Orange Juice

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This article is about the band. For other uses, see Orange juice (disambiguation).

Orange Juice was a Scottish post punk band founded in the middle class Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976, becoming Orange Juice in 1979. The group is perhaps best known for the hit "Rip It Up", which reached number 8 on the UK singles chart in February 1983, the band's only UK Top 40.

Contents

[edit] Career

The original line up was:

The band's first official show was on April 20, 1979 at the Victoria Cafe at the Glasgow School of Art. The band released their first singles on Postcard Records, with these singles achieving legendary status in the UK music press.[citation needed] Simon Reynolds ascribes their status as music media darlings, as being due to the depression following the suicide of Ian Curtis of Joy Division - music critics and indie music fans were looking for something "life-affirming" with a sense of humour.

They signed to Polydor Records for their first album You Can't Hide Your Love Forever. However, internal tensions led to this first version of the band breaking up, and for their subsequent albums the core line up was:

  • Edwyn Collins – guitar, vocals, songwriting
  • Malcolm Ross – guitar, vocals, songwriting (formerly of Josef K, latterly with Aztec Camera and Blancmange)
  • Zeke Manyika (born 23 February 1955) – drums, vocals, songwriting
  • Stephen Skinner – guitar (joined after supporting the band on tour with his group, International Rescue)

Musically the band attempted to fuse post-punk guitars with disco and funk rhythms, rather in the manner of the Gang of Four. (Other key influences included Buzzcocks and Subway Sect). Lyrically, however, Orange Juice were always far more commercially minded than the latter mentioned Leeds based Marxists: Collins in particular adopting a fey, camp vocal style. In general, band were known for their love of kitsch, irony, and literate optimism.

By 1987, reduced to a duo of Collins and Manyika, they enlisted the talents of reggae record producer Dennis Bovell to record their six track EP, Texas Fever.

While the group has long dispersed, members remain active in their separate and diverse fields (including travel writing). At least two greatest hits albums are available.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

  • 1980 - "Falling and Laughing"
  • 1980 - "Blue Boy"
  • 1980 - "Simply Thrilled Honey"
  • 1981 - "Poor Old Soul"
  • 1981 - "Wan Light"
  • 1981 - "L.O.V.E....Love" (UK No.65)
  • 1982 - "Felicity" (UK No.63)
  • 1982 - "Two Hearts Together" (UK No.60)
  • 1982 - "I Can't Help Myself" (UK No.42)
  • 1983 - "Rip It Up" (UK No.8)
  • 1983 - "Flesh of My Flesh" (UK No.41)
  • 1984 - "Bridge" (UK No.67)
  • 1984 - "What Presence" (UK No.47)
  • 1984 - "Lean Period" (UK No.74)

[edit] Original albums

[edit] Compilation albums

  • 1984 - In a Nutshell
  • 1992 - The Esteemed - The Very Best of Orange Juice
  • 1992 - Ostrich Churchyard - the long-awaited CD release of the debut Orange Juice album for Postcard Records (the Sound of Young Scotland), along with a Peel Session, and, on the Japanese issue, a bonus BBC Radio 1 session track, "Wan Light".
  • 1993 - The Heather's on Fire - the other long-awaited CD release by Orange Juice on Postcard Records, this collection brings the first four singles together with some more radio sessions and, on the Scottish version, a NuSonics song (pre-Orange Juice), sounding an awfully lot like the Ramones.
  • 2005 - The Glasgow School - a compilation of Postcard-era tracks -- named "Reissue of the Year" for 2005 by Britain's Uncut Magazine

[edit] References

[edit] External link

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