Barry Andrews | |
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 Barry Andrews performing with Shriekback in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 12 September 1956 |
| Origin | West Norwood, London, England [1] |
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| Years active | 1976–present |
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| Member of | Shriekback |
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Barry Andrews (born 12 September 1956 in West Norwood, London) is an English songwriter, singer and keyboard player who is a co-founder of Shriekback and was formerly a member of XTC and League of Gentlemen.
Barry William Andrews was born in West Norwood, London, on 12 September, 1956, the only child of bricklayer William Andrews and Minnie, a housewife. Andrews attended Hitherfield Primary School in South-East London before moving with his family to Park North, Swindon, at the age of seven. He attended Park North Junior School, Richard Jefferies Secondary School and Park Senior High School, leaving full-time education in 1976.
On leaving school, Andrews played keyboards in covers bands in Swindon and Exeter before joining XTC in 1978. He played on the band’s first two albums, White Music and Go 2 , before leaving in 1979. That same year, he recorded the solo EP Town and Country [2] (Virgin) and played on Iggy Pop’s Soldier (Arista) with David Bowie, Ivan Král, Glen Matlock, Klaus Krüger and Steve New.
In 1980 he recorded the single Rossmore Road/Win a Night Out with a Well-Known Paranoiac [3] on Virgin. Also in 1980, Andrews joined Robert Fripp's The League of Gentlemen with Sara Lee and Jonny TooBad. They recorded one album for E.G. Records before Fripp dismissed the band. Andrews then formed Restaurant for Dogs [4] with Kevin Wilkinson, Dave Marx and Bruce McRae. Latterly Clare Hirst, Sara Lee and Carlo Asciutti joined the band.
In 1981, Andrews met up with bassist Dave Allen who had recently left Gang of Four and the pair, along with guitarist/vocalist Carl Marsh, formed Shriekback. [5] Shriekback have been active for 41 years, recording 17 studio albums.
In 2003, Andrews began releasing solo projects through his own Shriekprods label. These form two main strands: the Haunted Box of Switches [6] [7] series of piano and voice albums which feature original material alongside minimalist reimaginings of Shriekback songs; and the Stic Basin series of albums of experimental electronica, of which there are now three volumes.
In 2005, Andrews played keyboards on Brian Eno’s album Another Day on Earth . 2007 saw Andrews reunite with former XTC bandmate Andy Partridge alongside Shriekback drummer Martyn Barker on Monstrance, a double album of instrumental improvisations. In 2015, Andrews recorded a six-track EP called Juju Grid with Mike Tournier from Fluke, under the name of Anaxaton6. Contaminated Pop in 2019 was Andrews’ first solo album released under his own name.
During a six-year break from music from 1996 to 2001, Andrews began to design furniture and sculpture and studied for a degree in 3D Design in Metals at Camberwell and Middlesex universities. He also ran The Hoxton Gift Shop [8] with Régine de la Hey in 2001, a gallery which sold original artworks.
Andrews lives in London and Stroud, Gloucestershire. He has a son, Finn Andrews, the lead singer/songwriter of The Veils, from his marriage to Vivienne Kent in the early 1980s.
XTC
Shriekback
Solo
Collaborations/Guest Keyboards
XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles that ranged from angular guitar riffs to elaborately arranged pop. Partly because the group did not fit into contemporary trends, they achieved only sporadic commercial success in the UK and US, but attracted a considerable cult following. They have since been recognised for their influence on post-punk, Britpop and later power pop acts.
Shriekback are an English rock band formed in 1981 in Kentish Town by Barry Andrews, formerly of XTC and the League of Gentlemen (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals), and Dave Allen, formerly of Gang of Four, with Carl Marsh, formerly of Out on Blue Six (guitars/vocals) soon added to the line-up. The band's early music was a funk-influenced version of new wave and post-punk, later moving towards art rock and always featuring "insidiously weird vocals".
Andrew John Partridge is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for co-founding the band XTC. He and Colin Moulding each acted as a songwriter and frontman for XTC, with Partridge writing and singing about two-thirds of the group's material. While XTC were a formative British new wave group, Partridge's songwriting drew heavily from 1960s pop and psychedelia, and his style gradually shifted to more traditional pop, often with pastoral themes. The band's only UK top 10 hit, "Senses Working Overtime", was written by Partridge.
David Charles Gregory is an English guitarist from Swindon, best known for his work with the rock band XTC. He was a member of the group between the single "Life Begins at the Hop" (1979) and early sessions for the album Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999), contributing guitar, keyboards, and occasional string arrangements.
The League of Gentlemen were a band active during March–December 1980 that featured King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp.
Ivan Julian is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Lovelies. He has also performed with The Isley Brothers, The Clash, Matthew Sweet, The Bongos, Richard Barone, and Shriekback, Jeremy Toback.
Please Describe Yourself is the debut studio album by the British alternative rock band Dogs Die in Hot Cars. It was first released on 12 July 2004 in the United Kingdom on V2 Records. After releasing several limited-edition singles and the extended play Man Bites Man, the band released the album to critical praise.
White Music is the debut studio album by the English rock band XTC, released on 20 January 1978. It was the follow-up to their debut, 3D EP, released three months earlier. White Music reached No. 38 in the UK Albums Chart and spawned the single "Statue of Liberty", which was banned by BBC Radio 1 for the lyric "In my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt". In April 1978, the group rerecorded "This Is Pop" as their third single.
Go 2 is the second studio album by the English band XTC, released 6 October 1978 on Virgin Records. The United Kingdom version contained no singles, but the American and Canadian versions included the single "Are You Receiving Me?" released on 27 October 1978 along with a music video produced for the song.
Apple Venus Volume 1 is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released on March 2, 1999. It was the first on the band's own Idea Records label, distributed through Cooking Vinyl in the United Kingdom and TVT Records in the United States. The album relies heavily on strings, acoustic guitars and keyboards, expanding upon the more orchestral approach developed on the group's previous LP Nonsuch (1992), whilst its lyrics reflect themes of paganism, middle age, romance and rebirth. Apple Venus Volume 1 was met with critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, peaking at number 42 on the UK Albums Chart and number 106 on the Billboard 200 in the US.
Tench is the debut EP by Shriekback, released in 1982. It spawned one single: "Sexthinkone".
Care is the first full-length Shriekback album, released in 1983.
Finn Andrews is a British/New Zealand musician. He is a solo artist and lead singer and songwriter of London-based rock band The Veils. His father Barry Andrews is a current member of Shriekback, was a member of XTC, and also played with Iggy Pop, Robert Fripp and David Bowie.
Michael "Jakko" Jakszyk is an English musician, record producer, and actor. He has released several solo albums as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as lead singer and second guitarist of King Crimson from 2013 to present succeeding Adrian Belew in the role. His work has been variously credited to "Jakko", "Jakko Jakszyk", and "Jakko M. Jakszyk".
3D EP is the debut record by English rock band XTC, released on 7 October 1977 through Virgin Records. The songs were recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studios with production and engineering by John Leckie. "I'm Bugged" and "New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage" were also recorded at these sessions and these versions later appeared on their debut LP White Music (1978). Promotional videos were made for "Science Friction", "She's So Square" and "Dance Band". These same songs appeared on the White Music CD as bonus tracks.
Exposure is the debut solo album by guitarist and composer Robert Fripp. Unique among Fripp solo projects for its focus on the pop song format, it grew out of his previous collaborations with David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and Daryl Hall, and the latter two singers appear on the album. Released in 1979, it peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard Album Chart. Most of the lyrics were provided by the poet and lyricist Joanna Walton, who also coined the term "Frippertronics" to describe Fripp's tape looping techniques.
Waxworks: Some Singles 1977–1982 is the first compilation album by English rock band XTC, released in November 1982 by Virgin Records. Though it followed closely on the heels of the successful English Settlement album and its lead-off single "Senses Working Overtime", it failed to crack the Top 40 perhaps signalling their commercial decline in Britain. All twelve tracks appear on the first disc of 1996's Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992. It was initially released shrinkwrapped with the Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977-1982 included as a "free bonus album".
Drums and Wireless: BBC Radio Sessions 77–89 is a compilation album by the English rock band XTC, released by Windsong International in October 1994. It contains a selection of songs recorded for BBC radio between 1977-1989. Its tracks were later included on the 4-disc boxed set Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions in 1998.
"Statue of Liberty" is a 1978 single by XTC. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London and subsequently banned by BBC Radio 1 for the lyrics "In my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt". XTC performed the song on the BBC2 television show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978.
Carmen Sandiego: Out of This World is a tie-in album to the children's television game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Five of its ten songs, as well as the spoken track "A Brief Disclaimer," were performed by the show's host, Greg Lee. Lynne Thigpen, who co-starred on the show as The Chief, also contributed a song, as did the show's house band, Rockapella. Unlike its predecessor, it was marketed to both children and adults, owing to the inclusion of rock bands XTC and They Might Be Giants.
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