Cecil (band)

Cecil was an English rock band from Liverpool. They released two albums, Bombar Diddlah (1996) and Subtitles (1998). They gained a small degree of commercial success in the UK charts, with their singles, "Hostage in a Frock" (1997) and "The Most Tiring Day" (1998).

History

Formation

The band formed in Liverpool in 1993. The members were Ste Williams (vocals), Patrick Harrison (guitar), Ally Lambert (drums), Anthony Hughes (guitar and keyboards), and Jay Bennett (bass).

First concert

The band took part in a "Battle of the Bands". It was sponsored by the Liverpool Echo who later tried to stitch the band up by putting them on the front cover under the title "Bulger Band", a reference to their song "No Excuses" that they believed, incorrectly, to be about the 1993 murder of toddler James Bulger. The band never spoke to the Liverpool Echo again. The band signed a management contract with Raymond Coffer, then later signed with the record label Parlophone (EMI).

They released their first single "No Excuses" with Parlophone in October 1995, which charted at #102 on the UK singles chart.^[1]

Tours

The band spent the end of 1995 and most of 1996 playing concerts in much of the United Kingdom. They played with bands including The Levellers, Skunk Anansie, Feeder, The Wildhearts and Paw. They also played in music festivals at Donnington and T in the Park. Their support show with The Wildhearts in 1996, was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 as part of their then "Sound City" series of concerts, playing after Feeder at the Leeds Town and Country Club, which later closed in 2000 then became a music venue again from 2008 as the Leeds O2 Academy.

Just before this concert, they released their second single "My Neck" in March, which was backed with an acoustic track and a piano version of the single, giving a hint of the direction they were heading in for the recording of their second record. The single charted at #93 in the United Kingdom.^[1]

Also in 1996, their first album, Bombar Diddlah, was getting good reviews. It was produced by Barrett Jones who in 1995 had co-produced the Foo Fighters' first album.

Later history

Cecil spent most of 1997 writing songs and touring with the band Mansun. The changes in their sound and production could particularly be heard in the sound of Williams's vocals. By the end of 1997, their new sound could be heard in their new releases "Red Wine at Dead Time" which charted at #84 in June 1997,^[1] and the late 1996 limited edition single "Measured" which was not produced in enough quantities to chart within the top 200.^[1]

Their second album in 1998, "Subtitles", charted at #132 in November of that year;^[1] it did not sell as well as hoped. Before the release of the album, "Hostage in a Frock" became their first official hit single in October 1997, by charting within the top 75 at #68 before "The Most Tiring Day" made #69 in March 1998.^[1]

The band spent the next few years writing and touring sporadically, finally relocating to the United States, in Seattle, Washington, in 2001 to work with Jones on a third album. After a productive two-month stint, straight after the September 11 attacks, the band went back home to write more songs and booked to go into Stone Gossard's (Pearl Jam) Studio Litho with Jones to record the rest of the third record. This never happened after being dropped from their label, although "Raise a Glass" from the Seattle sessions has appeared on their MySpace module.^[2]

The band went their separate ways in March 2002 and remain firm friends, occasionally reuniting for off-the-cuff live shows in Liverpool.

At least some members of Cecil went on to become Voy, and then later Fridge Mountain Fires.^[3]

Discography

Albums

• Bombar Diddlah (1996)
• Subtitles (1998) – #132 (UK)

Singles

• "No Excuses" (1995) – #102 (UK)
• "My Neck" (1996) – #93 (UK)
• "Measured" (1996)
• "Red Wine at Dead Time" (1997) – #84 (UK)
• "Hostage in a Frock" (1997) – #68 (UK)
• "The Most Tiring Day" (1998) – #69 (UK)

See also

• Music of Liverpool
• List of bands from England

References

External links

• Cecil at AllMusic