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Formed in Hull, UK in 1983, the Housemartins were a British indie band. Drawing as heavily from Sam Cooke, the Temptations and the Everly Brothers
as the Smiths or Aztec Camera, under lead songwriter and lyricist Paul Heaton the Housemartins rose to minor fame in late 80s Britain thanks to a
unique musical approach and literate and politically-attuned lyrics. Heaton was a devout leftist, preaching communitarianism and equality, but just as
feverently lambasting all things conservative and socially imbalanced.
After Heaton joined forces with Norman Cook on bass, Stan Cullimore on gui ...read more
Formed in Hull, UK in 1983, the Housemartins were a British indie band. Drawing as heavily from Sam Cooke, the Temptations and the Everly Brothers
as the Smiths or Aztec Camera, under lead songwriter and lyricist Paul Heaton the Housemartins rose to minor fame in late 80s Britain thanks to a
unique musical approach and literate and politically-attuned lyrics. Heaton was a devout leftist, preaching communitarianism and equality, but just as
feverently lambasting all things conservative and socially imbalanced.
After Heaton joined forces with Norman Cook on bass, Stan Cullimore on guitar and original drummer Hugh Whitaker, the Housemartins released a
series of moderately successful singles before the arrival of their debut full-length, 1986's London 0, Hull 4. The lead single from the album,
'Happy Hour' was the group's first hit. Also in 1986, their a capella torch song 'Caravan of Love' became the group's first and only #1 hit song in the
UK.
In 1987, Whitaker was replaced by Dave Hemingway and the group released their second and final studio album, the acclaimed The People Who
Grinned Themselves to Death. Despite their modest fame, the group broke only a year later, reportedly over creative differences between Heaton
and Cook. Heaton favoured taking the group in a more jazzy lounge direction - Cook was eager to experiment with electronic sounds. The group
released the compilation Now That's What I Call Quite Good shortly after their breakup, which remains to this day remains on the short list as a
compilation album of rare class and quality, alongside the Smiths' Hatful of Hollow and Madonna's the Immaculate Collection, among few
others.
Heaton went on to join the Beautiful South, an alternative group who were reasonably successful in early 90s Britain. Cook continued his musical
career as a member of Beats International and subsequently created his alter ego Fatboy Slim, massively successful in the techno boom of the late
90s. 'Praise You' (and the humorous video that accompanied it) is likely his most well-known song.
The Housemartins have received some recognition of late as newer bands and music critics are citing bands similar to the Housemartins, and it has
indirectly gained some attention for the group. Still, outside of England the group is fiercely underrecognised. « hide |
Similar Bands: The Beautiful South, The Smiths, Aztec Camera, The Proclaimers, Fatboy Slim Contributors: discovolante, morrissey, TwigTW,
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