The Parachute Men
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Parachute Men | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Leeds, England |
| Genre(s) | indie pop, indie rock |
| Years active | 1985-early 1990s |
| Label(s) | Fire |
| Former members | |
| Fiona Gregg Stephen H. Gregg Andrew Howes Mark Boyce Matthew Parkin Paul Walker Colleen Browne |
|
The Parachute Men were an indie pop/indie rock band from Leeds, England, formed in 1985. They released two albums and several singles before splitting up in the early 1990s.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Parachute Men formed in 1985, with a line-up of Fiona Gregg (vocals), Stephen H. Gregg (guitar), Andrew Howes (bass), and Mark Boyce (drums).[1] After two years of gigging, the band were signed by large London indie label Fire Records in 1987.[2] Their first release was a four-track EP with "Sometimes In Vain" as the lead track, in May 1988. This was followed in August of the same year by debut album The Innocents, which made the NME top 50 albums of that year.[3] Howes and Boyce departed soon after, with the Greggs continuing as an acoustic duo until they recruited Matthew Parkin (bass) and Paul Walker (drums).[1][2] Three further singles were taken from the album, "If I Could Wear Your Jacket" (which author Mike Gayle has stated is one of his all-time favourite records),[4] "Leeds Station", and "Bed and Breakfast". "Leeds Station" also featured on the NME's Carry On Disarming video.
1990 saw the release of the second album, Earth, Dogs, and Eggshells, preceded by the single "Every Other Thursday" (a reference to signing on to the dole). The album was released over a year after it was recorded, losing much of the momentum the band had built up.[2] The band line-up changed again, with Canadian Colleen Browne replacing Parkin, but the band split in the early 1990s with no further releases.[1]
Mark Boyce later turned up in the band The Durbervilles.[5] Colleen Browne later joined Pale Saints and The Warm Jets. Stephen Gregg gained a PhD in English literature at Leeds University and is now a senior lecturer at Bath Spa University, specialising in eighteenth century literature.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The Innocents (1988) Fire
- Earth, Dogs, and Eggshells (1990) Fire
[edit] Singles
- "Sometimes In Vain" (1988) Fire (12" EP)
- "If I Could Wear Your Jacket" (1988) Fire
- "Leeds Station" (1989) Fire
- "Bed and Breakfast" (1989) Fire
- "Every Other Thursday" (1990) Fire
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography. Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-913-1.
- ^ a b c Larkin, Colin (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-579-4.
- ^ NME Albums 1988. Retrieved on 08 February 2008.
- ^ Dinner For Two Q&A. mikegayle.co.uk. Retrieved on 08 February 2008. “though it’s probably not my all time favourite record it is definitely in my (non-ranked) top ten. The first time I heard it was in a club that my friends and I used to attend on a weekly basis. The moment I heard it I was smitten and asked the DJ what the record was called. Armed with the information I bought it the day it came out and now must have played it a million times”
- ^ Straight from the Batley Delta! (Cont). bbc.co.uk. BBC (2003). Retrieved on 08 February 2008.
