The Claim (band)
Encyclopedia
The Claim were a British
band
from Cliffe
, Kent
, England
.
towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham
and influenced by classic acts such as The Kinks
, The Jam, The Clash
and The Smiths
. Stylistically, they shared much in common with fellow Kent band The Dentists
and early Creation Records
acts such as The Jasmine Minks
.
Between 1985 and 1992, The Claim released two albums and various singles and EPs, first on their own record label
, and then via Kevin Pearce's Esurient Communications
imprint, Bob Stanley
's Caff
label and the German-based label A Turntable Friend. Their first outing, Armstrong’s Revenge & Eleven Other Short Stories (1985) was followed by the 12" EP This Pencil Was Obviously Sharpened By a Left-Handed Indian Knife Thrower (again on Trick Bag Records). By the time of 1988's Boomy Tella LP, the quality of their politically-fused, bittersweet songs had matured considerably and it's now regarded as their high watermark. Meanwhile, their single "Wait And See" was recorded at ex-Jam
drummer Rick Buckler
's studio with ex-Jam
producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
.
The Claim also teamed up with the poet and ex-Dentists
drummer Vic Templar (an alias for Ian Smith) for various evenings which combined a play, featuring members of The Claim, with a musical performance by the band. Templar also collaborated with The Claim for the song "Mike The Bike", issued as the B-side to perhaps The Claim's most impressive outing, "Birth Of A Teenager", issued as a limited edition single housed in a sleeve designed by the Medway
scene's most multi-faceted talent, Billy Childish
. For another gig, Welsh band The Manic Street Preachers played their debut London show supporting The Claim. The Claim played their final show in January 1993.
None of The Claim's music appeared on CD
at the time. Recently, the band themselves compiled a retrospective, Black Path, which was released on Rev-Ola Records
in September 2009. The band played a reunion gig in Rochester, Kent on 19 September 2009 to coincide with the project's release. On Thursday 25 March 2010, they played at a second reunion show with fellow Medway band The Dentists
at Dingwalls
in Camden Town, London.
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...
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...
from Cliffe
Cliffe, Kent
Cliffe is a village on the Hoo peninsula in Kent, England, reached from the Medway Towns by a three-mile journey along the B2000. Situated upon a low chalk escarpment overlooking the Thames marshes, Cliffe offers the adventurous rambler views of Southend-on-Sea and London...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, 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...
.
Biography
They formed around 1980, as part of an independent scene (aka Medway scene) around the nearby Medway ValleyMedway groups
Medway scene is a term denoting bands and related cultural activities in the Medway Towns, north Kent, England. Main towns involved are Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and Rainham.-History:...
towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
and influenced by classic acts such as The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, The Jam, 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...
and The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. Stylistically, they shared much in common with fellow Kent band The Dentists
The Dentists
The Dentists were an indie/pop band from the Medway towns in England who were active from 1984 to 1995. The band's permanent members were Mick Murphy , Bob Collins and Mark Matthews . The band also had three different drummers: Ian Smith , Alun Jones and Rob Grigg...
and early Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
acts such as The Jasmine Minks
The Jasmine Minks
The Jasmine Minks are a British indie band, whose early singles were amongst the first releases by Creation Records.-History:Formed in Aberdeen in 1983, the band were initially a quartet of Jim Shepherd , Adam Sanderson , Martin Keena, and Tom Reid...
.
Between 1985 and 1992, The Claim released two albums and various singles and EPs, first on their own 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,...
, and then via Kevin Pearce's Esurient Communications
Esurient Communications
Esurient Communications was an independent record label based in London in the 1980s and 1990s.Esurient Communications was a record label founded by Kevin Pearce, of the 'Hungry Beat' fanzine. The label released records by the Jasmine Minks, The Claim, Liverpool band Hellfire Sermons and...
imprint, Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne)
Bob Stanley is a UK musician, film producer and journalist.-Saint Etienne:Stanley is best known as a member of the pop/dance group Saint Etienne for which he co-writes songs and produces...
's Caff
Caff Records
Caff Records was a short lived British independent record label run by Bob Stanley of the band Saint Etienne. The label went by the name Caff, Caff Records and Caff Corporation. Established in 1989, it is most noted for single releases by Pulp and the Manic Street Preachers...
label and the German-based label A Turntable Friend. Their first outing, Armstrong’s Revenge & Eleven Other Short Stories (1985) was followed by the 12" EP This Pencil Was Obviously Sharpened By a Left-Handed Indian Knife Thrower (again on Trick Bag Records). By the time of 1988's Boomy Tella LP, the quality of their politically-fused, bittersweet songs had matured considerably and it's now regarded as their high watermark. Meanwhile, their single "Wait And See" was recorded at ex-Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
drummer Rick Buckler
Rick Buckler
Rick Buckler , is the former drummer of The Jam, an English rock band that enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom from 1977 until disbanding in 1982...
's studio with ex-Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
Vic Coppersmith-Heaven is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his production work with The Jam.-Career:...
.
The Claim also teamed up with the poet and ex-Dentists
The Dentists
The Dentists were an indie/pop band from the Medway towns in England who were active from 1984 to 1995. The band's permanent members were Mick Murphy , Bob Collins and Mark Matthews . The band also had three different drummers: Ian Smith , Alun Jones and Rob Grigg...
drummer Vic Templar (an alias for Ian Smith) for various evenings which combined a play, featuring members of The Claim, with a musical performance by the band. Templar also collaborated with The Claim for the song "Mike The Bike", issued as the B-side to perhaps The Claim's most impressive outing, "Birth Of A Teenager", issued as a limited edition single housed in a sleeve designed by the Medway
Medway groups
Medway scene is a term denoting bands and related cultural activities in the Medway Towns, north Kent, England. Main towns involved are Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and Rainham.-History:...
scene's most multi-faceted talent, Billy Childish
Billy Childish
Billy Childish is an English artist, painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer and guitarist...
. For another gig, Welsh band The Manic Street Preachers played their debut London show supporting The Claim. The Claim played their final show in January 1993.
None of The Claim's music appeared on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
at the time. Recently, the band themselves compiled a retrospective, Black Path, which was released on Rev-Ola Records
Rev-Ola Records
Rev-Ola Records is a UK record label formed in 1988 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer...
in September 2009. The band played a reunion gig in Rochester, Kent on 19 September 2009 to coincide with the project's release. On Thursday 25 March 2010, they played at a second reunion show with fellow Medway band The Dentists
The Dentists
The Dentists were an indie/pop band from the Medway towns in England who were active from 1984 to 1995. The band's permanent members were Mick Murphy , Bob Collins and Mark Matthews . The band also had three different drummers: Ian Smith , Alun Jones and Rob Grigg...
at Dingwalls
Dingwalls
Dingwalls is a venue adjacent to Camden Lock in London, England. It houses bars, cafes, clubs . The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, T.E...
in Camden Town, London.
Singles
- "Wait And See" / "Business Boy" / "God, Cliffe And Me" (Esurient Comms PACE 04, January 1989)
- "Losers Corner" / "Picking Up The Bitter Little Pieces" (Esurient Comms PACE 07, January 1990)
- "Birth Of A Teenager" / "Mike The Bike" (limited edition, Caff CAFF 008, 1990)
- "Sunday" / "Sporting Life" (Esurient Comms PACE 07, 1991)
- "Say So" / "Plastic Grip" / "Waiting for Jesus" (A Turntable Friend TURN 08, 1992)
EPs
- This Pencil Was Obviously Sharpened By a Left-Handed Indian Knife Thrower (Trick Bag cu-0388, spring 1987)
Albums
- Armstrong’s Revenge & Eleven Other Short Stories (Trick Bag TBR001 [cu-0387], December 1985)
- Boomy Tella (Esurient Comms PACE 003, June 1988)