Paris Angels
Encyclopedia
Paris Angels were a seven piece band
, hailing from Guide Bridge
, Ashton-under-Lyne
, England
, associated with the Madchester
scene of 1989 -1991. Their music fused indie
guitars with electronic
dance music
. The band comprised Paul 'Wags' Wagstaff (later of Black Grape
and the reformed Happy Mondays
), Rikki Turner, Steven Taji, Scott Carey, Mark Adj, Jane Gill and Simon Worrall.
and Haçienda
clubs in Manchester, and as such were heavily influenced by acid house
and the nascent Madchester
scene of the late 1980s.
The band first signed a recording contract
with Sheer Joy Records. There they were introduced to producer
Michael Johnson; the product was their most well known song
"Perfume", a synthesis of 1960s jangle and disco
. It was 'single
of the week' in the NME
magazine
and stayed in the Top 10 of the UK Indie Chart
in the summer of 1990. This was closely followed by "Scope" and "I Understand"; the latter of which was the single of the week in the final edition of Sounds
.
On the back of their early success, the band signed to Virgin Records
and released new single "Fade" and re-released "Perfume" to back up Paris Angels only album
, Sundew, to favourable reviews from NME, Vox and Melody Maker
. Paris Angels then recorded
a session for BBC Radio 1
disc jockey
John Peel
. "Stay", appeared on the best of the Peel Session's box set, and they had other radio
and television
sessions. In March 1991, NME reported that Paris Angels were appearing at the 'Great Indie Festival - A Midsummer's Day Dream' at Milton Keynes Bowl in June that year. Also on the bill were 808 State
, Gary Clail
, New Fast Automatic Daffodils
, The Shamen
, Shades of Rhythm
plus Flowered Up
.
Paris Angels recruited long-time collaborator Simon Crompton to produce their next album for Virgin, however with the sale of Virgin to EMI
, Paris Angels were removed from its roster. They were one of the last bands to leave during this cull along with Public Image Ltd and Definition of Sound
.
Left with no recording contract, and with singer Jane Gill pregnant, the band called it a day.
Drummer Simon Worrall died on November 1st 2011.
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, hailing from Guide Bridge
Guide Bridge
Guide Bridge is an area of Audenshaw, in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, Guide Bridge formed as a village built around an eponymous bridge over the Ashton Canal and lies west of the town of Ashton-under-Lyne.-History:Industries...
, Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, associated with the Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
scene of 1989 -1991. Their music fused 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....
guitars with electronic
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
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 band comprised Paul 'Wags' Wagstaff (later of Black Grape
Black Grape
Black Grape were a 1990s rock band from England, featuring former members of Happy Mondays. The group's music was funky and eclectic, using varied instrumentation and samples.-History:...
and the reformed Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
), Rikki Turner, Steven Taji, Scott Carey, Mark Adj, Jane Gill and Simon Worrall.
History
The band were regulars of the BoardwalkBoardwalk (music club)
The Boardwalk nightclub was located on Little Peter Street in Manchester, England. This medium sized club and rehearsal studios, owned by Colin Sinclair, was a popular live music venue in the late 1980s and early 1990s where bands such as Oasis and Northside made their live debuts.Along with other...
and Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
clubs in Manchester, and as such were heavily influenced by acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
and the nascent Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
scene of the late 1980s.
The band first signed a 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 Sheer Joy Records. There they were introduced to producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Michael Johnson; the product was their most well known song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Perfume", a synthesis of 1960s jangle 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...
. It was '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...
of the week' in the 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...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
and stayed in the Top 10 of the UK Indie Chart
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...
in the summer of 1990. This was closely followed by "Scope" and "I Understand"; the latter of which was the single of the week in the final edition of Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
.
On the back of their early success, the band signed to 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...
and released new single "Fade" and re-released "Perfume" to back up Paris Angels only 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...
, Sundew, to favourable reviews from NME, Vox and Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
. Paris Angels then recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a session for 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...
disc jockey
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...
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...
. "Stay", appeared on the best of the Peel Session's box set, and they had other 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...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sessions. In March 1991, NME reported that Paris Angels were appearing at the 'Great Indie Festival - A Midsummer's Day Dream' at Milton Keynes Bowl in June that year. Also on the bill were 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
, Gary Clail
Gary Clail
Gary Clail is an English singer and record producer. He was part of On-U Sound Records and led Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System.-Biography:...
, New Fast Automatic Daffodils
New Fast Automatic Daffodils
New Fast Automatic Daffodils were an alternative rock group from Manchester, England, active between 1988 and 1995.-History:The band was formed in 1988 by former members of the punk rock group Pariah...
, The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
, Shades of Rhythm
Shades of Rhythm (band)
Shades of Rhythm was a British based electronic dance music group in the late 1980s and early 1990s, formed in Peterborough in 1988. They are best known for being a part of the rave music scene.-Career:...
plus Flowered Up
Flowered Up
-Career:The band was formed in mid-1989 by singer Liam Maher, along with his younger brother Joe . After a few changes in personnel, the settled line-up included Tim Dorney , Andy Jackson , and John Tuvey , with dancer Barry Mooncult adding to their live shows...
.
Paris Angels recruited long-time collaborator Simon Crompton to produce their next album for Virgin, however with the sale of Virgin to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Paris Angels were removed from its roster. They were one of the last bands to leave during this cull along with Public Image Ltd and Definition of Sound
Definition of Sound
Definition of Sound was a London-based dance-music group, consisting of Kevin Clark and Don Weekes, working with musicians Rex Brough and latterly, Mike Spencer. Their second and fourth singles, "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and "Moira Jane's Café" were in the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. The...
.
Left with no recording contract, and with singer Jane Gill pregnant, the band called it a day.
Drummer Simon Worrall died on November 1st 2011.
Singles
- "Scope" (Sheer Joy 1990) - UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#75 - "Perfume" / "All On You" (Sheer Joy 1990) - UK #55
- "Oh Yes" (Sheer Joy 1991)
- "Fade" (Virgin Records 1991) - UK #70
- "Perfume (Loved Up)" (Virgin Records 1991)