The Housemartins
Encyclopedia
The Housemartins were an English
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...

 indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...

 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...

 that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...

 politics and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time (the back cover of London 0 Hull 4
London 0 Hull 4
London 0 Hull 4 is a 1986 album by The Housemartins. It was their first album and contains the singles "Flag Day" , "Sheep" , "Happy Hour" and "Think for a Minute" ....

contained the message, "Take Jesus - Take Marx - Take Hope").

Formation

The band was formed in late 1983 by 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....

 (vocals) and Stan Cullimore
Stan Cullimore
Stan Cullimore played guitar, between 1983 and 1988, for the Hull based indie rock band called The Housemartins.-Biography:Cullimore studied maths at the University of Hull, graduating in 1984....

 (guitar), and they initially performed as a busking duo. Note that throughout his tenure with the band, Heaton idiosyncratically billed himself as "P.d. Heaton".

The Heaton/Cullimore duo recorded a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

 tape with Ingo Dewsnap of Les Zeiga Fleurs, which brought them to the attention of Go Discs. They then expanded by recruiting Ted Key (bass), former guitarist with The Gargoyles, and Justin Patrick [drummer on loan from Udomsuksa!] who was then replaced by Chris Lang
Chris Lang
Chris Lang is a writer, actor, and producer for British television.He has written for British television shows including 'Alas Smith and Jones, The Bill, Casualty, Soldier Soldier, The Knock, Reach for the Moon, The Glass, Sirens, Unconditional Love, P.O.W., Amnesia, Lawless,The Palace, 'Primeval...

. The band's membership changed considerably over the years. Key left at the end of 1985 and was replaced by Norman Cook (the future Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...

). Drummer Chris Lang was replaced by Hugh Whitaker
Hugh Whitaker
Hugh Whitaker is the former drummer for the British indie rock band The Housemartins. He replaced original drummer Chris Lang and drummed for the band's first album, London 0 Hull 4, and its attendant single releases. He left the band before the recording of their second album, The People Who...

, former drummer with The Gargoyles, who in turn was replaced with 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 band often referred to themselves as "the fourth best band in Hull", referring to 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...

, their home base. The three bands that were "better" were Red Guitars
Red Guitars
The Red Guitars were an English indie rock band active from 1982 to 1986. Based in Hull, the Red Guitars' first single "Good Technology" was a minor hit, selling 60,000 copies...

, Everything but the Girl
Everything but the Girl
Everything but the Girl was a two-person English band, formed in Hull during 1981, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Ben Watt . They are currently inactive although vocalist Tracey Thorn hinted that they may reform someday...

 and The Gargoyles.

Break

In 1986, having recorded two 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, the band broke through with the single "Happy Hour", which reached #3 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 ...

. The single's success was helped by a claymation animated pop promo of a type that was in vogue at the time, featuring a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...

 by television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

 Phill Jupitus
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....

, who toured with the band under his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 of 'Porky the Poet'.

Caravan of Love

At the end of 1986 they had their only UK #1 single on 16 December with a cover version of Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper , Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley , due to creative differences that arose among the group....

's "Caravan of Love
Caravan of Love
"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:...

". It was knocked off the top spot by Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...

's "Reet Petite
Reet Petite
"Reet Petite " is a song made popular by Jackie Wilson...

" on 23 December, denying the Housemartins the coveted Christmas #1 single.

The a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...

 style of "Caravan of Love" was not to the taste of all Housemartins' fans
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...

, although a cappella material had always been part of the band's repertoire. "Caravan of Love" was first performed by the band in their second Peel session in April 1986, prior to their initial chart success. At Peel's suggestion, the band then recorded another session (under the name The Fish City Five), consisting entirely of a cappella performances, and on at least one occasion (at The Tower nightclub in Hull, the same concert at which they were filmed as the Housemartins for the BBC programme Rock Around the Clock) played support act for their own performance under this alternative name. The "Caravan of Love" single featured four a cappella gospel songs on the 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...

.

Split

The band split in 1988, but the members have remained friends and have worked on each other's projects. Norman Cook has enjoyed significant success with Beats International
Beats International
Beats International was a British electronic music band, formed in the late 1980s by Norman Cook , after his departure from The Housemartins.-Career:...

 and then as Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...

, while Heaton, Hemingway and roadie 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...

 formed The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
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 , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...

.

In August 2009, Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...

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...

 arranged for The Housemartins' original members to get together for a photo-shoot and interview, for the first time in many years, but in the interview all the members maintained that the band would not re-form.

In December 2009, Cullimore co-wrote songs for (and appeared in) a pre-school music series called The Bopps
The Bopps
The Bopps are a children's musical group formed in the south west of England in 2010. Their members are Stan Cullimore, Keith Littler, Mike Cross and Joanna Ruiz.-Formation:...

, which first showed on Nick Jr. in the 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...

 in April 2010.

London 0 Hull 4 re-release

London 0 Hull 4 was re-released on 22 June 2009, with a bonus disc featuring tracks released as additional content on 12-inch singles and demo tracks.

Albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certification
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...

UK Album Chart New Zealand Album Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

Swedish Album Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....

Norwegian Album Chart
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...

1986 London 0 Hull 4
London 0 Hull 4
London 0 Hull 4 is a 1986 album by The Housemartins. It was their first album and contains the singles "Flag Day" , "Sheep" , "Happy Hour" and "Think for a Minute" ....

  • Released: October 1986
  • Label: Go! Discs
3 21 3 9
  • UK
    British Phonographic Industry
    The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...

    : Platinum
  • 1987 The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death
    The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death
    The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death was the second and last studio album by The Housemartins. It was released in 1987. The songs "Five Get Over Excited", "Me and the Farmer" and "Build" were released as singles...

  • Released: September 1987
  • Label: Go! Discs
  • 9 34 25 -
  • UK
    British Phonographic Industry
    The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...

    : Silver

  • Singles

    • "Flag Day
      Flag Day (The Housemartins song)
      Flag Day was the first single released by The Housemartins. Released in 1985, it peaked at #124 in the singles chart, and a re-recorded version of it appeared on the album London 0 Hull 4...

      " (October 1985)
    • "Sheep
      Sheep (The Housemartins song)
      "Sheep" is the second single ever released by The Housemartins. It appeared on the album London 0 Hull 4.-Single details:*7" - B-side: Drop Down Dead *12" - I'll Be Your Shelter, Anxious, Drop Down Dead, People Get Ready -Charts:...

      " (March 1986, UK
      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 ...

       # 56)
    • "Happy Hour
      Happy Hour (The Housemartins song)
      "Happy Hour" is a 1986 single by The Housemartins. It was the third single from the album London 0 Hull 4 and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart....

      " (May 1986, UK # 3)
    • "Think for a Minute
      Think for a Minute
      Think for a Minute was a single by The Housemartins taken from the album London 0 Hull 4. The song reached #18 in the UK Singles Chart.-Charts:...

      " (September 1986, UK # 18)
    • "Caravan of Love" (November 1986, UK # 1)
    • "Five Get Over Excited
      Five Get Over Excited
      Five Get Over Excited is a song by The Housemartins released as a single from their album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death.The followup to their #1 UK hit "Caravan of Love" , it peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1987.Although it was the first single without drummer Hugh...

      " (May 1987, UK # 11)
    • "Me and the Farmer
      Me and the Farmer
      "Me and the Farmer" is a single by The Housemartins from the album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. It reached #15 in the UK singles chart the week of September 12, 1987.It featured Sandy Blair on the tuba....

      " (August 1987, UK # 15)
    • "Build
      Build (song)
      "Build" is a song released from the album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death by The Housemartins. It follows the softer template of the group's later material and reached #15 in the UK Singles Chart.-Charts:-External links:...

      " (November 1987, UK # 15)
    • "There Is Always Something There to Remind Me
      There Is Always Something There to Remind Me
      There Is Always Something There to Remind Me is the last single released by The Housemartins. The single was released as a 7" and a 12" and reached #35 in the singles chart.-Charts:...

      " (April 1988, UK # 35)

    Compilation albums

    • The Housemartins Christmas Box Set (November 1986) UK # 84
    • Now That's What I Call Quite Good
      Now That's What I Call Quite Good
      Now That's What I Call Quite Good was the post-breakup greatest hits album from The Housemartins. It was released in 1988. As well as singles, the compilation includes various album tracks, B-sides and radio session recordings...

      (April 1988) UK # 8
    • The Best of the Housemartins (March 2004)
    • Live At The BBC
      Live at the BBC (The Housemartins album)
      Live at the BBC is a compilation album of live tracks recorded for the BBC between 1985 and 1987 by The Housemartins. While most of the tracks included are session versions recorded for various BBC radio shows, the disc also features a number of cuts from the band's performances in Nottingham and...

      (2006, Universal)
    • Soup
      Soup (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...

      (December 2007) UK # 15

    Videography

    (does not include "live" appearances on TV programmes)
    • "Sheep"
    • "Happy Hour"
    • "Think for a Minute"
    • "Caravan of Love"
    • "Five Get Over Excited"
    • "Me and the Farmer"
    • "Build"
    • "Always Something There to Remind Me"
    • "We're Not Deep"

    Biography

    • The Housemartins: Now That's What I Call Quite Good by Nick Swift (1988) ISBN 0-7119-1517-2

    External links

    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
    x
    OK