Black Grape

Last updated

Black Grape
BlackGrape2023.jpg
Black Grape performing at the Albert Hall in Manchester, 2023
Background information
Origin Salford, Greater Manchester, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1993–1998
  • 2010
  • 2015–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Website Official Facebook page

Black Grape are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1993, featuring former members of Happy Mondays and Ruthless Rap Assassins. Their musical style fuses funk and electronic rock with electronic programming and samples.

Contents

History

Formation, first two studio albums and break-up (1993–1998)

The band was formed in 1993 by former Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Bez. It was Ryder's first musical project after the disintegration of Happy Mondays due both to his multiple drug addictions and to disagreements about revenues with other band members. The formation of the new band was intended to draw a line between his past life and his new one. Ryder and Bez recruited rappers Paul "Kermit" Leveridge and Carl "Psycho" McCarthy, drummer Ged Lynch (like Leveridge, a former member of Ruthless Rap Assassins), and guitarist Wags (formerly of the Manchester-based group the Paris Angels) and Oli "Dirtycash" Dillon on ocarina. Recording of new material started that year, although the group was not under contract. [1]

In 1995, Black Grape was signed by Radioactive Records (an imprint of major label BMG) and released its debut studio album It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah . [1] The album debuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart, and spawned three top 20 singles. [2] The album was certified platinum in the UK in April 1996. [3]

The third single, "Kelly's Heroes" – a song lampooning society's obsession with celebrities and idols that had much to do with Ryder's own previous hero worship of people he now saw as wastrels – had its opening lyric changed before recording from "Don't talk to me about heroes – Most of these guys snort cocaine," to "Don't talk to me about heroes – most of these men sink like subs". Another song on the album, "Temazi Party", mocked the then-current craze for abusing temazepam sleeping pills (a.k.a. 'jellies'), but was deliberately misspelt on the album sleeve as 'Tramazi' instead of 'Temazi' to forestall any legal injunction against the album's release.

The subsequent studio album Stupid Stupid Stupid was less commercially successful, but was certified gold in the UK in January 1998. [3] The group broke-up in 1998 after Ryder fired the rest of the band while touring, starting with Kermit (who was suffering from septicaemia) and ending with Bez (who was unsatisfied with his financial situation). [1]

Lynch went on to play drums and percussion on many other musical works, becoming a noted session musician.

Reunion (2010–present)

On 1 April 2010, Ryder briefly reformed Black Grape with producer Danny Saber for a concert as part of the 'Get Loaded in the Dark' gig series at The Coronet in London. [4]

In 2015, Black Grape reunited for a gig in April at the Old Granada Studios in Manchester. The gig was a benefit for Bez's political party, We Are the Reality Party, which coincided with his bid for Parliament in the upcoming general election. Although Ryder and Kermit took to the stage, Bez joined them on stage towards the end of the gig. Soon after, it was announced that Black Grape had signed to Creation Management run by Alan McGee and Simon Fletcher and announced a reunion tour to coincide with 20 years of the band's debut studio album It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah (1995). Although an original member, Bez did not rejoin the band.

Black Grape recorded and released a song "We Are England" in support of the England national football team for the UEFA Euro 2016 football competition, in collaboration with DJ Paul Oakenfold and singer Goldie, under the name 4 Lions. It was released by the management label Fletcher McGee Ltd under license to BMG Rights Management.

On 4 May 2017, it was announced that the group's next studio album, Pop Voodoo would be released on 7 July. On the same day, "Everything You Know Is Wrong" was released. [5] The album was eventually released on 4 August. [6] Louder Than War listed the album as one of its top 100 albums of 2017, placing it high at #23. [7]

In September 2021, Black Grape went on the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut studio album – originally planned for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic saw the original shows rescheduled

Orange Head, the band's fourth album, was scheduled for release in November 2023, preceded by the single "Milk". [8] Instead the single "Dirt" was released in November, and the album pushed back to January 2024. [9]

Orange Head was released on 19 January 2024. [9]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
UK
[2]
AUS
[10]
CAN
[11]
NZ
[12]
SCO
[13]
SWE
[14]
It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah 11118020213
Stupid Stupid Stupid
  • Released: 10 November 1997
  • Label: Radioactive (RAR 11716)
  • Formats: CD, CS, DL, LP
111391040
Pop Voodoo
  • Released: 4 August 2017 [6]
  • Label: UMC
  • Formats: CD, DL, LP
158
Orange Head
  • Released: 19 January 2024 [9]
  • Label: DGAFF
  • Formats: CD, DL, LP
785
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[2]
UK
Dance

[15]
AUS
[16]
SCO
[17]
US
Alt.

[18]
1995"Reverend Black Grape"95It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah
"In the Name of the Father"8107531
"Kelly's Heroes"1715813
1996"Fat Neck"106Non-album singles
"England's Irie"619
1997"Get Higher"2417712Stupid Stupid Stupid
1998"Marbles"463944
2017"Nine Lives" [19] Pop Voodoo
"I Wanna Be Like You" [20]
2023"Pimp Wars"Orange Head
"Milk"
"Dirt"
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Promotional singles

Film

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Mondays</span> English alternative rock band

Happy Mondays is an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joined the band onstage as a dancer and percussionist. Rowetta joined as a second vocalist in 1990. They were initially signed to Tony Wilson's Factory Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bez (dancer)</span> British dancer, percussionist, author and media personality

Mark Berry, better known as Bez, is an English percussionist, dancer, DJ and media personality. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Happy Mondays and Black Grape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Ryder</span> English singer and musician

Shaun William George Ryder is an English singer, songwriter and poet. As lead singer of Happy Mondays, he was a leading figure in the Madchester cultural scene during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1993, he formed Black Grape with former Happy Mondays dancer Bez. He was the runner-up on the tenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Ryder collaborated with Gorillaz on "Dare", which peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in September 2005, becoming the band's only UK number one single. Ryder is known for his distinctive sprechgesang and lyricism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogue Traders</span> Australian electronic rock band

Rogue Traders is an Australian electronic rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 2002 by mainstay James Ash on keyboards. In 1989, Ash met fellow original member Steve Davis in London while both were working as DJs. Before forming Rogue Traders, the pair had worked together on many projects, including the dance music act Union State, which relocated to Melbourne in 1992. The group's name comes from the 1999 drama film, Rogue Trader. They were joined in 2004 by soap opera actress, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, on lead vocals, Cameron McGlinchey on drums and Tim Henwood on guitar. Davis continued as a behind-the-scenes member, contributing to the songwriting process but not making any public appearances with the group.

<i>Yes Please!</i> 1992 studio album by Happy Mondays

Yes Please! is the fourth studio album by British rock band Happy Mondays, released on 22 September 1992 through Factory Records. Following the non-album single "Judge Fudge", Factory allotted the band a budget of £150,000 for their next album. After settling on producers Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, both members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Happy Mondays decamped to Blue Wave Studio in Saint Philip, Barbados, in February 1992. The sessions were plagued by a variety of issues, such as frontman Shaun Ryder developing a crack habit and dancer Bez breaking his arm three times. With little finished material and a lack of lyrics, the band returned to the United Kingdom; Ryder was admitted into a detox centre. Recording continued for two weeks in May 1992 at Comfort's Place Studio in Lingfield, Surrey, where Ryder did his vocals. Yes Please! is a soul funk album with a bleak sound that earned it a comparison to Unknown Pleasures (1979) by Joy Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones discography</span> Catalogue of published recordings by the Rolling Stones

The English rock group the Rolling Stones have released 31 studio albums, 13 live albums, 28 compilation albums, 3 extended plays, 122 singles, 31 box sets, 51 video albums, 2 video box sets and 77 music videos. Throughout their career, they have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard ranked them as the 2nd Greatest artist of all time. The Rolling Stones have scored 38 top-10 albums on the Billboard 200 and 8 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, they have sold 66.5 million albums in the US, making them the 16th best-selling group in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dare (song)</span> 2005 single by Gorillaz featuring Shaun Ryder

"Dare" is a song by English virtual band Gorillaz and is the second single from their second studio album, Demon Days (2005). The track features Happy Mondays and Black Grape front-man Shaun Ryder, and is sung by Rosie Wilson as Noodle, with backing vocals from Damon Albarn. It peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in September 2005, becoming the band's only UK number one. "Dare" additionally reached the top 10 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Babybird are an English rock band formed by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Jones, who has been releasing music since 1995. While Jones' early solo work was released under the "Baby Bird" name, the altered "Babybird" was first used to distinguish the full band line-up that has changed often over the years. However, in recent years, Jones has recorded many of the Babybird albums himself, in addition to recording as a solo artist, and under various aliases including Death of the Neighbourhood, Trucker, Black Reindeer, Deluder, Arthritis Kid and others.

<i>Its Great When Youre Straight...Yeah</i> 1995 studio album by Black Grape

It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah is the debut studio album by the English rock band Black Grape, released on 7 August 1995 through Radioactive Records. Following the breakup of Happy Mondays, frontman Shaun Ryder formed Black Grape with vocalist Paul "Kermit" Leveridge and dancer Bez. They were put in contact with management company Nicholl and Dime, who secured the band a recording contract with Radioactive Records. After demos and the band finalizing their line-up, Ryder met with producers Stephen Lironi and Danny Saber. Black Grape recorded their debut studio album in late 1994 and early 1995 at Rockfield Studios in Wales, Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, and Boundary Row in London. It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah is a dance-pop and pop funk album, with its title meaning being sober from drugs.

<i>Stupid Stupid Stupid</i> 1997 studio album by Black Grape

Stupid Stupid Stupid is the second studio album by British rock band Black Grape, released on 10 November 1997 through Radioactive Records. While touring in support of their debut studio album It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah (1995), vocalist Paul "Kermit" Leveridge was diagnosed with sepsis. Carl "Psycho" McCarthy temporarily filled in Kermit's role before being added to the line-up permanently. Though he was too ill to tour, Kermit joined the band in Hollywood to work on songs for their next album, which continued throughout 1996. They recorded their second album at Real World Studios in Bath and Westlake Audio in Los Angeles, California, over eight weeks with Danny Saber, John X Volaitis, and frontman Shaun Ryder as producers. Stupid Stupid Stupid is a dance-rock album that continues the party atmosphere of It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah while toning down that album's religious references.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foo Fighters discography</span>

The discography of Foo Fighters, an American rock band formed in 1995 by Dave Grohl, consists of eleven studio albums, ten extended plays (EPs), six video albums, and 57 singles. The current Foo Fighters line-up consists of Grohl, Rami Jaffee (keyboard), Nate Mendel (bass), Chris Shiflett (guitar), Pat Smear (guitar) and Josh Freese (drums).

<i>Uncle Dysfunktional</i> 2007 studio album by Happy Mondays

Uncle Dysfunktional is the fifth studio album by English rock band Happy Mondays. It was released by Sequel Records on 2 July 2007. After the band reunited in 2004, they toured into 2005; by 2006, a new album was recorded with producer Sunny Levine. Initial sessions were held at The Studiosound in Rochdale and Make It Nice Studio in Leicester with Dave Parkinson, before moving to Moolah Rogue Studios in Stockport with Levine. Uncle Dysfunktional is an electro-funk record, with influences from country and hip hop.

CDB are an Australian R&B, dance and vocal harmony quartet formed in 1991 with Andrew De Silva, Brad Pinto and his brother Gary Pinto, as well as Danny Williams. CDB is an initialism which stands for Central Dandenong Boys. Their highest charting single was a cover version of Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove", which peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart. "Hey Girl " also reached number one in New Zealand. Their debut studio album, Glide with Me was released in November 1995. The group disbanded in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reverend Black Grape</span> 1995 single by Black Grape

"Reverend Black Grape" is a song which was released in May 1995 by the English rock band Black Grape. It was the first single to be taken from their debut studio album It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah and peaked at #9 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeah Yeah Yeahs discography</span>

American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs have released five studio albums, one compilation album, four extended plays, 15 singles, two video albums, and 15 music videos. The band formed in New York City in 2000, and consists of lead singer Karen O, drummer Brian Chase, and guitarist Nick Zinner.

Parquet Courts American rock band

Parquet Courts is an American rock band from New York City. The band consists of Andrew Savage, Austin Brown, Sean Yeaton, and Max Savage (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catfish and the Bottlemen</span> British indie rock band

Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British indie rock band formed in Llandudno, Conwy, Wales, in 2007. The band's debut album, The Balcony, reached number 10 in the UK Albums Chart and achieved Platinum status on 30 December 2016. The band have toured in South America, Japan, Europe, North America, and Australia performing a wide selection of festivals including Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Latitude, Falls Festival, Community Festival, Reading and Leeds, T in the Park, Governors Ball, All Points East, Bonnaroo, Splendour in the Grass, and TRNSMT. They won a Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act on 24 February 2016. On 27 May 2016, they released their second album, The Ride, which reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart and has sold 300,000 units in the UK since its release. On 26 April 2019, they released their third album, The Balance, which reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart. The band will be headlining the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dune Rats</span> Australian rock band

Dune Rats are an Australian rock band from Brisbane, Queensland. Originally, the band formed as a duo, with Danny Beus on guitar and lead vocals and BC Michael Marks on drums and backing vocals. The band later became a three-piece, with Brett Jansch joining as bassist. Brad Heald, originally from Red Riders and The Vines, also made touring appearances on bass from 2011 to 2012.

Picture This are an Irish pop rock musical band based in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland, comprising Ryan Hennessy, Jimmy Rainsford, Owen Cardiff and Cliff Deane. In 2017, they released their eponymous debut album, which entered atop the Irish Albums Chart. In early 2019, they released their follow up album Mdrn Lv. Their third studio album “Life In Colour” was released in June 2021. On 26 April 2024 they released "Parked Car Conversations", also a studio album, their fourth album.

<i>Pop Voodoo</i> 2017 studio album by Black Grape

Pop Voodoo is the third studio album by British band Black Grape, released on 4 August 2017 through UMC. After a one-off show in 2010, Black Grape reunited to play a show in April 2015, by which point, they were being managed by Alan McGee. Following a tour of the United Kingdom and a collaboration with Paul Oakenfold, the band worked on a few ideas for new songs. They travelled to Spain in September 2016, initially as a writing trip, before it evolved into recording sessions for their next album. Recorded was done at Martin "Youth" Glover's residential studio in Sierra Nevada, Spain and in London. Pop Voodoo is a funk, pop and trip hop album that sees several instruments being played by Youth, alongside a variety of session musicians.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 137. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.
  2. 1 2 3 "UK chart peaks". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  4. Clarke, Betty (5 April 2010). "Black Grape". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  5. Trendell, Andrew (4 May 2017). "Black Grape announce first new album in 20 years with new track 'Everything You Know Is Wrong'". nme.com. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  6. 1 2 Shaw, Mathew (2 August 2017). "Black Grape – Pop Voodoo – album review". louderthanwar.com. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  7. "Louder Than War's Top 100 Albums of 2017". Album of The Year. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  8. "Black Grape announce new album Orange Head, share new single Milk". Classic Pop . 25 July 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 "Black Grape share new single 'Dirt' from upcoming album 'Orange Head'". XS Noize. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  10. "Black Grape ARIA chart history, received from ARIA in May 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 7 July 2024 via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  11. Canadian studio albums:
  12. "charts.nz – Discography Black Grape". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  13. Scottish albums:
  14. "swedishcharts.com – Discography Black Grape". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  15. UK dance singles:
  16. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 24 May 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  17. Scottish singles:
  18. "US alternative songs chart peaks". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  19. "Nine Lives (Radio Edit) - Single". iTunes. Apple Inc. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  20. "I Wanna Be Like You (Radio Edit) - Single". iTunes. Apple Inc. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  21. Dadi Waz a Badi (Sleeve). Black Grape. Radioactive. 1997. BLACKPROMO 1.97.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)