| The Housemartins | |
|---|---|
 From left: Dave Hemingway, Paul Heaton, Norman Cook, Stan Cullimore
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Hull, England |
| Genre(s) | Indie rock, College rock |
| Years active | 1983 – 1988 |
| Label(s) | Go! Discs, Elektra |
| Associated acts |
The Beautiful South Fatboy Slim |
| Former members | |
| Paul Heaton (vocals) Stan Cullimore (guitar) Norman Cook (bass) Dave Hemingway (drums) Ted Key (bass) Chris Lang (drums) Hugh Whitaker (drums) |
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The Housemartins were an English alternative rock band that was active in the 1980s. The Housemartins' lyrics were an odd mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time (the back cover of London 0 Hull 4 contained the message, "Take Jesus - Take Marx - Take Hope").
Contents |
Career
Forming
The band was formed in 1983 by Paul Heaton (vocals), Stan Cullimore (guitar), Ted Key (bass) and Chris Lang (drums). The band's membership changed considerably over the years. Ted Key was replaced by Norman Cook — the future Fatboy Slim — and drummer Chris Lang was replaced by Hugh Whitaker, former drummer with The Gargoyles, who in turn was replaced with Dave Hemingway. The band often referred to themselves as "the 4th best band in Hull", referring to Hull, the city in England where the band formed in 1983. (The three bands that were "better" were Red Guitars, Everything but the Girl, and The Gargoyles.)
Break
In 1986, having recorded two John Peel sessions, the band broke through with the single "Happy Hour", which reached No.3 in the UK charts. 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 by TV comedian Phill Jupitus, who toured with the band under the stage name "Porky the Poet".
Caravan of Love
At the end of 1986 they narrowly missed out on the Christmas No.1 single with a cover version of Isley Jasper Isley's "Caravan of Love", when it was knocked off the top spot by Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite" on 23 December. The a cappella style of "Caravan of Love" was not to the taste of all Housemartins fans and was even derided by some as a sell-out. However, a cappella material had always been part of the band's repertoire. "Caravan of Love" was first performed by the band in their second John 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 played support act for their own performance under this alternative name. One of these a cappella songs, "When I First Met Jesus", formed the B-side of the "Caravan of Love" single.
Split
The band split in 1988, but the members have since remained friends and worked on each other's projects. Norman Cook has enjoyed significant success with both Beats International and then as Fatboy Slim, while Heaton, Hemingway and roadie Sean Welch formed The Beautiful South. Despite repeated requests from fans, they have never reformed.
Discography
Albums
- London 0 Hull 4 (June 1986, Go! Discs, UK #3)
- The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death (Sep 1987, Go! Discs, UK #9)
- Live At The BBC (2006, Universal)
Singles
- "Flag Day" / "Stand at Ease" (Oct 1985)
- "Sheep" / "Drop Down Dead" (Mar 1986, UK #56)
- "Happy Hour" / "The Mighty Ship" (May 1986, UK #3)
- "Think for a Minute" / "Who Needs the Limelight" (Sep 1986, UK #18)
- "Caravan of Love (Single)" / "When I First Met Jesus" (Nov 1986, UK #1)
- "Caravan of Love", "We Shall Not Be Moved" / "When I First Met Jesus", "So Much In Love", "Heaven Help Us All (Sermonette)" (12" single)
- "Flag Day" / "The Mighty Ship" (Feb 1987, US issue)
- "Five Get Over Excited" / "Rebel without the Airplay" (May 1987, UK #11)
- "Me and the Farmer" / "I Bit My Lip" (Aug 1987, UK #15)
- "Build" / "Paris in Flares" (Nov 1987, UK #15)
- "There Is Always Something There to Remind Me" / "Get Up Off Your Knees" (live) (Apr 1988, UK #35)
Compilations
- The Housemartins Christmas Box Set (Nov 1986) UK # 84
- Now That's What I Call Quite Good (Apr 1988) UK # 8
- The Best of the Housemartins (Mar 2004)
- Soup ( Dec 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"
