The Freshies
Encyclopedia
The Freshies were a punk
band
from Manchester
, England
formed in the late 1970s and dissolved in the early 1980s, fronted by singer and comedian Chris Sievey (later known by his character Frank Sidebottom).
appeared at his house wanting to join the band but was told that he was too young. The Freshies EP
, was released in 1978 on Sievey's own Razz record label
, and was followed later that year by the hopefully titled Straight In at No. 2 EP. Others who played with Sievey included, in the early lineup, Martin Jackson
(later with Magazine
and Swing Out Sister
) and Billy Duffy
(later with The Cult
). In 1978 the band included Barry Spencer (guitar), Eddie Carter (guitar), and Bob Dixon (drums). By 1979 the band was Sievey, Spencer, Rick Sarko (bass, ex-The Nosebleeds
) and Mike Doherty (drums, ex-The Smirks
). Others who played in the band include Lyn Oakey (guitar), Steve Hopkins (keyboards), Paul Burgess (drums), and Rick Maunder (bass). Their biggest selling single
and best known song
is 1980's "I'm In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk" renamed as "I'm In Love With The Girl On A Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk" on request from Radio 1
(a version with "Virgin" bleeped out to allow it to be played on the radio without being considered advertising was also released), which reached number 54 in the UK Singles Chart
in February 1981 after being picked up by MCA, eventually selling over 40,000 copies. At the time, the girl who was the subject of the song was frequently asked by fans to autograph copies of the single. The single's success prompted Richard Branson
to undertake a search for the former checkout girl in question in 2006, wishing to invite her to the opening of the new Virgin Megastore in Manchester, in recognition of the role she played in the history of the original store.
Sievey pre-dated the self-financing ethic of punk
when he created his own record label Razz in 1974. Razz went on to release over sixty titles, including much of The Freshies material. They also produced the first multi-media single by including The Biz, a Sinclair Spectrum game, on the tape version of one of their singles, something which Sievey later did himself as a solo
artist
with his single "Camouflage".
The Freshies split up in February 1982. Sievey continued with the Freshies name for a while, working as a duo with Barbara O'Donovan, and released the "Fasten Your Seatbelts" single in September 1982 and "Camouflage" in 1983. Sievey later found fame as Frank Sidebottom.
Sievey died on 21 June 2010 in Hale, Greater Manchester
, at the age of 54. He had been suffering from cancer
.
Compilations:
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band
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...
from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, 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...
formed in the late 1970s and dissolved in the early 1980s, fronted by singer and comedian Chris Sievey (later known by his character Frank Sidebottom).
Career
Chris Sievey had recorded since the early 1970s, and released two cassettes under his own name before starting The Freshies in the late 1970s. According to Sievey, when the band were looking for a guitarist, a fourteen year old Johnny MarrJohnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
appeared at his house wanting to join the band but was told that he was too young. The Freshies 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...
, was released in 1978 on Sievey's own Razz 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 was followed later that year by the hopefully titled Straight In at No. 2 EP. Others who played with Sievey included, in the early lineup, Martin Jackson
Martin Jackson
Martin Jackson is a British drummer who has played with several New Wave bands from Manchester, although his most successful roles were with Magazine, in 1978 with the release of the influential Real Life album, and Swing Out Sister, in 1986, with the hit song Breakout.-Biography:His earliest work...
(later with Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
and Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister are a British "sophisti-pop" group best known worldwide for their 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of "Am I the Same Girl?" Though album sales in the U.S. and Europe have levelled off since the early 1990s, the...
) and Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy is an English guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist in The Cult.-Early days:He grew up in Manchester, where he began playing guitar at the age of fourteen...
(later with The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
). In 1978 the band included Barry Spencer (guitar), Eddie Carter (guitar), and Bob Dixon (drums). By 1979 the band was Sievey, Spencer, Rick Sarko (bass, ex-The Nosebleeds
The Nosebleeds
The Nosebleeds was a short-lived punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. Though the band never recorded an album and released just one single, it is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members...
) and Mike Doherty (drums, ex-The Smirks
The Smirks
The Smirks were an English new wave band from Manchester who played from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Although they failed to meet with commercial success, they built a small but loyal base of fans....
). Others who played in the band include Lyn Oakey (guitar), Steve Hopkins (keyboards), Paul Burgess (drums), and Rick Maunder (bass). Their biggest selling 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...
and best 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...
is 1980's "I'm In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk" renamed as "I'm In Love With The Girl On A Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk" on request from 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...
(a version with "Virgin" bleeped out to allow it to be played on the radio without being considered advertising was also released), which reached number 54 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 ...
in February 1981 after being picked up by MCA, eventually selling over 40,000 copies. At the time, the girl who was the subject of the song was frequently asked by fans to autograph copies of the single. The single's success prompted Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
to undertake a search for the former checkout girl in question in 2006, wishing to invite her to the opening of the new Virgin Megastore in Manchester, in recognition of the role she played in the history of the original store.
Sievey pre-dated the self-financing ethic of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
when he created his own record label Razz in 1974. Razz went on to release over sixty titles, including much of The Freshies material. They also produced the first multi-media single by including The Biz, a Sinclair Spectrum game, on the tape version of one of their singles, something which Sievey later did himself as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
with his single "Camouflage".
The Freshies split up in February 1982. Sievey continued with the Freshies name for a while, working as a duo with Barbara O'Donovan, and released the "Fasten Your Seatbelts" single in September 1982 and "Camouflage" in 1983. Sievey later found fame as Frank Sidebottom.
Sievey died on 21 June 2010 in Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
, at the age of 54. He had been suffering from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Albums
- All Sleep's Secrets (1978), Razz - originally issued in 1976 credited to Chris Sievey
- Manchester Plays (1979), Razz - cassette
- Sing the Girls From Banana Island... (1979), Razz - cassette
- Rough and Ready (1980), Razz - cassette
- London Plays (1981), Razz
Compilations:
- Johnny Radar Story (1985), ETS
- Early Razz (1985), ETS
- Studio Out-Takes (1985), ETS
- The Very Very Best of the Freshies: Some Long & Short Titles (2005), Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
- Remembering The Freshies (2010), Cherry Red
Singles, EPs
- The Freshies EP (1978), Razz
- Straight in at N°2 EP (1978), Razz
- The Men from Banana Island Whose Stupid Ideas Never Caught On In the Western World as We Know It EP (1979), Razz
- "My Tape's Gone" (1980), Razz
- "We're Like You" (1980), Razz
- "Yellow Spot" (1980), Razz
- "No Money" (1980), Razz
- Red Indian Music EP (1980), Razz - credited to The Freshies with Chris Sievey
- "I'm In Love With The Girl On A Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk" (1980), Razz - UK Indie #46, reissued (1981), MCAMusic Corporation of AmericaMCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
- Virgin Megastore EP (1981), Razz - 12-inch includes "Frank Talks to Chris"
- "Wrap Up The Rockets" (1981), MCA
- "I Can't Get "Bouncing Babies" by The Teardrop ExplodesThe Teardrop ExplodesThe Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward" the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s, the group also launched the career of group frontman...
" (1981), MCA - "If You Really Love Me, Buy Me a Shirt" (1981), CV
- "Dancin' Doctors" (1981), Razz/Pinnacle
- "Fasten Your Seat Belts" (1982), StiffStiff RecordsStiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
- "Camouflage" (1983), Random/EMI