The Beautiful South
Encyclopedia
The Beautiful South were an English
alternative rock
group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull
group The Housemartins
, Paul Heaton
and Dave Hemingway
. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch
(bass), Dave Stead
(drums) and Dave Rotheray
(guitar) , all of whom stayed with the group throughout their 19-year career. Later additions included female vocalist Briana Corrigan
; she was replaced by Jacqui Abbott
, who in turn was replaced by Alison Wheeler
.
The group broke up in January 2007, claiming the split was due to "musical similarities", having sold around 6,500,000 records worldwide.
In January 2009, it was announced that the former members Dave Hemingway
, Alison Wheeler
, and Dave Stead
would reform under the name "New Beautiful South" which was later changed to "The South".
On the band's first album, Briana Corrigan was featured as a background vocalist; she was promoted to full membership status in 1990, and thereafter featured as a lead vocalist on numerous Beautiful South tracks, which helped to characterise the bittersweet kitchen sink dramas played out in Heaton's often barbed songs. Also important to the band's sound was studio keyboard player Damon Butcher, who, though never an official member of the group, played virtually all the piano and keyboard parts on the band's albums.
The band's first album Welcome to the Beautiful South
was released in 1989 and spawned the hits "Song For Whoever
" and "You Keep It All In
". The release of 1990's Choke
album saw the band claim its only Number 1 hit, "A Little Time
". 0898 Beautiful South
followed in 1992, with hits including "Old Red Eyes Is Back". Both albums featured Pete Thoms and Gary Barnacle
on brass and woodwind.
However, in 1992, Corrigan left the band to pursue a solo career, a decision that was prompted partly by a desire to record and promote her own material (which she felt was not getting enough exposure in The Beautiful South) and partly by ethical disagreements with some of Heaton's lyrics, particularly songs such as "36D
", which criticised British glamour models
and the industry that employed them. Hemingway later remarked, "We all agree that we should have targeted the media as sexist instead of blaming the girls for taking off their tops".
In 1994, St Helens
supermarket shelf-stacker Jacqui Abbott
was brought on board to fill in as the new third lead vocalist for the band. Heaton had heard her sing at an after-show party in St Helens and remembered her vocal talents. Heaton referred to her as "the lass from the glass" - a reference to the Pilkington
factory in St Helens.
Abbott's first album with the band was Miaow
in 1994. Hits included "Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud)" and a cover of Fred Neil
's "Everybody's Talkin'", previously popularised by Harry Nilsson
. November of that year saw the release of Carry on up the Charts
, a "best of" compilation consisting of the singles to date plus new track "One Last Love Song". The album was a huge commercial success, securing the Christmas number one spot on the charts and becoming the second best selling album of the year.
In 1995, the band was one of the support acts for R.E.M.
on the British leg of their world tour. On this tour the band played an extra night when Oasis
pulled out of their Huddersfield
appearance. The Beautiful South played "Some Might Say
" and dedicated it to any Oasis fans at the gig.
The 1996 album Blue Is the Colour
sold over a million copies and featured hit singles "Rotterdam" and "Don't Marry Her
". The album demonstrated the band's gradual shift towards a country music
sound, and was well-received by the public and on BBC and commercial radio. In 1997 the Beautiful South headlined stadium concerts for the first and last time, in Huddersfield and at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
in London. Support for the Huddersfield concert was provided by Oasis.
The album Quench
(1998) was released with similar commercial success, again reaching number one in the UK album charts. "Perfect 10
", the first single to be released from the album also provided the band with uncharacteristic singles chart success. The album is also notable for being more up tempo and being the first where Norman Cook was used in a consultancy role.
Painting It Red
(2000) followed, with promotion and touring difficulties with a substantial number of the CD were faulty, and Jacqui Abbott's leaving of the band shortly afterwards. After a second Greatest Hits album Solid Bronze in 2001, the band took time off and Heaton embarked on his first solo project.
Regrouping in 2003, they recorded Gaze
with yet another female vocalist, Alison Wheeler
. Wheeler was still in place for 2004's Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs
, which was an album of unusually arranged cover tunes including "Livin' Thing
", "You're The One That I Want
", "(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" and "I'm Stone In Love With You". One track from the album, "This Old Skin
", was presented as a cover of a song by an obscure band known as The Heppelbaums; it was later revealed to be an original Heaton/Rotheray composition.
The band's final album Superbi
was released on May 15, 2006. It was recorded at Peter Gabriel
’s Real World Studios
, a farm in Bakewell
and at producer Ian Stanley
’s studio in Enniskerry
, County Wicklow
. It was mixed by Bill Price (Sex Pistols
, The Clash
, Guns N' Roses
). Paul Heaton’s hand is recognisable in quirky song titles such as "The Rose of My Cologne", "The Cat Loves The Mouse" and "Never Lost A Chicken To A Fox". The first single, "Manchester", started off as a poem - "If rain makes Britain great, then Manchester is greater" – 'a sodden tribute' to the city in which he now lives, says Heaton. The tracks cover love and loss and all that happens in-between …"So many pop songs are written about 15-20 year olds. We've never really targeted them, or newly weds. We write about people who've lived together most of their lives."
Since the split, Dave Rotheray has released a solo album called The Life Of Birds and Paul Heaton has released two solo albums—2008 The Cross Eyed Rambler
and 2010's Acid Country. Dave Hemingway, at the time of the split, released a collection of songs on an album called 'Hello Cruel World.'
Dave Hemingway, Dave Stead and Alison Wheeler and six new members formed The New Beautiful South in 2008 and later renamed as The South in 2010, with Debbie Johnston as backup. The band have continued to perform Beautiful South songs in concert but have not released any new material yet.
In May 2007 the band's music was used in a jukebox musical
entitled The Slide
(book by Adrian Davis). It was premiered at the Phoenix Theatre
, Swindon
.
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...
group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
group The Housemartins
The Housemartins
The Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...
, Paul Heaton
Paul Heaton
Paul David Heaton is an English singer-songwriter. He was a member of The Housemartins, who disbanded in 1988, and a member of The Beautiful South, who disbanded in 2007. He is currently pursuing a solo career....
and Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway , is a British musician and songwriter, and was a lead vocalist for the Hull-based band The Beautiful South until they disbanded in 2007...
. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch
Sean Welch
Sean Welch was the bassist for The Beautiful South and previously roadie for The Housemartins.During his childhood, he played in a number of school bands, but unlike many budding musicians he was dismissed for his lack of musical skill...
(bass), Dave Stead
Dave Stead
David "Steady" Stead was the drummer for the alternate pop / rock band, The Beautiful South.-Life and career:...
(drums) and Dave Rotheray
Dave Rotheray
David Rotheray is a British musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for The Beautiful South.Rotheray was born the fifth of five children. His parents were both intellectual and had met through the Young Communist League...
(guitar) , all of whom stayed with the group throughout their 19-year career. Later additions included female vocalist Briana Corrigan
Briana Corrigan
Briana Corrigan is an Irish singer. She was the first female singer for The Beautiful South, from 1988 to 1994.She was born in Northern Ireland, her family moving from Belfast to Portstewart, County Londonderry when she was eleven, but her love for the theatre made her move to Newcastle upon...
; she was replaced by Jacqui Abbott
Jacqui Abbott
Jacqui Abbott Jacqui Abbott Jacqui Abbott (born Jacqueline Abbott, 10 November 1973, St Helens, Lancashire, was the female lead singer with the band The Beautiful South after 1994, following the departure of Briana Corrigan....
, who in turn was replaced by Alison Wheeler
Alison Wheeler
Alison Wheeler is a British singer, best known as the female vocalist for The Beautiful South from 2003 until they disbanded in 2007....
.
The group broke up in January 2007, claiming the split was due to "musical similarities", having sold around 6,500,000 records worldwide.
In January 2009, it was announced that the former members Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway , is a British musician and songwriter, and was a lead vocalist for the Hull-based band The Beautiful South until they disbanded in 2007...
, Alison Wheeler
Alison Wheeler
Alison Wheeler is a British singer, best known as the female vocalist for The Beautiful South from 2003 until they disbanded in 2007....
, and Dave Stead
Dave Stead
David "Steady" Stead was the drummer for the alternate pop / rock band, The Beautiful South.-Life and career:...
would reform under the name "New Beautiful South" which was later changed to "The South".
History
The Beautiful South were originally conceived as a quintet with two lead vocalists, Heaton and Hemingway. Rotheray and Heaton, meanwhile, co-wrote the band's compositions.On the band's first album, Briana Corrigan was featured as a background vocalist; she was promoted to full membership status in 1990, and thereafter featured as a lead vocalist on numerous Beautiful South tracks, which helped to characterise the bittersweet kitchen sink dramas played out in Heaton's often barbed songs. Also important to the band's sound was studio keyboard player Damon Butcher, who, though never an official member of the group, played virtually all the piano and keyboard parts on the band's albums.
The band's first album Welcome to the Beautiful South
Welcome to the Beautiful South
Welcome to the Beautiful South is the debut album by The Beautiful South released in August 1989. Three singles were released from the album: "Song for Whoever" , "You Keep It All In" and "I'll Sail This Ship Alone" ....
was released in 1989 and spawned the hits "Song For Whoever
Song For Whoever
"Song for Whoever" is a song by The Beautiful South, written by band members Paul Heaton and David Rotheray. The first and highest-charting single from their debut album, Welcome to the Beautiful South, it peaked at number 2 in the UK charts in 1989...
" and "You Keep It All In
You Keep It All In
"You Keep It All In" is the second single to be taken from The Beautiful South's debut album Welcome to the Beautiful South. It reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart in September 1989. "You Keep It All In" was also a hit on United States alternative rock radio, and the single peaked at #19...
". The release of 1990's Choke
Choke (album)
Choke is The Beautiful South's second album. It was pushed to number 2 in the charts after the release of the South's first and only number 1 single "A Little Time"....
album saw the band claim its only Number 1 hit, "A Little Time
A Little Time
"A Little Time" is a song by The Beautiful South, and is the band's only single to reach number 1. It consists of a duet featuring vocalists Dave Hemingway and Briana Corrigan.The single was the first to be released from the Choke album...
". 0898 Beautiful South
0898 Beautiful South
0898 Beautiful South, released March 1992, was The Beautiful South's third album. The album reached number 4 on the UK charts, unlike their previous two albums which reached number 2; the record company blamed this on the cover which showed ladies' faces on the back of terrapins' shells.The full...
followed in 1992, with hits including "Old Red Eyes Is Back". Both albums featured Pete Thoms and Gary Barnacle
Gary Barnacle
Gary Barnacle is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work Gary Barnacle (born 1959, Dover, England) is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work...
on brass and woodwind.
However, in 1992, Corrigan left the band to pursue a solo career, a decision that was prompted partly by a desire to record and promote her own material (which she felt was not getting enough exposure in The Beautiful South) and partly by ethical disagreements with some of Heaton's lyrics, particularly songs such as "36D
36D
36D is a song written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray and performed by The Beautiful South. The song was originally found on the album 0898 Beautiful South and later appeared on two greatest hits compilations, 1994's Carry on up the Charts and 2007's Soup. As a single it reached #46 in the UK...
", which criticised British glamour models
Glamour photography
Glamour photography is a genre of photography whereby the subjects, usually female, are portrayed in a romantic or sexually alluring way. The subjects may be fully clothed or seminude, but glamour photography stops short of deliberately arousing the viewer and being pornographic photography.Glamour...
and the industry that employed them. Hemingway later remarked, "We all agree that we should have targeted the media as sexist instead of blaming the girls for taking off their tops".
In 1994, St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
supermarket shelf-stacker Jacqui Abbott
Jacqui Abbott
Jacqui Abbott Jacqui Abbott Jacqui Abbott (born Jacqueline Abbott, 10 November 1973, St Helens, Lancashire, was the female lead singer with the band The Beautiful South after 1994, following the departure of Briana Corrigan....
was brought on board to fill in as the new third lead vocalist for the band. Heaton had heard her sing at an after-show party in St Helens and remembered her vocal talents. Heaton referred to her as "the lass from the glass" - a reference to the Pilkington
Pilkington
Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...
factory in St Helens.
Abbott's first album with the band was Miaow
Miaow (album)
Miaow is the fourth album by The Beautiful South. It was released in March 1994.As with most Beautiful South albums, the songs were written by Dave Rotheray and Paul Heaton. The songs reflect a depressing moment in Heaton's life, and this continues with the follow-up album Blue is the Colour...
in 1994. Hits included "Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud)" and a cover of Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Fred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
's "Everybody's Talkin'", previously popularised by Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
. November of that year saw the release of Carry on up the Charts
Carry on up the Charts
Carry On up the Charts: The Best of The Beautiful South is The Beautiful South's fifth album and first greatest hits collection.It was released in the same year as the Miaow album, with the album's only single, "One Last Love Song", was released in October 1994, only two months after "Prettiest...
, a "best of" compilation consisting of the singles to date plus new track "One Last Love Song". The album was a huge commercial success, securing the Christmas number one spot on the charts and becoming the second best selling album of the year.
In 1995, the band was one of the support acts for R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
on the British leg of their world tour. On this tour the band played an extra night when Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
pulled out of their Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
appearance. The Beautiful South played "Some Might Say
Some Might Say
"Some Might Say" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. The song was written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was the first single later included in their second album Morning Glory? in 1995, and provided the band with their first number one in the UK Singles Chart .The single...
" and dedicated it to any Oasis fans at the gig.
The 1996 album Blue Is the Colour
Blue Is the Colour
Blue Is the Colour, released October 1996, is The Beautiful South's fifth original album following the two singles "Pretenders to the Throne" and "Dream a Little Dream", which never featured on any album until the release of the second greatest hits Solid Bronze in 2001...
sold over a million copies and featured hit singles "Rotterdam" and "Don't Marry Her
Don't Marry Her
"Don't Marry Her" is a song by The Beautiful South, which was the opening track from their album "Blue is the Colour". Vocalist Jacqui Abbott begs a man to run away with her from the woman he is going to marry, and attempts to sway him by describing what she thinks married life with the other...
". The album demonstrated the band's gradual shift towards a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
sound, and was well-received by the public and on BBC and commercial radio. In 1997 the Beautiful South headlined stadium concerts for the first and last time, in Huddersfield and at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
in London. Support for the Huddersfield concert was provided by Oasis.
The album Quench
Quench (album)
Quench released in the UK in October 1998 is The Beautiful South's sixth original album. Including the compilation Carry On Up The Charts it was the band's third album in a row to reach the top of the charts....
(1998) was released with similar commercial success, again reaching number one in the UK album charts. "Perfect 10
Perfect 10 (single)
"Perfect 10" is a song by The Beautiful South, released in 1998. It reached number two in the UK charts. The song also appeared on their album Quench....
", the first single to be released from the album also provided the band with uncharacteristic singles chart success. The album is also notable for being more up tempo and being the first where Norman Cook was used in a consultancy role.
Painting It Red
Painting It Red
Painting It Red is the seventh original album released by The Beautiful South in October 2000. The album is the band's joint longest, with 19 tracks...
(2000) followed, with promotion and touring difficulties with a substantial number of the CD were faulty, and Jacqui Abbott's leaving of the band shortly afterwards. After a second Greatest Hits album Solid Bronze in 2001, the band took time off and Heaton embarked on his first solo project.
Regrouping in 2003, they recorded Gaze
Gaze (album)
Gaze is The Beautiful South's eighth original album, released in 2003. The release was supported by a tour entitled Gaze With The Beautiful South.-Track listing:# "Pretty" 3:19# "Just A Few Things That I Ain't" 2:47# "Sailing Solo" 3:17# "Life Vs...
with yet another female vocalist, Alison Wheeler
Alison Wheeler
Alison Wheeler is a British singer, best known as the female vocalist for The Beautiful South from 2003 until they disbanded in 2007....
. Wheeler was still in place for 2004's Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs
Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs
Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs is the ninth and penultimate album by The Beautiful South released in 2004. It is almost entirely a covers album; the track "This Old Skin" was originally claimed to be by an obscure band called The Heppelbaums but was in fact the only original track on the...
, which was an album of unusually arranged cover tunes including "Livin' Thing
Livin' Thing
"Livin' Thing" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra. It appears on ELO's 1976 platinum-selling album, A New World Record...
", "You're The One That I Want
You're the One That I Want
"You're the One That I Want" is a song written by John Farrar for the 1978 film version of the musical Grease. It was performed by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John....
", "(Don't Fear) The Reaper
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" and "I'm Stone In Love With You". One track from the album, "This Old Skin
This Old Skin
"This Old Skin" is a song by The Beautiful South which appeared on their 2004 covers album, Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs, and was the second single released from the album. It was purportedly written by Bobby Cristiansand and Barry Klein of the band The Heppelbaums, supposedly...
", was presented as a cover of a song by an obscure band known as The Heppelbaums; it was later revealed to be an original Heaton/Rotheray composition.
The band's final album Superbi
Superbi
Superbi is the tenth and final album by the British group The Beautiful South, released on 15 May 2006 by SonyBMG. The album entered the British chart at No. 6 before dropping to No. 20 and No. 37 in its second and third weeks respectively...
was released on May 15, 2006. It was recorded at Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
’s Real World Studios
Real World Studios
Real World Studios is a residential recording studio in Box, Wiltshire, England associated with the Real World Records Ltd. record label founded by rock musician Peter Gabriel...
, a farm in Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
and at producer Ian Stanley
Ian Stanley
Ian Stanley is an English musician, songwriter and record producer...
’s studio in Enniskerry
Enniskerry
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. It was mixed by Bill Price (Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
). Paul Heaton’s hand is recognisable in quirky song titles such as "The Rose of My Cologne", "The Cat Loves The Mouse" and "Never Lost A Chicken To A Fox". The first single, "Manchester", started off as a poem - "If rain makes Britain great, then Manchester is greater" – 'a sodden tribute' to the city in which he now lives, says Heaton. The tracks cover love and loss and all that happens in-between …"So many pop songs are written about 15-20 year olds. We've never really targeted them, or newly weds. We write about people who've lived together most of their lives."
Split and forthcoming solo careers
After a band meeting on 30 January 2007, they decided to split. They released a statement on 31 January 2007, in which they joked their reasons for splitting were "musical similarities" - an ironic reference to "musical differences" which are often cited as the reason for a band's split. "The band would like to thank everyone for their 19 wonderful years in music," the statement also said.Since the split, Dave Rotheray has released a solo album called The Life Of Birds and Paul Heaton has released two solo albums—2008 The Cross Eyed Rambler
The Cross Eyed Rambler
The Cross Eyed Rambler is a 2008 album by Paul Heaton. It was his first album since the breakup of The Beautiful South in 2007 and his second solo album after 2001's Fat Chance...
and 2010's Acid Country. Dave Hemingway, at the time of the split, released a collection of songs on an album called 'Hello Cruel World.'
Dave Hemingway, Dave Stead and Alison Wheeler and six new members formed The New Beautiful South in 2008 and later renamed as The South in 2010, with Debbie Johnston as backup. The band have continued to perform Beautiful South songs in concert but have not released any new material yet.
In May 2007 the band's music was used in a jukebox musical
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
entitled The Slide
The Slide (musical)
The Slide is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of The Beautiful South. It was premiered at the Phoenix Theatre, Swindon.The show follows the exploits of its main character Philip ‘Baddie’ Badwick, who receives funding from his employer to study engineering at a northern university as a mature...
(book by Adrian Davis). It was premiered at the Phoenix Theatre
Phoenix Theatre
Phoenix Theatre may refer to:*Phoenix Arts Centre, former name was Phoenix Theatre in Leicester, UK*Phoenix Theatre , a West End theatre*Phoenix Theatre , a professional alternative theatre*Phoenix Theatre , a regional theatre...
, Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.
Albums
- Welcome to the Beautiful SouthWelcome to the Beautiful SouthWelcome to the Beautiful South is the debut album by The Beautiful South released in August 1989. Three singles were released from the album: "Song for Whoever" , "You Keep It All In" and "I'll Sail This Ship Alone" ....
(1989) - ChokeChoke (album)Choke is The Beautiful South's second album. It was pushed to number 2 in the charts after the release of the South's first and only number 1 single "A Little Time"....
(1990) - 0898 Beautiful South0898 Beautiful South0898 Beautiful South, released March 1992, was The Beautiful South's third album. The album reached number 4 on the UK charts, unlike their previous two albums which reached number 2; the record company blamed this on the cover which showed ladies' faces on the back of terrapins' shells.The full...
(1992) - MiaowMiaow (album)Miaow is the fourth album by The Beautiful South. It was released in March 1994.As with most Beautiful South albums, the songs were written by Dave Rotheray and Paul Heaton. The songs reflect a depressing moment in Heaton's life, and this continues with the follow-up album Blue is the Colour...
(1994) - Blue Is the ColourBlue Is the ColourBlue Is the Colour, released October 1996, is The Beautiful South's fifth original album following the two singles "Pretenders to the Throne" and "Dream a Little Dream", which never featured on any album until the release of the second greatest hits Solid Bronze in 2001...
(1996) - QuenchQuench (album)Quench released in the UK in October 1998 is The Beautiful South's sixth original album. Including the compilation Carry On Up The Charts it was the band's third album in a row to reach the top of the charts....
(1998) - Painting It RedPainting It RedPainting It Red is the seventh original album released by The Beautiful South in October 2000. The album is the band's joint longest, with 19 tracks...
(2000) - GazeGaze (album)Gaze is The Beautiful South's eighth original album, released in 2003. The release was supported by a tour entitled Gaze With The Beautiful South.-Track listing:# "Pretty" 3:19# "Just A Few Things That I Ain't" 2:47# "Sailing Solo" 3:17# "Life Vs...
(2003) - Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk SongsGolddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk SongsGolddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs is the ninth and penultimate album by The Beautiful South released in 2004. It is almost entirely a covers album; the track "This Old Skin" was originally claimed to be by an obscure band called The Heppelbaums but was in fact the only original track on the...
(2004) - SuperbiSuperbiSuperbi is the tenth and final album by the British group The Beautiful South, released on 15 May 2006 by SonyBMG. The album entered the British chart at No. 6 before dropping to No. 20 and No. 37 in its second and third weeks respectively...
(2006)
Compilations
- Carry on up the ChartsCarry on up the ChartsCarry On up the Charts: The Best of The Beautiful South is The Beautiful South's fifth album and first greatest hits collection.It was released in the same year as the Miaow album, with the album's only single, "One Last Love Song", was released in October 1994, only two months after "Prettiest...
(1994) - Solid Bronze (2001)
- GoldGold (The Beautiful South album)Gold by The Beautiful South is the third greatest hits album to be released by the band. It is similar in design to other "Gold" albums released by bands either currently or previously of various labels under the Universal Music Group. The album is a 2 disc collection of both single and album...
(2006) - SoupSoup (The Housemartins and The Beautiful South album)Soup is an album released in November 2007 by The Housemartins and The Beautiful South on Mercury Records. It is in effect a greatest hits album for both of the bands, the first seven tracks bracketed together as "The Housemartins Condensed" and the remaining fifteen as "The Cream of The Beautiful...
(2007) - The BBC Sessions (2007)