Felt (band)
Encyclopedia
Felt were a 1980s British
alternative rock
band led by Lawrence
, whose surname was never listed in any credits or press; the band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine
's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television
song "Venus
". Lawrence and drummer Gary Ainge were the only constant members, though Ainge is not featured on Felt's first release, recorded solo by Lawrence before the band formed.
Felt are often cited as a major influence by Belle & Sebastian
's Stuart Murdoch
, as well as by the Manic Street Preachers
, Christopher Owens of Girls
, and American
alternative rock
group The Tyde
. The band released ten albums and ten singles in ten years and then disbanded.
(who left in 1986), keyboard player Martin Duffy
and bassist-turned-lead guitarist Marco Thomas.
Felt recruited the services of Robin Guthrie
as producer for their album Ignite the Seven Cannons, which remains one of the group's most popular albums. Deebank left the band after this album to pursue a solo career. The single "Primitive Painters," features backing vocals from Guthrie's Cocteau Twins
partner Elizabeth Fraser
.
With the arrival of Martin Duffy (later of Primal Scream
), keyboards (especially the electronic organ
) became a more important part of the band's sound, and they dominate the band's two instrumental albums, Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death
and Train Above The City
(the latter not featuring Lawrence in any capacity except for naming the tracks). It was during this period that the band recorded Forever Breathes The Lonely Word
and the follow-up Poem of the River
.
In 1989 Lawrence declared it had been his intention all along to release ten singles and ten albums in ten years and, having done so, announced the end of Felt. After releasing their last album and undertaking a short tour the band split up. Lawrence went on to form Denim
and, later, Go Kart Mozart
.
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...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band led by Lawrence
Lawrence Hayward
Lawrence Hayward , known simply as Lawrence, his surname never used in credits or press, is best known as the singer, songwriter and guitarist of British indie band Felt.-Felt:...
, whose surname was never listed in any credits or press; the band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:...
's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television
Television (band)
Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
song "Venus
Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television, released in 1977. While often considered a seminal work to come out of the New York punk scene of the late 1970s, the album differs from conventional punk in its clean, textured guitar-based arrangements and extended improvisation...
". Lawrence and drummer Gary Ainge were the only constant members, though Ainge is not featured on Felt's first release, recorded solo by Lawrence before the band formed.
Felt are often cited as a major influence by Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
's Stuart Murdoch
Stuart Murdoch (musician)
Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
, as well as by the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, Christopher Owens of Girls
Girls (band)
Girls is an indie rock band from San Francisco, California. Made up of two key members, Christopher Owens who is the main writer and Chet "JR" White who plays bass and produces. The band's lead singer, Christopher Owens, is a former member of the Children of God cult...
, and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
group The Tyde
The Tyde
The Tyde are an American indie rock group. Tracing their roots to early 1990s LA indie band Further, formed by Darren Rademaker and brother Brent, The Tyde cite Felt, The Beach Boys and The Byrds as major influences....
. The band released ten albums and ten singles in ten years and then disbanded.
History
Over the course of its ten-year existence, the band included classically-trained guitarist and co-songwriter Maurice DeebankMaurice Deebank
Maurice Deebank is a classically trained English guitarist. He was the lead guitarist of the British indie band Felt from its debut album until 1986, and was responsible for the ornate, atmospheric guitar work found on many of the band's early recordings...
(who left in 1986), keyboard player Martin Duffy
Martin Duffy (musician)
Martin Duffy is an English keyboardist who originally played in Felt and currently plays with Primal Scream.-Career:Duffy was born in Birmingham and grew up in Rednal in the south of the city, attending St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in King's Norton, and growing up listening to Two Tone, punk,...
and bassist-turned-lead guitarist Marco Thomas.
Felt recruited the services of Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie is a musician best known as co-founder of the Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing...
as producer for their album Ignite the Seven Cannons, which remains one of the group's most popular albums. Deebank left the band after this album to pursue a solo career. The single "Primitive Painters," features backing vocals from Guthrie's Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
partner Elizabeth Fraser
Elizabeth Fraser
Elizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer best known as the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins...
.
With the arrival of Martin Duffy (later of Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
), keyboards (especially the electronic organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
) became a more important part of the band's sound, and they dominate the band's two instrumental albums, Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death
Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death
Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death is the fifth album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1986. Their first album for Creation Records, it is composed of short instrumentals in different styles and is less than nineteen minutes in length...
and Train Above The City
Train Above the City
Train Above the City is the ninth and penultimate album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1988. It does not feature frontman Lawrence in any musical capacity, though he was responsible for naming the tracks...
(the latter not featuring Lawrence in any capacity except for naming the tracks). It was during this period that the band recorded Forever Breathes The Lonely Word
Forever Breathes the Lonely Word
Forever Breathes the Lonely Word is the sixth album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1986. This is the first Felt album with no instrumental tracks.The cover features a colour photograph of keyboardist Martin Duffy.-Track listing:...
and the follow-up Poem of the River
Poem of the River
Poem of the River is the seventh album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1987.-Track listing:All songs written by Lawrence.#"Declaration" – 1:47#"Silver Plane" – 2:38#"She Lives by the Castle" – 6:18...
.
In 1989 Lawrence declared it had been his intention all along to release ten singles and ten albums in ten years and, having done so, announced the end of Felt. After releasing their last album and undertaking a short tour the band split up. Lawrence went on to form Denim
Denim (UK band)
Denim was the brainchild of Lawrence, formerly of Felt, and was based in Birmingham, England.-History:Following the end of his former group, 1980s post-punk outfit Felt, Lawrence moved into different territory with Denim, a band whose brash teaming of glam rock with cutting and highly satirical...
and, later, Go Kart Mozart
Go Kart Mozart
Go Kart Mozart is a band founded by Lawrence, originally of the bands Felt and Denim. The sound of the band is similar to Denim, although with an emphasis on synthesizers rather than guitars. The songs are short in nature, most never going over three minutes. The lyrics are often funny and satirical...
.
Albums
- Crumbling the Antiseptic BeautyCrumbling the Antiseptic BeautyCrumbling the Antiseptic Beauty is the first album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1982.Track 1 is instrumental. "Fortune" was later re-recorded and released on the band's 1984 single Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow...
(Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
, 1981) - The Splendour of FearThe Splendour of FearThe Splendour of Fear is the second album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1984. A largely instrumental album, only tracks 2 and 5 have lyrics....
(Cherry Red, 1984) - The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short StoriesThe Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short StoriesThe Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories is the third album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1984. The original album contained an instrumental track, "Crucifix Heaven," which was removed from recent CD reissues. "Whirlpool Vision of Shame" is a re-recording of earlier...
(Cherry Red, 1984) - Ignite the Seven CannonsIgnite the Seven CannonsIgnite the Seven Cannons is the fourth album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1985. The album was produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins, and features his bandmate Elizabeth Fraser as a backing vocalist. The band's most successful single, "Primitive Painters", was culled from...
(Cherry Red, 1985) - Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to DeathLet the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to DeathLet the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death is the fifth album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1986. Their first album for Creation Records, it is composed of short instrumentals in different styles and is less than nineteen minutes in length...
(Creation RecordsCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
, 1986) - Forever Breathes the Lonely WordForever Breathes the Lonely WordForever Breathes the Lonely Word is the sixth album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1986. This is the first Felt album with no instrumental tracks.The cover features a colour photograph of keyboardist Martin Duffy.-Track listing:...
(Creation Records, 1986) - Poem of the RiverPoem of the RiverPoem of the River is the seventh album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1987.-Track listing:All songs written by Lawrence.#"Declaration" – 1:47#"Silver Plane" – 2:38#"She Lives by the Castle" – 6:18...
(Creation Records, 1987) - The Pictorial Jackson ReviewThe Pictorial Jackson ReviewThe Pictorial Jackson Review is the eighth album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1988. Unusually, the first side of the record consisted of short pop songs with the second side containing just two long keyboard instrumentals by keyboardist Martin Duffy...
(Creation Records, 1988) - Train Above the CityTrain Above the CityTrain Above the City is the ninth and penultimate album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1988. It does not feature frontman Lawrence in any musical capacity, though he was responsible for naming the tracks...
(Creation Records, 1988) - Me and a Monkey on the MoonMe and a Monkey on the MoonMe and a Monkey on the Moon is the tenth and final album by British alternative rock band Felt, released in 1989.- Recording :The album was recorded at ICC Studios in Eastbourne between 5 and 14 August 1989, after earlier demos had been recorded in Brighton...
(Cherry Red, 1989)
Compilations
- Gold Mine Trash (Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
, 1987) - Bubblegum Perfume (Creation RecordsCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
, 1990) - Absolute Classic Masterpieces (Cherry Red, 1992)
- Absolute Classic Masterpieces Volume II (Creation Records, 1993)
- Stains on a Decade (Cherry Red, 2003)
Singles
- Index (Shanghai Records, September 1979)
- 7" "Index" / "Break It"
- Released as by Felt though recorded solo by Lawrence before band formed.
- Something Sends Me to Sleep (Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
, July 1981)
- 7" "Something Sends Me to Sleep" / "Red Indians" / "Something Sends Me to Sleep" (different version) / "Red Indians"
- Both "Red Indians" tracks are identical. It is an earlier version of the song later appearing on the band's second album.
- My Face Is on Fire (Cherry Red, September 1982)
- 7" "My Face Is on Fire" / "Trails of Colour Dissolve"
- Penelope Tree (Cherry Red, June 1983)
- 7" "Penelope Tree" / "A Preacher in New England"
- 12" "Penelope Tree" / "A Preacher in New England" / "Now Summer's Spread Its Wings Again"
- "A Preacher in New England" is a shorter version of the song from the band's second album.
- Mexican Bandits (Cherry Red, March 1984)
- 7" "Mexican Bandits" / "The World Is As Soft As Lace"
- Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow (Cherry Red, July 1984)
- 7" "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" / "Fortune"
- 12" "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" / "Fortune" / "Sunlight Strings"
- The title track is different from the album version. "Fortune" is a new recording of the song from the band's first album.
- Primitive Painters (Cherry Red, August 1985)
- 12" "Primitive Painters" / "Cathedral"
- CD "Primitive Painters" / "Cathedral" (August 1988)
- "Cathedral" is a new recording of the song from the band's first album.
- Ballad of the Band (Creation RecordsCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
, May 1986)
- 7" "Ballad of the Band" / "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You"
- 12" "Ballad of the Band" / "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You" / "Candles in a Church" / "Ferdinand Magellan"
- Rain of Crystal Spires (Creation Records, September 1986)
- 7" "Rain of Crystal Spires" / "I Will Die with My Head in Flames"
- 12" "Rain of Crystal Spires" / "Gather up Your Wings and Fly" / "Sandman's on the Rise Again" / "I Will Die With My Head in Flames"
- The Final Resting of the Ark (Creation Records, September 1987)
- 12" "The Final Resting of the Ark" / "Autumn" / "Fire Circle" / "There's No Such Thing As Victory" / "Buried Wild Blind"
- Space Blues (Creation Records, August 1988)
- 7" "Space Blues" / "Be Still"
- 12" "Space Blues" / "Be Still" / "Female Star" / "Tuesday's Secret"
- "Be Still" originally by The Beach Boys; the only cover recorded by Felt.
- Get out of My Mirror (Cherry Red, October 1989)
- 7" "Get out of My Mirror"
- Free one-sided flexidisc.
- Primitive Painters reissue (Cherry Red, March 1992)
- 12" "Primitive Painters" / "Dismantled King Is Off The Throne" (demo) / "Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow" (demo)
- CD "Primitive Painters" / "Dismantled King Is Off The Throne" (demo) / "Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow" (demo)
- The two demos first appeared on the Gold Mine Trash compilation album.
External links
- Felt - a tribute - News on Felt, Denim, Lawrence, etc.
- Felt discography
- The Felt, Denim & Go Kart Mozart reviews page
- Liner Notes for Belle & Sebastian's "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
- History of Felt in Spanish
- Foxtrot Echo Lima Tango - Felt fanzine and blog
- Felt : Ballad of the fan - A book about Felt
- Felt - The Book - Photo book with a foreword by Lawrence (FirstThirdBooks, 2012)