Ooberman
Encyclopedia
Ooberman are a band
with strong indie
, folk
and progressive
influences first formed in 1997. They split up in 2003, shortly after the release of their second album
Hey Petrunko, but announced their reformation in April 2006 and began releasing music again soon thereafter.
at their school in Bradford
, 1988. The first band they set up was The Forestry Commission, with Flett's younger brother
, Steve on bass guitar
. The band's life soon ended when Popplewell moved to Liverpool
, but the three friends kept in touch.
Steve Flett moved to Liverpool in 1992, and Andy Flett later joined him in 1997. Ooberman was then born, complete with Sophia Churney
(keyboards
and vocals) and Alan Kelly (drummer
). The first Ooberman gig
was in June 1997, and their eccentric live shows and quirky demo
s won them the 1997 BT Merseyside Arts Award for Best Newcomers.
Their first release was the "Sugar Bum" single
, a 7" inch vinyl
on Graham Coxon
's Transcopic
record label
, followed by the critically acclaimed "Shorley Wall
" EP on Tugboat Records. The band then secured up a major recording contract
with Independiente
, on which they released their first proper single: the Top 40 hit "Blossoms Falling".
. The album
got generally positive reviews, including an 8/10 in NME
. The reviews, however, did not translate into sales and after a handful of singles missed the Top 40, Independiente and Ooberman parted company.
The band had reportedly had enough with the music industry by this time, but in mid-2000, they started work on their second album. During this time, tension within the band caused the original drummer to leave the band, but he was replaced by Paul Walsham.
- at the start of 2002. A mini-album, Running Girl, preceded it in October 2001. As well as getting a new drummer, this time Jaymie Ireland, Popplewell also set up his own record label, Rotodisc.
A five track EP - "Bluebell Morning" - and a single - "Beany Bean" - followed, but Hey Petrunko was delayed. After nearly three years working on the album, it was finally released on the 3 March 2003, to widespread critical acclaim.
A tour and another single followed, but the pressure of making Hey Petrunko strained the band, and in May, Popplewell announced that he and Churney were leaving the band. Rotodisc was shut down, and planned releases and tour dates (including festival
s and foreign gig
s) were scrapped.
- ooberman.net - was launched, claiming to be "the new official Ooberman website". The website had an image, quite distinctly an album cover, entitled "Ooberman - Rare Recordings". Nothing further was heard from the website until December 2005 when Popplewell stated that the new album would be a mix of old, unreleased and new songs.
However, in April 2006, the ooberman.net site appeared in full, and a news update dated 20 April stated that "the band have now reformed and recorded a new album... there are no current plans to play live."
An album, entitled Carried Away was released in August 2006 by Rotodisc, distributed in the UK
by Cargo Records. The release was preceded by an extremely limited 7" single, "The Beauty of Your Soul", on June 19, and a download-only single - also entitled "Carried Away" - on 24 July that received radio
airplay on stations including XFM
and 6music, and prominently on Mark Radcliffe
's BBC Radio 2
show.
and vocals by Sophia Churney.
On 26 February 2007 Andy and Steve Flett released an album of material recorded during Ooberman's time apart under the name Ooberon. It was entitled Waiting For The Sonic Boom
.
In September 2007 the band released The Lost Tapes - Rare recordings 1991-2007
, a collection of rare and unreleased recordings covering the period in the title.
Late period Ooberman drummer Jaymie Ireland is currently in a band called 12 Mile Delta.
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...
with strong indie
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....
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
influences first formed in 1997. They split up in 2003, shortly after the release of their second 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...
Hey Petrunko, but announced their reformation in April 2006 and began releasing music again soon thereafter.
Early years
Ooberman founders Dan Popplewell and Andy Flett met over a pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at their school in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, 1988. The first band they set up was The Forestry Commission, with Flett's younger brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, Steve on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. The band's life soon ended when Popplewell moved to 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...
, but the three friends kept in touch.
Steve Flett moved to Liverpool in 1992, and Andy Flett later joined him in 1997. Ooberman was then born, complete with Sophia Churney
Sophia Churney
Sophia Churney is an English singer-songwriter and musician, best known for her work with the band Ooberman, as well as their side acts Symphonika, The Magic Theatre and Ooberon. Her brother was the late musical performer Russell Churney.-External links:*...
(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 vocals) and Alan Kelly (drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
). The first Ooberman gig
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...
was in June 1997, and their eccentric live shows and quirky demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
s won them the 1997 BT Merseyside Arts Award for Best Newcomers.
Their first release was the "Sugar Bum" 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...
, a 7" inch vinyl
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...
on Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
's Transcopic
Transcopic Records
Transcopic is a record label created in 1998 by ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon for his solo releases. It has also released records by acts such as Ooberman, The Buff Medways and You Am I. The label was co-owned and run by Jamie Davis, now at Ark recordings...
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,...
, followed by the critically acclaimed "Shorley Wall
Shorley Wall
The Shorley Wall EP was the second release by Ooberman, following the Sugar Bum single, and was the first release that gained the band attention from the press and music fans. It was named as the single of the year for 1998 by The Times....
" EP on Tugboat Records. The band then secured up a major recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Independiente
Independiente Records
Independiente is a record label formed in 1997 after Andy MacDonald sold Go! Discs Records to PolyGram in 1996 for a reported £30 million. In the UK, the label is distributed Vital PIAS....
, on which they released their first proper single: the Top 40 hit "Blossoms Falling".
The Magic Treehouse
By Spring 1999, the band had finished work on their debut album, The Magic TreehouseThe Magic Treehouse
The Magic Treehouse is the debut album from Ooberman, released in October 1999 on Independiente Records. The album was produced by Stephen Street, famous for his work with The Smiths and Blur, among others....
. The 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...
got generally positive reviews, including an 8/10 in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. The reviews, however, did not translate into sales and after a handful of singles missed the Top 40, Independiente and Ooberman parted company.
The band had reportedly had enough with the music industry by this time, but in mid-2000, they started work on their second album. During this time, tension within the band caused the original drummer to leave the band, but he was replaced by Paul Walsham.
Hey Petrunko
After more than a year working on new material, the band announced that they would release their second album - Hey PetrunkoHey Petrunko
Hey Petrunko is the second album by Ooberman, released in March 2003 on the band's own Rotodisc label. It was recorded and produced by the band....
- at the start of 2002. A mini-album, Running Girl, preceded it in October 2001. As well as getting a new drummer, this time Jaymie Ireland, Popplewell also set up his own record label, Rotodisc.
A five track EP - "Bluebell Morning" - and a single - "Beany Bean" - followed, but Hey Petrunko was delayed. After nearly three years working on the album, it was finally released on the 3 March 2003, to widespread critical acclaim.
A tour and another single followed, but the pressure of making Hey Petrunko strained the band, and in May, Popplewell announced that he and Churney were leaving the band. Rotodisc was shut down, and planned releases and tour dates (including festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s and foreign gig
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...
s) were scrapped.
Reformation
In February 2005, a websiteWebsite
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- ooberman.net - was launched, claiming to be "the new official Ooberman website". The website had an image, quite distinctly an album cover, entitled "Ooberman - Rare Recordings". Nothing further was heard from the website until December 2005 when Popplewell stated that the new album would be a mix of old, unreleased and new songs.
However, in April 2006, the ooberman.net site appeared in full, and a news update dated 20 April stated that "the band have now reformed and recorded a new album... there are no current plans to play live."
An album, entitled Carried Away was released in August 2006 by Rotodisc, distributed in the UK
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...
by Cargo Records. The release was preceded by an extremely limited 7" single, "The Beauty of Your Soul", on June 19, and a download-only single - also entitled "Carried Away" - on 24 July that received radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
airplay on stations including XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
and 6music, and prominently on Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
's BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
show.
Diversification
In December 2006, Rotodisc released an album by Symphonika entitled The Snow Queen. Symphonika is an orchestral side-project by Dan Popplewell, and the album featured the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic OrchestraRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society is a society based in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, that organises concerts and other events mainly in the field of classical music. The society is the second oldest of its type in the United Kingdom and its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic...
and vocals by Sophia Churney.
On 26 February 2007 Andy and Steve Flett released an album of material recorded during Ooberman's time apart under the name Ooberon. It was entitled Waiting For The Sonic Boom
Waiting for the Sonic Boom
Waiting For The Sonic Boom is the debut album by Ooberman side-project Ooberon. It was recorded by Andy and Steve Flett, mostly at the latter's home in Wavertree, Liverpool...
.
In September 2007 the band released The Lost Tapes - Rare recordings 1991-2007
The Lost Tapes - Rare Recordings 1991-2007
The Lost Tapes - Rare Recordings 1991-2007 is a compilation album by Ooberman, released in September 2007 on the band's own Rotodisc label....
, a collection of rare and unreleased recordings covering the period in the title.
Late period Ooberman drummer Jaymie Ireland is currently in a band called 12 Mile Delta.
Free music controversy
In August 2007 they announced on their webpage, that their entire back catalogue would be available for free download as a promotion for The Lost Tapes. Controversially, it included some material owned by Sony, and therefore the band effectively invited legal action from their former label.The Magic Theatre
On 7 June 2010, a new album London Town featuring Ooberman members Sophia Churney and Dan Popplewell as "The Magic Theatre" was released accompanied by eleven free HD videos. The album's orchestral sound was achieved on a low budget by Popplewell writing library music, designed to be used as background for films and television, that fitted his songs, and re-using the recordings with new vocals by him and Sophia Churney.Albums
- 1999 The Magic TreehouseThe Magic TreehouseThe Magic Treehouse is the debut album from Ooberman, released in October 1999 on Independiente Records. The album was produced by Stephen Street, famous for his work with The Smiths and Blur, among others....
- 2001 Running GirlRunning GirlRunning Girl is a mini-album by Ooberman, released in October 2001 on the band's own Rotodisc label. A single of the title track was released in November 2001...
(mini album) - 2003 Hey PetrunkoHey PetrunkoHey Petrunko is the second album by Ooberman, released in March 2003 on the band's own Rotodisc label. It was recorded and produced by the band....
- 2006 Carried Away
- 2007 The Lost Tapes - Rare recordings 1991-2007The Lost Tapes - Rare Recordings 1991-2007The Lost Tapes - Rare Recordings 1991-2007 is a compilation album by Ooberman, released in September 2007 on the band's own Rotodisc label....
Singles and EPs
- 1998 "Sugar Bum"
- 1998 "Shorley WallShorley WallThe Shorley Wall EP was the second release by Ooberman, following the Sugar Bum single, and was the first release that gained the band attention from the press and music fans. It was named as the single of the year for 1998 by The Times....
EP" - 1999 "Blossoms FallingBlossoms Falling"Blossoms Falling" is a song by Ooberman, released as their first single for Independiente, and the first to be taken from the band's debut album The Magic Treehouse. It reached #39 in the UK, the only Ooberman single to date to make the UK Singles Chart Top 40...
" - 1999 "Million Suns"
- 1999 "Tears from a WillowTears from a Willow"Tears from a Willow" is a song by Ooberman, released as the third single from their debut album The Magic Treehouse. It was released by Independiente in October 1999. In the song's radio edit, a reference to LSD was removed, but remained intact on the single itself. The radio edit has never been...
" - 2000 "Shorley Wall"
- 2000 "Dolphin BlueDolphin Blue"Dolphin Blue" is a song by Ooberman, released as their first single after being dropped by Independiente earlier in the year. It charted at #83 on the UK Singles Chart....
" - 2001 "Running Girl"
- 2002 "Bluebell MorningBluebell MorningBluebell Morning is an EP by Ooberman, released in May 2002 on the band's own Rotodisc label. The title track and "SnakeDance" were reworked and featured on the band's 2003 album Hey Petrunko.-Track listing:# "Bluebell Morning"...
EP" - 2002 "Beany Bean"
- 2003 "First Day of the Holidays"
- 2006 "The Beauty of Your Soul"
- 2006 "Carried Away" (download only)
- 2006 "Crashing Ellipticals" (download only)
External links
- Official website – Ooberman's new official website, with details of the new album
- The Magic Treehouse – Long-running unofficial website with news, discography and song information
- The Oobtube – Ooberman forum
- Ooberman on MySpace – Officially endorsed MySpace page with audio streams