| Living in a Box | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sheffield, England |
| Genres | Synthpop, New Wave |
| Years active | 1985–1991 |
| Labels | Chrysalis Records |
| Members | |
| Richard Darbyshire Marcus Vere Anthony Critchlow |
|
Living in a Box were a British band from the 1980s and early 1990s. They are best known for their eponymous debut single, produced by Richard James Burgess.
Contents |
Living in a Box were formed in 1985 in Sheffield, rising from the ashes of Typhoon Saturday. Their most commercially successful single, "Living in a Box", peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and was the band's only single to chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. They enjoyed more success in their home country, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1987 and a follow-up album, Gatecrashing, in 1989, which went on to generate two further UK Top Ten hits, "Blow the House Down" (which featured Queen's Brian May on guitar)[1][2]) and "Room in Your Heart". Artistic differences, as well as changes to their record label Chrysalis, caused the band to break up in 1990 before a third album could be released.
Lead vocalist Richard Darbyshire continued his long-standing music career, and went on to enjoy modest success as a solo artist, writing songs for artists such as Lisa Stansfield, as well as releasing two solo albums. These were How Many Angels (1994) and Love Will Provide (1999), which came as a reissue of How Many Angels, and included several new and unreleased tracks.
The band's drummer, Anthony Critchlow nicknamed 'Tich' and keyboardist and synthesizer player, Marcus Charles Vere both retired from the music industry after the band split. Tich now runs his own company providing bespoke illumination and lighting installations. Vere now produces award-winning DVDs called Here Comes A ...! for pre-school aged children. Topics include live action films about tractors, diggers, trains and fire engines.[3]
The song "Living in a Box" was later covered by Bobby Womack, who had also worked with Living in a Box on their debut album.
| Year | Song | UK Singles | US Hot 100 | US R&B | US Dance | Canada Singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "Living in a Box" | 5 | 17 | 74 | 6 | 18 | Living in a Box |
| "Scales of Justice" | 30 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1988 | "So the Story Goes" | 34 | 81 | - | - | - | |
| "Love Is the Art" | 45 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1989 | "Blow the House Down" | 10 | - | - | - | - | Gatecrashing |
| "Gatecrashing" | 36 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1990 | "Room in Your Heart" | 5 | - | - | - | - | |
| "Different Air" | 37 | - | - | - | - |