Terrorvision

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This article refers to the band. For other uses of the name, see Terrorvision (disambiguation).

Terrorvision were a British rock band. They were formed in 1987 (originally as The Spoilt Bratz) in Keighley, disbanding in 2001. The band used Bradford as a base after the name change to Terrorvision, by which time the band members had left home and all moved there.

Contents

[edit] Career

The re-release of their second single, "My House" (from the album Formaldehyde), in December 1993 proved to be Terrorvision's breakthrough to UK singles chart success, and preceded by months the release of their second album How to Make Friends and Influence People in April 1994. The leading single from that album, "Oblivion", was also a chart success. Indeed, all their singles achieved Top 40 entries in the UK until the release of "Tequila", which reached number 2.

A video compilation, Fired Up and Lairy, was released in April 1995, and included spoof documentary segments interspersed with all the band's videos to date. A third album, Regular Urban Survivors, followed in March 1996, and spawned four singles; "Perseverance", "Celebrity Hit List", "Bad Actress" and "Easy". Lead singer Tony Wright, possessed of a quirky and appealing sense of humour, achieved minor celebrity status in the UK during this period. He presented the BBC TV music show "Top of the Pops" on one occasion, and made several appearances on the comedy music quiz "Never Mind the Buzzcocks".

The band's fourth album, Shaving Peaches, appeared in October 1998, and was seen as a departure from their pop-metal roots. It incorporated the work of several different producers, and several tracks of a more subtle tone than the band had previously been known for. The album's first single, "Josephine", had been well-received the previous month, but it was a Mint Royale remix of "Tequila" which was to prove to be their biggest-ever hit, reaching number 2 in the UK charts in January 1999.

The choice was a controversial one among fans. The band originally put a selection of their potential single releases to members of their official fan club, who voted in favour of "Day After Day". However, the remixed version of "Tequila" gained favour with BBC Radio One DJ Zoe Ball, who championed its release as a single. Plans to release "Day After Day" were hastily shelved, and a video quickly shot, for the "Tequila" release.

Thus, despite having their greatest hit in 1999 with the track, they were dropped by their record label, EMI, after the release of the album's third single, "III Wishes". It was the band's first single to fall outside the UK Top 40 since the release of "My House", six years earlier. During this time the band recruited a fifth member, Josephine Ellul, who played keyboards and sang backing vocals at live concerts.

The band signed to a smaller label, Papillon and put out a fifth studio album, Good to Go, in 2001. The record, like all their others, was also credited to 'Total Vegas', the band's own independent imprint. A number of singles followed, but the band was unable to replicate their previous success. Their final single, "Fists of Fury", gained some notoriety for its video, which aped the cowboy-themed clip accompanying Madonna's single, Don't Tell Me.

EMI issued Whales and Dolphins, a greatest hits collection in 2001, and the band decided to call it a day, after a farewell tour. The 'final' concert took place at Penningtons nightclub in their hometown of Bradford, on Thursday 4 October 2001, and was released with an interview DVD as a live album Take the Money & Run - The Final Concert.

[edit] The aftermath

Since splitting up, singer Tony Wright has formed Laika Dog; guitarist Mark Yates formed firstly the short-lived Boston Crabs and then Blunderbuss with biker bass player Sasquatch Bob, releasing one album to date, Relentless; whilst Leigh Marklew formed Malibu Stacey who released one album On Heat before splitting up. Ian Shuttleworth sought employment in Leeds, serving the UK's public education sector.

[edit] The re-union

The group has since reformed to play two tours in 2005, and played what was described as their 'last EVER show' at Rock In The Castle in Scarborough, Yorkshire, on 17 September, 2005. A collection of B-sides and rarities was also issued by EMI in September 2005.

Terrorvision's original recording studio in Bradford is currently being revamped by Grant Henderson, and it will be launched as "Ivolv" in the first quarter of 2006.

[edit] Band members

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] EPs

  • Thrive (1992)
  • Problem Solved (1993)

[edit] External links

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