Helen Love (band)
Encyclopedia
Helen Love are an indie
band from Wales
whose music is a combination of punk rock
, bubblegum pop
and disco
dance music
. The main thematic elements in their oeuvre are Joey Ramone
, summer days and bubblegum music.
While none of their singles have reached the UK Top 40, they have developed a devoted cult following in indie circles, particularly at indie discos, with songs including "Long Live The UK Music Scene", "Shifty Disco Girl", "Does Your Heart Go Boom?", "We Love You", "Girl About Town", "Punk Boy" and "Debbie
Loves Joey
".
Helen Love have released recordings on many labels, including Damaged Goods
, Che Trading, Sympathy for the Record Industry
, Wurlizter Jukebox, and Invicta Hi-Fi. They are currently signed to Elefant Records
.
They recorded a session for John Peel
in October 1997, and had three songs in his Festive Fifty
.
Their songs have also been covered by Ash
, The Queers
, Katz and Tullycraft
.
The band contributed a specially written song for the DVD release of Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure
. Gorman, a fan of the band, had previously played Helen Love songs to his audiences before he went on stage. Another big fan is Phill Jupitus
, for whom the band composed the theme song for his Breakfast Show on BBC 6 Music
.
Helen Love completed a new album, It's My Club and I'll Play What I Want To, released in the first week of November 2007 on Elefant Records
in Spain
and February 2008 in the UK. Their lead singer also provided vocal tracks for a 2009 cover of their song, "Better Set Your Phasers to Stun", by American synthpop
band Hyperbubble
.
", the single was brought to Joey's attention by the UK branch of the Ramones fan club. Joey subsequently invited the band to New York to play a gig at the Continental Hotel.
Joey introduced the band's Evening Session on Radio 1
, and duetted with Helen on the album version of "Punk Boy".
Helen provided backing vocals on the Joey Ramone
album Don't Worry About Me
, singing on the track "Mr. Punchy".
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
whose music is a combination of 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...
, bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. The main thematic elements in their oeuvre are Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
, summer days and bubblegum music.
History
The band was formed in 1992 by Helen Love (vocals, guitar) with Sheena (guitar, keyboards), Roxy (bass, drum machine), and Mark (keyboards). Love claims only to listen to the music of The Ramones. Current members are Helen, Sheena and Beth.While none of their singles have reached the UK Top 40, they have developed a devoted cult following in indie circles, particularly at indie discos, with songs including "Long Live The UK Music Scene", "Shifty Disco Girl", "Does Your Heart Go Boom?", "We Love You", "Girl About Town", "Punk Boy" and "Debbie
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
Loves Joey
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
".
Helen Love have released recordings on many labels, including Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods (record label)
Damaged Goods is a British independent record label and online shop.- History :Damaged Goods started in 1988 from a living room in east London.Ian Damaged called it DamagedGoods. The first release was a re-issue of the 1977 single by Slaughter and the Dogs, "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone?"...
, Che Trading, Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
, Wurlizter Jukebox, and Invicta Hi-Fi. They are currently signed to Elefant Records
Elefant Records
Elefant Records is an independent record label based in Spain. Elefant records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea Del Arco"...
.
They recorded a session 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...
in October 1997, and had three songs in his Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
.
Their songs have also been covered by Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
, The Queers
The Queers
The Queers are a punk band formed in 1981 by Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joe King . The band originally broke up in 1984, but reformed with Joe Queer and a new line-up in 1986. In 1990, the band signed with Shakin' Street Records and released their first album Grow Up...
, Katz and Tullycraft
Tullycraft
Tullycraft is an indie pop band from Seattle, Washington who formed in 1995. They have been associated with the genre of twee, in fact, they are considered to be one of the forefathers of the American twee pop movement alongside Black Tambourine, Tiger Trap, Lois, Honeybunch, and Beat Happening...
.
The band contributed a specially written song for the DVD release of Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure
Dave Gorman
David James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
. Gorman, a fan of the band, had previously played Helen Love songs to his audiences before he went on stage. Another big fan is Phill Jupitus
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
, for whom the band composed the theme song for his Breakfast Show on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
.
Helen Love completed a new album, It's My Club and I'll Play What I Want To, released in the first week of November 2007 on Elefant Records
Elefant Records
Elefant Records is an independent record label based in Spain. Elefant records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea Del Arco"...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and February 2008 in the UK. Their lead singer also provided vocal tracks for a 2009 cover of their song, "Better Set Your Phasers to Stun", by American synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band Hyperbubble
Hyperbubble
Hyperbubble is an international visual and performing arts electro pop/synthpop duo from San Antonio, Texas formed by Jeff DeCuir and Jess Barnett DeCuir...
.
Joey Ramone
Helen Love's second single was titled "(Sheena's In Love With) Joey Ramoney", a tribute to the band's favourite singer. A play on The Ramones' song "Sheena Is a Punk RockerSheena is a Punk Rocker
"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is a song by the punk rock group The Ramones. It first appeared on their third LP, Rocket to Russia, in 1977, and was also included on later pressings of the group's second album, Leave Home...
", the single was brought to Joey's attention by the UK branch of the Ramones fan club. Joey subsequently invited the band to New York to play a gig at the Continental Hotel.
Joey introduced the band's Evening Session on 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...
, and duetted with Helen on the album version of "Punk Boy".
Helen provided backing vocals on the Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
album Don't Worry About Me
Don't Worry About Me
Don't Worry About Me is the only album released by Joey Ramone as a solo artist, although he previously had many releases with the Ramones as their lead singer. It was released posthumously in 2002, as he died in 2001. The album was produced by Daniel Rey, who also did most of the guitar work on...
, singing on the track "Mr. Punchy".
Singles
| Year | Single | B-side | Label | Cat. no. | Format/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Formula One Racing Girls | Riding Hi | Damaged Goods Damaged Goods (record label) Damaged Goods is a British independent record label and online shop.- History :Damaged Goods started in 1988 from a living room in east London.Ian Damaged called it DamagedGoods. The first release was a re-issue of the 1977 single by Slaughter and the Dogs, "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone?"... |
damgood 18 | 7" only - 500 pink, black, then 250 red (reissue) |
| Joey Ramoney | Greatest Fan | damgood 27 | 7" only 500 green vinyl | ||
| Happiest Time of the Year | Where's Me F*cking Presents (by Wat Tyler Wat Tyler (band) Wat Tyler was an English novelty/punk band of the late 1980s and 1990s, fronted by Sean Forbes alongside Andy Tuck of Thatcher on Acid. The band were known for their eclectic style, insightful political commentary, surreal humour, and inside jokes, and produced a number of EPs and albums on... ) |
dampud 33 1/3 | split single Split album A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively... ; 7" greeny vinyl only |
||
| 1994 | Punk Boy | Punk Boy 2 | damgood 38 | 7" only 500 pale blue, then black vinyl | |
| 1995 | Bubblegum | Let's Go | damgood 61 | 7" 500 pink, then black vinyl | |
| Ahead of the Race | Diet Coke Girl | damgood 80 | CD + 7" 500 white, then black vinyl | ||
| Beat Him Up | Super Boy Super Girl + Matthew Kaplan Superstar (cd only) |
damgood 89 | CD + 7" 500 pale blue, then black vinyl | ||
| We Love You | Girl about town + We Love You (2) + Punk Boy | damgood 95 | CD + 7" white + orange vinyl | ||
| 1997 | Does Your Heart Go Boom | So in Love with You + Yeah Yeah We're Helen Love + Put Yr Foot on the Fuzzbox Baby |
ché | che 72 | CD + 7" bubblegum pink vinyl, UK 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 ... #71 |
| 1998 | Long Live the UK Music Scene | Sunburst Super Kay + Great in Formula One | che 82 | CD + 7", UK #65 | |
| 2000 | Shifty Disco Girl | King of Kung Fu + Leader of the Pack | che 89 | CD + 7" | |
| Jump Up and Down Atomic Beat Boy |
Big Pink Candyfloss Haircut | che 90 | CD + 7" - double A-side | ||
| 2001 | Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight) | Damaged Goods | damgood 206 | One-sided 7" only. A cover of a Ramones Ramones The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group... song. |
|
| 2004 | Debbie Loves Joey | Free download from helenlove.com | |||
| 2005 | Long Hot Summer | Long Hot Summer 2 Helen Love on 45 (a medley of Helen Love hits) |
Invicta Hi-fi | LIQ 029 | CD + translucent orange 7" |
| 2006 | Junk Shop Discothèque | Debbie Loves Joey (Kid Karate remix) Shut Your Mouth |
elefant | ER249 (vinyl) ER363 (cd) |
CD + baby pink 7" |
| 2007 | It's My Club | Boots On + Jennifer Hanley | ER370 | CD only (?) | |
| 2009 | Calm Down Dad | John Peel Roadshow + Candeelips | ER267 | Orange 7" | |
EPs
| Year | Title | Tracks | Label | Cat. no. | Format/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Summer Pop Punk Pop EP | Love; Kiss; Run; Sing; Shout; Jump! Rollercoasting Rockaway Beach for Me, Heartbreak Hotel For You Summer Pop Radio So Hot Golden Summer |
Damaged Goods | damgood 42 | 10" only 500 pink vinyl |
| 2000 | [Helen Love vs The Cuban Boys] Does Your Heart Go Boom remixes |
"Emma Peel" "Tea Leoni" "John Peel" "Juliette Binoche" |
ché | che 88 | one-sided 12" only. |
| 2005 | The Bubblegum Killers EP | Debbie Loves Joey Saturday Night Kicks A Boy Like You Better Pop Your Bubblegum [cd only] (The Continuing Adventures of) The Girl About Town wigwambam [cd only] |
Sympathy for the Record Industry Sympathy for the Record Industry Sympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John... |
SFTRI 751 | CD + bubblegum pink 7" |
Albums
| Year | Title | Tracks | Label | Cat. no. | Format/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Radio Hits | Formula One Racing Girls Riding Hi Joey Ramoney Greatest Fan Punk Boy 1 Punk Boy 2 Love; Kiss; Run; Sing; Shout; Jump! Rollercoasting Rockaway Beach for Me, Heartbreak Hotel For You Summer Pop Radio So Hot Golden Summer |
Damaged Goods | damgood 51 | CD and 1000 yellow glitter vinyl Compilation of the first three singles and the Summer Pop Punk Pop EP |
| 1997 | Radio Hits 2 | Bubblegum Let's Go Ahead of the Race Diet Coke Girl Beat Him Up Super Boy Super Girl Matthew Kaplan Superstar Il Fait Beau (CD only) We Love You Girl About Town We Love You (2) |
damgood 117 | CD and 1000 green glitter vinyl Compilation of the four 1995 singles, plus one previously unreleased track |
|
| 2000 | Love & Glitter, Hot Days and Music | Shifty Disco Girl Jump Up and Down Atomic Beat Boy Who Stole The Starz 2000MPHgirl Love and Glitter, Hot Days and Musik Does Your Heart Go BOOOOOOOMM HappyHardCore BigBigKiss MC5 Punk Boy (with Joey Ramone) Better Set Your Phasers To Stun |
ché | che 87 | CD only |
| 2001 | Love & Glitter, Hot Days and Musik (Damaged Goods reissue) |
As above, plus the following bonus tracks: Automatic Disco Club MC5 BigBigKiss Jump Up and Down |
Damaged Goods | damgood 202 | CD + LP Bonus tracks taken from a 1999 New York radio session |
| 2002 | Radio Hits 3 | Does Your Heart Go Boom So In Love With You Yeah Yeah We're Helen Love Put Your Foot on the Fuzzbox, Baby Long Live The UK Music Scene Sunburst Super Kay Great in Formula One Shifty Disco Girl King of Kung Fu Leader of the Pack Jump Up and Down Atomic Beat Boy Big Pink Candyfloss Haircut Does Your Heart Go Boom (Cuban Boys "Emma Peel" Remix) Number One Fantastic Day |
damgood 203 | CD + LP Compilation of the ché singles |
|
| 2007 | It's My Club And I'll Play What I Want To | It's My Club Debbie loves Joey Dance on (Solid Gold) You Better Learn Karate The 1910 Fruitgum Company Transistor Radio (Radio) Jet First Boyfriend Rodney's English Disco Honolulu Superstar Garageband Queen Of The Discobeat Staying IN A New Squad Attacking Formation Junkshop Discothèque Saturday... NITE!!! |
elefant | ? |