The Snapdragons
Encyclopedia
The Snapdragons were an indie rock
band from Leeds
, England
. They were led by their singer and main songwriter, James Taylor (not to be confused with The Prisoners
mainman or the American singer-songwriter of the same name
).
They released two album
s and four singles
in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while signed to the independent record label
, Native Records
. The album Dawn Raids on Morality was produced
by Pat Collier.
In 1989, they recorded a session for the BBC Radio 1
DJ, John Peel
. The band toured the UK and supported other Native Records acts, such as The Darling Buds
and Richard Hawley
's debut band, Treebound Story. However inconsistent performances by the band, and the departure of John Sullivan and later "Spike" Mullings, hindered the band's ability to reach a wider audience.
The follow-up album The Eternal in a Moment was a compilation of tracks from singles and EPs not found on the first album, and included "The Things You Want" and "The Eternal in a Moment", which were the band's first two singles.
A second studio album entitled Mass was recorded with Nigel Lister replacing John Sullivan on guitar. However this was not issued by Native, due to legal problems which effectively saw the demise of band.
Drummer Pel Riccardi went on to join the Utah Saints
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, 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...
. They were led by their singer and main songwriter, James Taylor (not to be confused with The Prisoners
The Prisoners
The Prisoners were a band who formed in 1980 in Rochester, Kent, England. Their 1960s garage sound made them a regular live fixture in London's underground "psychedelic revival" and "mod revival" scene of the early 1980s. They often toured with The Milkshakes, who included Billy Childish on guitar...
mainman or the American singer-songwriter of the same name
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
).
They released two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and four singles
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...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while signed to the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Native Records
Native Records
Native Records is a small independent record label formed in Sheffield, England.The label was founded by Kevin Donoghue in 1985, after he left RCA Records and during his time at the Music Factory studio, Rotherham , where he was a sound engineer.In January 1989, Native signed Nine Inch Nails but...
. The album Dawn Raids on Morality was 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 Pat Collier.
In 1989, they recorded a session for the 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...
DJ, 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...
. The band toured the UK and supported other Native Records acts, such as The Darling Buds
The Darling Buds
The Darling Buds were an indie band from Newport, South Wales. The band formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May".-Career:Influenced...
and Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker...
's debut band, Treebound Story. However inconsistent performances by the band, and the departure of John Sullivan and later "Spike" Mullings, hindered the band's ability to reach a wider audience.
The follow-up album The Eternal in a Moment was a compilation of tracks from singles and EPs not found on the first album, and included "The Things You Want" and "The Eternal in a Moment", which were the band's first two singles.
A second studio album entitled Mass was recorded with Nigel Lister replacing John Sullivan on guitar. However this was not issued by Native, due to legal problems which effectively saw the demise of band.
Drummer Pel Riccardi went on to join the Utah Saints
Utah Saints
Utah Saints is a dance band based in Leeds, England. The music is produced by Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt, who are joined on-stage by other musicians whenever the band plays live...
.
Personnel
- James Taylor (vocals, guitar, main songwriter)
- John Sullivan (guitar, piano, songwriter)
- Simon "Spike" Mullings (bass guitar)
- Pellegrino "Pel" Riccardi (drums)
12" singles
- 1988 "The Things You Want" - 12NTV 37
- 1989 "Dole Boys On Futons" - 12NTV 41
- 1989 "No Expectations" - 12NTV 46
- 1989 "The Eternal in a Moment" - 12NTV 47
- 1989 "Dole Boys on Futons" - CD NTV 41 (3 inch CD)