indie charts
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
. This was followed by "The Miracle of the Age", produced by Andy Partridge
Andy Partridge
Andrew John "Andy" Partridge is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has been known as Sir John Johns and Melchior and rose to fame as a founding member, guitarist and chief songwriter of the pop/new wave band, XTC. He lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, where he was raised.Partridge also...
of XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
.
Around this time the band performed a concert
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...
in a television studio in Limehouse
Limehouse
Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
which was recorded for television broadcast, although it was not shown at the time. At this concert the line up was augmented by Roman Jugg
Roman Jugg
Roman Jugg is a keyboard player and guitarist. He began his career in the Welsh punk band Victimize in the late 1970s....
of The Damned on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and second guitar.
They scored an international hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1986 with their next single, a cover of Norman Greenbaum
Norman Greenbaum
Norman Greenbaum is an American singer-songwriter. He was raised in a traditional Jewish household and went to Hebrew school. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was hugely popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
's "Spirit in the Sky
Spirit in the Sky
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
". The single reached number one in the UK among others. They fared less well with subsequent singles; "Burn" and "Waterloo" (the latter of which was a cover of the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
hit, with Roy Wood
Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, backing vocals and in the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
). "Burn" reached No 29 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 ...
and "Waterloo", No 45.
The band released their final studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
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...
Instant Heaven, in 1996 on their own 'Madman' record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
In the early 2000s the band's current line-up appeared on retro-themed British TV shows such as ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's Hit Me Baby One More Time
Hit Me Baby One More Time
Hit Me, Baby, One More Time was a 2005 reality show first aired by ITV on British television and later, as a new version, by NBC in the United States; both were presented by Vernon Kay. During each programme, five former pop stars sing their biggest hit along with a cover version of a contemporary...
and a Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
Christmas special celebrating 50 years of the UK Singles Chart.
In 2003, Jackson left Britain to live in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, although frequently returned to Britain and in June 2006 appeared on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Bring Back One Hit Wonders with a new line-up. Around this time they released an EP called "Timewarped". In 2008, Jackson moved back to the UK to begin work on a new studio album.
Personnel
1981 Line up- The Doctor (vocals),
- Steve McGuire (guitar),
- Richard Searle(bass),
- Andrew McLachlan (drums)
1986 line-up
- The Doctor (vocals),
- Steve McGuire (guitar),
- Richard Searle(bass),
- Steve "Vom" Ritchie (drums),
- Wendi Anadin (vocals),
- Colette Anadin (vocals).
- Andy Higgins (chief Badger)
- Richard Searle left in 1990 shortly after Vom Ritchie left. Gareth Thomas replaced Richard Searle in 1990. Searle went on to form Acid JazzAcid jazzAcid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
band CorduroyCorduroy (band)Corduroy were a four-piece acid jazz outfit based in London, formed around twins Ben Addison and Scott Addison , who were previously in Sire Records act Boys Wonder . Joining the twins in the band were Richard Searle and guitarist Simon Nelson-Smith...
with former members of Sire RecordsSire RecordsSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
act Boys Wonder. - Since leaving the Medics, drummer Ritchie has played with CrazyheadCrazyheadCrazyhead are an English garage punk band from Leicester, England. Though lumped in with the largely media-created grebo scene, they were more influenced by the garage rock of the late 1960s, as well as bands like The Ramones, The Stooges and Captain Beefheart...
, Last of the Teenage Idols, Stiv BatorsStiv BatorsStiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
, B-Bang Cider, The BoysThe Boys (UK Band)The Boys are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976.Members of the band had previously played in other groups, such as London SS and Hollywood Brats. After recording four studio albums and eight singles, as well as recording Christmas themed music under the name The Yobs, they disbanded...
, Wet Dog and now plays with Die Toten HosenDie Toten HosenDie Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.The band's name literally means "The Dead Pants" in English, although the phrase "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "nothing going on" or "boring"...
.
2003 Reunion line-up
- The Doctor (vocals)
- Adrian Hill (drums)
- Carl Axon (The Big Bopper)(Lead Guitar, backing vocals)
- James Hartley(guitar)
- Jon Randle (bass)
- Melissa Weekes (backing vocals)
- Collette Anadin (backing vocals)
- Carl Axon left to pursue business interests
Current line-up
- The Doctor (vocals)
- Adrian Hill (drums)
- Dan Angelow(guitar)
- Jon Randle (bass)
- Melissa Weekes (backing vocals)
Albums
- Laughing at the PiecesLaughing at the PiecesLaughing at the Pieces is the 1986 album by Doctor and the Medics.-Side One:#"No-one Loves You When You've Got No Shoes" – 3:37#"Kettle on a Long Chain" – 3:00#"Come On Call Me" – 2:35#"Watermelon Runaway" – 2:29#"Fried Egg Bad Monday" – 4:09...
(1986) (UK #25) - I Keep Thinking It's TuesdayI Keep Thinking It's Tuesday-Side one:#"Drive... He Said" – 3:42#"Wild Flowers" – 3:46#"Gorilla" – 4:06#"Jack Of Kent" – 3:56#"When The Hammer Comes Down" – 3:22#"Sea Of Stone" – 3:47All songs written by Doctor/McGuire/Searle/West/Ritchie.-Side two:#"More" – 3:50...
(1987) - The Adventures of Boadacea and the Beetle (1992)
- Instant Heaven (1996)
Singles/EPs
- "The Druids Are Here" (1982) Whaam
- Happy But Twisted EP (1985) Illegal (UK Indie #2)
- "The Miracle of the Age" (1985) IRS
- "Spirit in the SkySpirit in the Sky"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
" (1986) IRS (UK #1, US #69) - "Burn" (1986) IRS (UK #29)
- "Waterloo" (1986) IRS (UK #45)
- "Two Pieces of Cloth Carefully Stitched Together EP (1987) Illegal (UK Indie #34)
- "More" (1987) IRS
- "Drive, He Said" (1988) IRS
- Timewarped (6-track covers EP) (2006)