The Lotus Eaters (band)

This article is about the English new wave band. For the American experimental band, see Lotus Eaters (band). For the English band formerly called The Lotus Eaters, see Keane (band).
The Lotus Eaters
Origin Liverpool, England
Genres Jangle pop, sophisti-pop, new wave
Years active 1981–1985
2002–present
Labels Arista, Cherry Red
Associated acts The Jass Babies
The Wild Swans
The Pale Fountains
Members Peter Coyle
Jem Kelly
Stephen Emmer
Past members Ged Quinn
Alan Wills
Phil Lucking
Michael Dempsey
Stephen Creese

The Lotus Eaters is an English new wave band formed in 1982 in Liverpool. Their debut single "The First Picture of You" became a hit in the UK and Europe, notably France, Italy and Spain.[1]

History

Formation and success

In September 1981, Peter Coyle (born 25 October 1962) and Jeremy "Jem" Kelly (born in 1962) met for the first time. Kelly had been guitarist in The Systems and co-founded The Wild Swans in 1981.[2] Coyle had previously been in the Jass Babies, who had recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1981.[3]

After an invitation to record a Peel session, a number of new songs were created. Joined on keyboards by Kelly's fellow ex-Wild Swan Ged Quinn and by Scottish drummer John Hendry and bassist Phil Lucking,[4] the session was recorded in October 1982 and included "The First Picture of You".[5] This led to the band being signed by Arista Records. Produced by Nigel Gray, "The First Picture of You" became an iconic song for The Lotus Eaters in 1983, giving them a UK hit single before the band had even played a live gig. The band recorded a second session for Peel in October 1983.[6]

The band's debut studio album, No Sense of Sin, was released in 1984.

Line-up changes and disbandment

After Quinn left, Coyle and Kelly recruited bassist Michael Dempsey (The Cure, The Associates), keyboard player Stephen Emmer and drummer Steve Crease. The Lotus Eaters toured extensively in the UK, France and Italy, before going on hiatus in 1985 when they were dropped by Arista.[2] "It Hurts", their final single, charted in the Italian Top 5 that year, but the band had already split up, leaving a promotional video to represent them.

Aftermath

Coyle recorded as a solo artist, releasing the albums A Slap in the Face for Public Taste and I'd Sacrifice Eight Orgasms with Shirley MacLaine Just to Be There, and went on to found dance company 8 Productions and the G-Love nightclub.[7] As a songwriter-producer, he had success with Marina Van-Rooy’s 1990 single "Sly One", and worked with a host of emerging artists on Liverpool's dance scene. Meanwhile, Kelly reformed The Wild Swans, releasing an album, Bringing Home the Ashes, on Sire in 1988[2] before leaving to study for a PhD in Multimedia Theatre. Coyle later pursued academic interests at the University of Edinburgh.

A compilation album of the Lotus Eaters' music, The First Picture of You, was released in 1998 and consists of sessions recorded at BBC Radio 1. The album No Sense of Sin was reissued that same year.[8]

Reunion

In 2001 The Lotus Eaters, comprising the duo of Coyle and Kelly, reformed after almost two decades, recording and releasing a new album titled Silentspace.[9]

In March 2009 the band announced a one-off concert to be held at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 25 July. The gig, a performance of the album No Sense of Sin, featured the trio accompanied by a string quartet from the University of Huddersfield. In April 2009, composed of Coyle, Kelly and Stephen Emmer, the group announced on their MySpace page that they were working with producer Steve Power on material for a new album. Differance was issued the following year as a limited release in Japan.

The Lotus Eaters played their first London show in ten years at the Camden Barfly on 11 June 2010, followed by a string of shows in the UK. The band also toured Italy in June 2010. According to their MySpace page, in 2011 they were working on a new album called A Plug-In Called Nostalgia.

Discography

Studio albums
Compilations albums
Singles

References

  1. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 330. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. p. 571. ISBN 1-84195-335-0.
  3. ↑ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 19/10/1981 Jass Babies". BBC. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  4. ↑ First Picture of You (CD liner notes).
  5. ↑ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 02/10/1982 Lotus Eaters". BBC. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 05/10/1983 Lotus Eaters". BBC. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Sutton, Michael. "Peter Coyle | Biography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Sutton, Michael. "The Lotus Eaters | Music Biography, Streaming Radio and Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Sutton, Michael. "Silentspace – The Lotus Eaters | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2015.

External links

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