Strangelove (band)
Encyclopedia
Strangelove were an English
alternative rock
band
, formed in Bristol in 1991 and led by singer Patrick Duff
. They released three albums before splitting up in 1998.
(guitar, formerly of The Blue Aeroplanes
), Julian Pransky Poole (guitar, formerly part of The Jazz Butcher's band), Joe Allen (bass guitar), and David Francolini
(drums, of Levitation
). Strangelove played their first concert
at Bath Moles Club on 9 October 1991. Singer Duff's vocals
were described by Tom Doyle in Q Magazine's World of Noise compilation as "evoking thoughts of Morrissey as vocally-tutored by Scott Walker"
The band released their first EP
Visionary in October 1992 on Sermon Records, which was made 'single of the week' by Cathi Unsworth in Melody Maker
. Two BBC Radio 1
John Peel
sessions followed in June 1992 and January 1993. Their second EP, Hysteria Unknown, in February 1993 earned them a support slot on Radiohead
's Pop is Dead
tour. Ed O'Brien
said of Strangelove; "We toured with them and changed quite a bit after. They were inspirational. Apart from their trousers". Manic Street Preachers
' Richey James Edwards
was also a fan
, inviting them to support at the London Astoria
on the penultimate gig before his disappearance in 1995.
Critical acclaim of their early singles led to major-label interest and they were signed to EMI
label Food Records
in 1993. Strangelove released their first album, Time For The Rest Of Your Life to critical acclaim in August 1994. It made numerous top albums of 1994 polls, and brought them to the attention of Suede
who invited them to support on their Dog Man Star
Europe
an tour in 1995. The two bands bonded and covered
each other's songs at Sala Multiusos Zaragoza on 16 May 1995. Strangelove played Suede's "Killing of a Flashboy", whilst Suede played "She's Everywhere", which Brett Anderson
then guested on in the studio
, for Strangelove's second album, Love and Other Demons. The second single from the album was "Beautiful Alone", which went to number 35 in the UK Singles Chart
.
A third, eponymously-titled album was released in October 1997, which yielded another UK
Top 40 single, "The Greatest Show on Earth
", and sell-out shows at the London Astoria and Shepherds Bush Empire
. However, seemingly on the point of a major breakthrough, Strangelove split up on the 20 April 1998.
released a solo
album on 21 June 2005, Luxury Problems
on Harvest Records
produced
by Alex Lee
. His second solo album, The Mad Straight Road was released in early 2010.
Lee joined Suede between 2001 and 2003; toured as an extra keyboardist and guitarist with Placebo
on the Meds
World Tour in 2006 and 2007; played guitar & bass on Goldfrapp
's 2008 album Seventh Tree
which he also toured as guitarist. He also continues to produce television
and film
soundtrack
s with Nick Powell, who has produced two albums with is own band OSKAR on Incarnation Records. Allen, Pransky-Poole and Langley formed Saturation Point. Their fourth album, Mechanisms, was released in 2009 on Invada Records.
A Strangelove B-side
compilation album
appeared retrospectively in 2008 on EMI
.
Francolini played two gigs
with the band, before being replaced by John Langley on drums. The band were joined by keyboard player, Nick Powell, from late 1995 onwards.
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...
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
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...
, formed in Bristol in 1991 and led by singer Patrick Duff
Patrick Duff
Patrick Duff is an English singer-songwriter, and was the lead singer of the alternative rock band Strangelove.- Biography :Patrick Duff was born in Bristol, England, to an Irish father and a Welsh mother on 30 June 1966...
. They released three albums before splitting up in 1998.
History
The band was formed in 1991 by Patrick Duff (vocals), Alex LeeAlex Lee
Alex Lee is an English musician. Lee is a multi-instrumentalist who has played guitar and keyboards for Goldfrapp, Strangelove, Suede, Placebo and The Blue Aeroplanes amongst others...
(guitar, formerly of The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which: Gerard Langley, brother John Langley and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski originate from the earlier New Wave “Art band” Art Objects .-History:...
), Julian Pransky Poole (guitar, formerly part of The Jazz Butcher's band), Joe Allen (bass guitar), and David Francolini
David Francolini
David Francolini also known as "Mitch Razor" is an English rock drummer, and has previously played in a number of bands, most notably Strangelove, Levitation, and Dark Star....
(drums, of Levitation
Levitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
). Strangelove played their first 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...
at Bath Moles Club on 9 October 1991. Singer Duff's vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
were described by Tom Doyle in Q Magazine's World of Noise compilation as "evoking thoughts of Morrissey as vocally-tutored by Scott Walker"
The band released their first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Visionary in October 1992 on Sermon Records, which was made 'single of the week' by Cathi Unsworth in 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...
. Two 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...
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...
sessions followed in June 1992 and January 1993. Their second EP, Hysteria Unknown, in February 1993 earned them a support slot on Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's Pop is Dead
Pop Is Dead
"Pop Is Dead" is a song by the British alternative rock band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single in 1993.Released only several months after their debut single "Creep" and their debut album Pablo Honey , the song also hit before "Creep" had begun its slow and surprising ascent up the...
tour. Ed O'Brien
Ed O'Brien
Edward John O'Brien is an English musician, songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Radiohead. He is also responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
said of Strangelove; "We toured with them and changed quite a bit after. They were inspirational. Apart from their trousers". 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...
' Richey James Edwards
Richey James Edwards
Richard James Edwards was a Welsh musician who was rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status...
was also a fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
, inviting them to support at the London Astoria
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
on the penultimate gig before his disappearance in 1995.
Critical acclaim of their early singles led to major-label interest and they were signed 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...
label Food Records
Food Records
Food Records was a record label set up in 1984 by David Balfe, who later took on Andy Ross as his partner. Originally formed as an independent record label with distribution going through Rough Trade Distribution, Food licenced acts to the Polygram offshoot London and Warner's WEA Records, before...
in 1993. Strangelove released their first album, Time For The Rest Of Your Life to critical acclaim in August 1994. It made numerous top albums of 1994 polls, and brought them to the attention of Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
who invited them to support on their Dog Man Star
Dog Man Star
Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler, due to growing tensions between Butler and singer Brett Anderson ending with Butler leaving the band before the album...
Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tour in 1995. The two bands bonded and covered
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...
each other's songs at Sala Multiusos Zaragoza on 16 May 1995. Strangelove played Suede's "Killing of a Flashboy", whilst Suede played "She's Everywhere", which Brett Anderson
Brett Anderson
Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums...
then guested on in the 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...
, for Strangelove's second album, Love and Other Demons. The second single from the album was "Beautiful Alone", which went to number 35 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 ...
.
A third, eponymously-titled album was released in October 1997, which yielded another 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...
Top 40 single, "The Greatest Show on Earth
The Greatest Show on Earth
The Greatest Show on Earth is a 1952 drama film set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The film was produced, directed, and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille, and won the Academy Award for Best Picture...
", and sell-out shows at the London Astoria and Shepherds Bush Empire
Shepherds Bush Empire
The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre...
. However, seemingly on the point of a major breakthrough, Strangelove split up on the 20 April 1998.
Post Strangelove
Patrick DuffPatrick Duff
Patrick Duff is an English singer-songwriter, and was the lead singer of the alternative rock band Strangelove.- Biography :Patrick Duff was born in Bristol, England, to an Irish father and a Welsh mother on 30 June 1966...
released a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album on 21 June 2005, Luxury Problems
Luxury Problems
Luxury Problems is the first album by English singer Patrick Duff.-Track listing:#"Married With Kids"#"Mirror Man"#"Fucked"#"In My Junkie Clothes"#"Song to America"#"Early Morning Birds"#"DJ Yoga"#"King of the Underworld"#"Refrigerator"...
on Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
produced
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...
by Alex Lee
Alex Lee
Alex Lee is an English musician. Lee is a multi-instrumentalist who has played guitar and keyboards for Goldfrapp, Strangelove, Suede, Placebo and The Blue Aeroplanes amongst others...
. His second solo album, The Mad Straight Road was released in early 2010.
Lee joined Suede between 2001 and 2003; toured as an extra keyboardist and guitarist with Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
on the Meds
Meds
Meds is the fifth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2006 on Virgin Records. It was released in most countries on 13 March 2006, although it was released three days earlier in Australia and New Zealand...
World Tour in 2006 and 2007; played guitar & bass on Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
's 2008 album Seventh Tree
Seventh Tree
Seventh Tree is the fourth studio album by English electronic duo Goldfrapp, released in the United Kingdom on 25 February 2008 by Mute Records and the day after in the United States....
which he also toured as guitarist. He also continues to produce television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s with Nick Powell, who has produced two albums with is own band OSKAR on Incarnation Records. Allen, Pransky-Poole and Langley formed Saturation Point. Their fourth album, Mechanisms, was released in 2009 on Invada Records.
A Strangelove B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
appeared retrospectively in 2008 on 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...
.
Band members
The band's initial line up was:- Patrick DuffPatrick DuffPatrick Duff is an English singer-songwriter, and was the lead singer of the alternative rock band Strangelove.- Biography :Patrick Duff was born in Bristol, England, to an Irish father and a Welsh mother on 30 June 1966...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Alex LeeAlex LeeAlex Lee is an English musician. Lee is a multi-instrumentalist who has played guitar and keyboards for Goldfrapp, Strangelove, Suede, Placebo and The Blue Aeroplanes amongst others...
, guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA 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... - Julian Pransky-Poole, guitar
- Joe Allen, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- David FrancoliniDavid FrancoliniDavid Francolini also known as "Mitch Razor" is an English rock drummer, and has previously played in a number of bands, most notably Strangelove, Levitation, and Dark Star....
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s
Francolini played two gigs
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...
with the band, before being replaced by John Langley on drums. The band were joined by keyboard player, Nick Powell, from late 1995 onwards.
Albums
- Time for the Rest of Your Life (1994), Food/Parlophone - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#69 - Love & Other Demons (1996), Food/Parlophone - UK #44
- Strangelove (1997), Food/Parlophone - UK #67
- One Up: The B-Sides (2008, iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
only), EMI
Singles, EPs
- Visionary EP (1992), Sermon
- "Hysteria Unknown" (1993), Sermon
- "Zoo'd Out" (1993), Rough Trade
- "Time for the rest of Your Life" (1994), Food
- "Is There a Place?" (1994), Food
- "Living with the Human Machines" (1996), Food - UK #53
- "Beautiful Alone" (1996), Food - UK #35
- "Sway" (1996), Food - UK #47
- "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1997), Food - UK #36
- "Freak" (1997), Food - UK #43
- "Another Night In" (1998), Food - UK #46
External links
- www.rock-the-world.com/Strangelove.html – A few articles on Strangelove, one written by Patrick Duff.
- http://members.tripod.com/~Skippingb0y/slindex.htm – Europe tour diary by Julian Pransky-Poole, information on the demo tape and other things.
- http://www.oskaronline.com/ – Website of OSKAR