The Housemartins were an English pop and rock band that released the 1986/87 albums London 0 Hull 4 and The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. They scored UK hits with “Flag Day,” “Happy Hour,” “Think For a Minute,” and “Caravan of Love,” an a cappella Christmas No. 1. Their sound combined sophisti-pop and C86 […]
Everything but the Girl was an English sophisti-pop duo formed in 1982 by Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn in Kingston upon Hull. Both had prior solo careers on Cherry Red Records, with Watt releasing the single “Can’t” (1981) and the EP Summer Into Winter (1982), leading to his 1983 solo album North Marine Drive. Thorn, […]
Lene Lovich is an American-English new wave singer, best known for the hits “Lucky Number,” “Say When,” “Bird Song,” and “New Toy.” Between 1978 and 1982, she released three albums: Stateless, Flex, and No Man’s Land. Background Lovich was born Lili Marlene Premilovich on March 30, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan, to an English mother and […]
Ethel the Frog was an English heavy metal band that released a 1980 self-titled album on EMI. Members: Doug Sheppard (vocals, guitar), Paul Tognola (guitar), Terry Hopkinson (bass, vocals), Paul Conyers (drums) Background Ethel the Frog formed in 1976 in Kingston upon Hull, where singer–guitarist Doug Sheppard and guitarist Paul Tognola teamed with bassist Terry […]
Red Dirt was an English post-psych blues-rock band from Kingston upon Hull that released a self-titled album on Fontana in 1970. Guitarist Steve Howden concurrently played with music-hall popsters Fickle Pickle. They recorded a second Red Dirt album and morphed into Snake Eye for the concept album The Journey, both vaulted until the 2010s. Bassist […]
Mick Ronson (May 26, 1946 — April 29, 1993) was an English guitarist and producer who rose to prominence as a member of David Bowie‘s 1970–73 backing band The Spiders from Mars. During this time, he laid licks on select recordings by Lou Reed, Michael Chapman, and Dana Gillespie. As a solo artist, Ronson released […]
Red Guitars were an English underground rock band that released the 1984–86 Virgin albums Slow to Fade and Tales of the Expected. They scored UK indie hits with “Good Technology,” “Marimba Jive,” and “Be With Me.” Members: Hallam Lewis (lead guitar), Matt Higgins (drums), John Rowley (rhythm guitar), Lou Howard [aka Louise Barlow] (bass), Jerry […]
Woody Woodmansey’s U-boat were an English pop-rock band that released the album U-Boat on Bronze in 1977. Drummer Mick Woodmansey (aka “Woody”) hailed from David Bowie‘s 1971–73 backing band the Spiders from Mars, which issued one album as an independent entity in 1976. Members: Mick Woodmansey (drums, vocals), Phil Murray (vocals), Frankie Marshall (keyboards, synthesizer), […]
The Beautiful South were an English sophisti-pop band from Kingston upon Hull that debuted with the album Welcome to the Beautiful South on Go! Discs in 1989, followed by nine further discs during the ensuing 16-year period. Vocalist/songwriter Paul Heaton and drummer David Hemingway hailed from The Housemartins. On their sophomoric 1990 release Choke, the […]
Majority One was an English pop-rock band that released four singles and a self-titled album in 1971 on Pink Elephant. Members: Barry Graham [aka Barry Wigley] (vocals), Roger France (lead guitar), Rob Long (guitar), Ken Smith (bass), Don Lill (drums) Majority One formed in 1964 as The Mustangs in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. Discography: Majority […]
Indians in Moscow were an English New Wave/synthpop band from Kingston upon Hull that released a self-titled album with accompanying b-sides on IDS-imprint Kennick in 1984. Members: Pete Riches (synthesizer, keyboards, programming), Stuart Walton (bass, synthesizer, keyboards, programming), Adele Nozedar (vocals, 1981-85), David Page (drum machine, 1981-?), Martin Gosnold (synthesizer, 1981-?), Richard Hornby (drums), John […]
