The Woodentops
Encyclopedia
The Woodentops are a British
rock band
that have enjoyed critical acclaim and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s.
with an initial line-up of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar, formerly of The Wild Swans
and The Jazz Butcher), Simon Mawby (guitar), Alice Thompson
(keyboards), Frank DeFreitas (bass guitar), and Paul Hookham (drums).
After a debut single, "Plenty" on Food Records
in 1984, they signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records
, releasing a series of singles in 1985 and their debut album, Giant, in 1986. Generally well received by critics, the album's sound was characterised by acoustic guitars, but also featured accordion
, marimba
, strings
, and trumpet
sounds. The album reached #35 on the UK Albums Chart
. A single from the album, "Good Thing", reached #7 on the UK Indie Chart
.
The band then became more experimental and frenetic when playing live, using more electronic sounds. This first became apparent as documented on the live album Live Hypno Beat (1987), which was recorded in Los Angeles
in 1986. The band also started to become more 'raw' and unpredictable live, becoming one of the most exciting independent
groups from the UK, while gaining an early hit on the burgeoning club scene in Ibiza with '"Why".
In 1987, Thompson left to be replaced by Anne Stephenson of The Communards
. The more experimental mood continued on the second album Woodenfoot Cops on the Highway, released the following year, which failed to live up to the expectations set by their debut. Most notably, the listeners of Los Angeles
radio station KROQ-FM
voted their song "Stop This Car" number 15 out of 106 in the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1988, outperforming many more established acts, and one of the album's standout tracks, "Wheels Turning," became a dancefloor favourite.
The Woodentops continued to play live, touring the world until 1992, and tracks such as "Tainted World" became a regular on New York radio station Kiss FM with DJ Tony Humphries.
Vocalist and guitarist Rolo McGinty, who also wrote all Woodentops' songs, resurfaced with the DJ band Pluto in the 1990s, the Dogs Deluxe electronica project and also provided vocals for Gary Lucas
's, Gods and Monsters. Guitarist Simon Mawby was briefly a member of The House of Love
in the early 1990s.
The Woodentops returned to live performances in September 2006 and, in October 2009, they performed in a special concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
in London's South Bank. They also curated the events in the Front Room of the same theatre with an exhibition of works by artist Panni Bharti, and concerts by musicians Worm, Othon
and Ernesto Tomasini
.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
that have enjoyed critical acclaim and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s.
History
The band formed in 1983 in South LondonSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
with an initial line-up of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar, formerly of The Wild Swans
The Wild Swans (band)
The Wild Swans are a post-punk band from Liverpool, England, which originally formed in 1980 shortly after Paul Simpson left The Teardrop Explodes and teamed up with Jeremy Kelly , Ged Quinn , James Weston and Justin Stavely...
and The Jazz Butcher), Simon Mawby (guitar), Alice Thompson
Alice Thompson
Alice Thompson is a Scottish novelist.Thompson read English at Oxford and wrote her Ph.D. thesis on Henry James. In the 1980s she was a rock musician with the band The Woodentops. She now has a young son and lives in Edinburgh...
(keyboards), Frank DeFreitas (bass guitar), and Paul Hookham (drums).
After a debut single, "Plenty" on Food Records
Food Records
Food Records was a record label set up in 1984 by David Balfe, who later took on Andy Ross as his partner. Originally formed as an independent record label with distribution going through Rough Trade Distribution, Food licenced acts to the Polygram offshoot London and Warner's WEA Records, before...
in 1984, they signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
, releasing a series of singles in 1985 and their debut album, Giant, in 1986. Generally well received by critics, the album's sound was characterised by acoustic guitars, but also featured accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
, strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
sounds. The album reached #35 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. A single from the album, "Good Thing", reached #7 on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
.
The band then became more experimental and frenetic when playing live, using more electronic sounds. This first became apparent as documented on the live album Live Hypno Beat (1987), which was recorded in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1986. The band also started to become more 'raw' and unpredictable live, becoming one of the most exciting independent
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
groups from the UK, while gaining an early hit on the burgeoning club scene in Ibiza with '"Why".
In 1987, Thompson left to be replaced by Anne Stephenson of The Communards
The Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
. The more experimental mood continued on the second album Woodenfoot Cops on the Highway, released the following year, which failed to live up to the expectations set by their debut. Most notably, the listeners of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio station KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
voted their song "Stop This Car" number 15 out of 106 in the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1988, outperforming many more established acts, and one of the album's standout tracks, "Wheels Turning," became a dancefloor favourite.
The Woodentops continued to play live, touring the world until 1992, and tracks such as "Tainted World" became a regular on New York radio station Kiss FM with DJ Tony Humphries.
Vocalist and guitarist Rolo McGinty, who also wrote all Woodentops' songs, resurfaced with the DJ band Pluto in the 1990s, the Dogs Deluxe electronica project and also provided vocals for Gary Lucas
Gary Lucas
Gary Lucas is an American guitarist, a Grammy-nominated songwriter, a soundtrack composer for film and television, and an international recording artist with over a dozen solo albums to date. He has been described as "one of the best and most original guitarists in America" ; a "legendary leftfield...
's, Gods and Monsters. Guitarist Simon Mawby was briefly a member of The House of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
in the early 1990s.
The Woodentops returned to live performances in September 2006 and, in October 2009, they performed in a special concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
in London's South Bank. They also curated the events in the Front Room of the same theatre with an exhibition of works by artist Panni Bharti, and concerts by musicians Worm, Othon
Othon Mataragas
OTHON, a.k.a. Othon Mataragas , is a Greek composer, songwriter and pianist.-Early life:Othon Mataragas started to play the piano at the age of four and the following year he gave his first recital...
and Ernesto Tomasini
Ernesto Tomasini
Ernesto Tomasini is an Italian actor/singer/writer living in Britain. Best known for his more recent forays into contemporary music, he has behind himself a 20 year career on the stage.-Early performances:...
.
Present line-up
- Rolo McGinty - vocals, guitar
- Simon Mawby - guitar
- Aine O'Keeffe - keyboards
- Frank de Freitas - bass guitar
- Paul Ashby - drums
Albums
- Well, Well, Well... The Unabridged Singles Collection (1985) Rough Trade UCD 60003-2
- Giant (1986) Rough Trade/Columbia (UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#35, UK Indie #2) Producer Bob Sargeant - Live Hypnobeat Live (1987) Rough Trade/Epic (UK Indie #1)
- Woodenfoot Cops on the Highway (1988) Rough Trade (UK #48, UK Indie #1)
- Bamboo: The Best Of The Woodentops (2003)
- Vinegar (2006) self release sold at live shows
- The BBC Sessions (2007) Renascent
Singles
- "Plenty" (1984) Food (UK Indie #40)
- "Move Me" (1985) Rough Trade (UK Indie #9)
- "Well Well Well" (1985) Rough Trade (UK Indie #1)
- "It Will Come" (1985) Rough Trade (UK Indie #4)
- "Good Thing" (1986) Rough Trade (UK Indie #7)
- "(Love Affair With) Everyday Living" (1986) Rough Trade (UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#72, UK Indie #1) - "Give It Time" (1987) Epic (US)
- "You Make Me Feel" (1988) Rough Trade (UK Indie #4)
- Woodentops Vs. Bang The Party EP (1991) Hyperactive
- "Stay Out of the Light" (1991) Hyperactive