The Shop Assistants

Shop Assistants
Origin Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres Indie pop
Years active 1984–1987, 1989-1990
Labels The Subway Organization
Chrysalis
Blue Guitar
Associated acts The Pastels, The Motorcycle Boy, The Vaselines, Jesse Garon And The Desperadoes
Past members Annabel Wright
David Keegan
Sarah Kneale
Laura MacPhail
Alex Taylor
Margarita Vasquez-Ponte
Ann Donald

Shop Assistants were an indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984, initially as Buba & The Shop Assistants.[1] After achieving success with independent releases they signed to Chrysalis Records sublabel Blue Guitar, releasing their only album in 1986. After splitting in 1987, with singer Alex Taylor moving on to The Motorcycle Boy, they reformed for two further singles in 1990.

History

The original line-up was Aggi (Annabel Wright, later of The Pastels), on vocals, David Keegan (guitar), John Peutherer (bass), and Moray Crawford (drums).[2] This line-up released one single, the now highly-collectible "Something to Do", under the name Buba & the Shop Assistants, which was produced by Stephen Pastel. Stephen Pastel also contributed backing vocals. Peutherer and Crawford were credited on the sleeve as "Murray-John."

Aggi left to be replaced by Karen Parker, later joined by second vocalist Alex Taylor, but after some live performances Parker, Peutherer, and Crawford departed, replaced by Sarah Kneale (bass), Laura MacPhail (drums) and Ann Donald (drums).[2] The band's name was shortened to simply 'Shop Assistants' and the first release under their new name was the Shopping Parade EP in 1985 on The Subway Organization, the lead track from which, "All Day Long" was described by Morrissey as his favourite single of that year. Ann Donald left round about November 1985 and was briefly replaced by Joan Bride (possibly a pseudonym!). Shopping Parade was followed in early 1986 with "Safety Net", the first release on Keegan's 53rd & 3rd Records, which peaked at number two in the UK Independent Chart,[3] and the band recorded a national radio session with Janice Long and a second John Peel session, both of BBC's Radio One.[4] The exposure they gained from the sessions enabled the group to have two songs to be voted into John Peel's Festive Fifty in both 1985 and 1986.[5]

In 1986, they were featured on the NME‍ '​s compilation C86 with one of their slower songs, "It's Up To You", taken from Shopping Parade EP.[1] Also in that year, they signed to Chrysalis Records's sublabel Blue Guitar for another single, "I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You" as well as their first and only LP album, Will Anything Happen.[1] This spent one week at number 100 in the UK album charts, which gives the band the (joint) distinction of being the least successful act ever to hit the national charts. The album was re-released on CD in 2001, although it is now very hard to find.

The band split early in 1987, when Taylor left the group to join The Motorcycle Boy.[1] After a two-year hiatus, the band reformed without Taylor in 1989 with Kneale on vocals and MacPhail on bass and the addition of Margarita Vasquez-Ponte of Jesse Garon And The Desperadoes on drums.[1] With the new lineup they released "Here It Comes" and "Big 'E' Power" in 1990 before splitting again with David Keegan joining The Pastels.[1]

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 502
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 White, S. (2014) YinPop: Women in Indie and Alternative Rock, Vol. 1: UK Bands, Fly-By-Night Books, ISBN 978-0-9905386-0-8, p. 131
  3. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1998) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 204
  4. ↑ Garner, Ken (1993) In Session Tonight, BBC Books, ISBN 0-563-36452-1, p. 292
  5. ↑ "The Shop Assistants", Keeping It Peel, BBC, retrieved 2011-07-23