A House

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A House
Background information
Origin Flag of Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland
Genre(s) New Wave
Rock
Years active 1985 - 1997
Label(s) Blanco Y Negro
Parlophone
MCA Records
Setanta Records
Associated
acts
Last Chance
Members
Dave Couse
Fergal Bunbury
Martin Healy
Former members
Dave Dawson
David Morrissey
Susan Kavanagh
Dermot Wylie

A House were an Irish band from the 1980s.

Contents

[edit] Career

Forming out of the ashes of the band Last Chance, vocalist Dave Couse, guitarist Fergal Bunbury, and bassist Martin Healy came together as A House. With a classic, guitar based rock sound, and Couse's sarcastic and bitter tongued lyrics the band released two self-released singles.

Gaining regional popularity, the band signed with Blanco y Negro who released their first album On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round in 1988. The success of the release and growing crowds at their live shows allowed the band to embark on their U.S. tour with The Go-Betweens.

After their first major tour, they went back to Ireland, and wrote and recorded the album I Want Too Much in 1988 on the small Irish island of Inishboffin. The response of the press was great for the band, however record sales were poor, and the band were left without a label.

[edit] I Am The Greatest

Towards the end of the year the indie label Setanta released two EPs: Doodle and Bingo. The latter featured the now infamous track "Endless Art" which first brought in Orange Juice singer Edwyn Collins to record with. The song featured a listing of famous dead people and the day they were born and the day they died, which stablized the band as a cult favorite among indie lovers.

I Am The Greatest was also recorded with Edwyn Collins, and led to the bands first major charting singles "Endless Art" and "Take It Easy On Me" in the UK, in 1992. Next they released Wide Eyed and Ignorant (1994) to little noterity outside of their fanbase, and No More Apologies (1996).

[edit] Break Up

The band broke up in 1997. Singer Couse continues to perform solo work and with his band Couse + the Impossible, alongside Bunbury. Martin Healy went on to perform in the band Petrol with Julie Peel.

In 2002 the best of album The Way We Were was released.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Year Album UK US
1988 On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round - -
1990 I Want Too Much - -
1991 I Am the Greatest - -
1992 Wide-Eyed and Ignorant - -
1996 No More Apologies - -
1998 A House Live In Concert - -
2002 The Way We Were - -

[edit] EPs

Year EP UK US
1987 Street Carnival Rock - -
1990 Doodle - -
1990 Bingo - -
1991 Zop - -
1994 360 North Rockingham - -

[edit] Singles

Year Song UK US
1987 Kick Me Again Jesus - -
1987 Snowball Down - -
1987 Heart Happy - -
1987 Call Me Blue - 9 (Modern Rock Charts)
1988 I'll Always Be Grateful - -
1988 I Want To Kill Something - -
1990 I Think I'm Going Mad - -
1991 You're Too Young - -
1991 I Don't Care - -
1991 Second Wind - -
1992 Endless Art 46 -
1992 Take It Easy On Me 55 -
1992 Everything's Gone - -
1992 Slang - -
1992 Santamental - -
1994 I Will Never Forgive You - -
1994 A House A Reintroduction - -
1994 Why Me? 52 -
1994 Here Come The Good Times (Part 1) 37 -
1994 Here Come The Good Times (Part 2) - -
1997 Without Dreams - -

[edit] Compilation Apperances

Year Albums UK US
1986 Live at the Underground - -

[edit] Trivia

  • The single "Here Comes The Good Times" was re-recorded by various Irish celebrities and boy band members for use as the official Irish World Cup anthem in 2002. Proceeds went to charity, and €40,000 was raised for Our Lady's Hospital for Children, Crumlin.
  • Due to the list of dead people in "Endless Art" being made up of male artists, poets and musicians, a second version was recorded using the names of prominent dead women instead, and it was called "More Endless Art".
  • Dave Couse now performs a third live-version of "Endless Art" called "Endless Art 06" which lists people who have died since the first recording.

[edit] References

  • Rock: The Rough Guide The Rough Guides ISBN:1-85828-457-0

[edit] External Links