Cardiacs are an English rock band hailing from Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. [1] The band was formed by frontman Tim Smith with his brother bassist Jim Smith, vocalist Michael Pugh and drummer Peter Tagg in 1977. [2] [3] Since its inception, more than a dozen members have cycled through the group, contributing keyboards, percussion, vocals and woodwind. [2] The Smith brothers were the only constant members in Cardiacs' regularly changing line-up. [4]
After playing his first gig as Gazunder, Tim Smith formed Cardiacs under the name Cardiac Arrest, [5] [lower-alpha 1] and released their debut single "A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" in 1979. [8] It was recorded by the band's first full lineup, including keyboardist Colvin "Max" Mayers and saxophonist Ralph Cade. [9] [7] The same year, Tagg was replaced by Mark Cawthra and went on to form the Trudy with Cade. [10] Cardiac Arrest's reputation was kickstarted with two cassette-only albums — The Obvious Identity (1980) and Toy World (1981) — and they adopted the name Cardiacs on the second. [11] [5] During this time, Mayers left and later joined the Sound. [12] Cade was replaced by Sarah Cutts in 1981 on keyboards and saxophone, [13] who married Tim Smith three years later. [8] By 1983, the band had reached a semi-stable lineup with percussionist and keyboardist Tim Quy, keyboardist William D. Drake and drummer Dominic Luckman. [11] For a short time, Cardiacs were an eight-piece with the employment of guitarist Graham Simmonds and saxophonist Marguerite Johnston, [7] who featured on the cassette album The Seaside (1984) released by their own label the Alphabet Business Concern. [14]
The six-piece lineup toured extensively alongside Alphabet label representatives the Consultant and Miss Swift. [15] Shortly after releasing On Land and in the Sea (1989), Cardiacs were joined by guitarist Christian "Bic" Hayes the same year. [16] Hayes appeared on the video and subsequent live album All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (1992; 1995), which was also their last performance with Quy. [7] Drake and Sarah Smith also left the group, continuing to guest on future albums, and Hayes was replaced by guitarist and keyboardist Jon Poole in 1991. [17] [18] By 1992, the band had slimmed to a four-piece for Heaven Born and Ever Bright , displaying a new metal-leaning sound. [19] Mayers died due to complications with AIDS in 1993. [20] Luckman was replaced by drummer Bob "Babba" Leith the same year, giving Cardiacs their second "classic" lineup on Sing to God (1996). [21] [22] The lineup continued on Guns (1999) with assistance from session musicians. [23]
Poole subsequently left Cardiacs to join the Wildhearts as a bassist after playing in Silver Ginger 5. [24] He was replaced by guitar tech, Kavus Torabi in 2003 who played on the two volume live album The Special Garage Concerts (2005). [15] [25] Between 2004 and 2008, Cardiacs expanded their lineup to include vocalists Claire Lemmon and Melanie Woods of Sidi Bou Said and Sharron Fortnam of the North Sea Radio Orchestra, as well as percussionists Cathy Harabaras and Dawn Staple. [26] [27] The collective released the single "Ditzy Scene" in 2007, [4] teasing an upcoming double album called LSD which was due to be released in October 2008. [17] [28] Cardiacs stopped touring the same year, [29] and the band's lineup comprised Tim Smith, Jim Smith, Bob Leith, Kavus Torabi, Melanie Woods and Cathy Harabaras until the 2008 hospitalisation of Tim Smith resulted in an indefinite hiatus. [30] [31] On 22 July 2020, it was confirmed by Torabi that Smith had died of a heart attack the previous night. [5] [3] Former percussionist Tim Quy died on 2 February 2023 after a lengthy battle with several health problems. [32]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Smith ("Philip Pilf") | 1977–2008 (died 2020) |
| all releases | |
| Jim Smith ("Patty Pilf") | 1977–2008 |
| ||
| Bob "Babba" Leith | 1993–2008 |
| all releases from Sing to God (1996) | |
| Kavus Torabi | 2003–2008 |
|
| |
| Cathy Harabaras | 2004–2008 | percussion | LSD (TBA) | |
| Melanie Woods | vocals | |||
| Quoted names in brackets denote aliases used on early recordings as Cardiac Arrest. [7] | ||||
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pugh ("Peter Boker") | 1977–1980 | lead vocals |
| |
| Peter Tagg ("Richard Targett") | 1977–1979 | drums | "A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" (1979) | |
| Colvin "Max" Mayers ("Duncan Doilet", "Max Cat", "Button Poppet") | 1978–1981 (died 1993) |
| all releases from "A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" (1979) to Toy World (1981) | |
| Ralph Cade [lower-alpha 2] ("Raphel Cadd") | 1978–1979 | saxophone | "A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" (1979) | |
| Mark Cawthra ("Little Bobby Shattocks") |
|
|
| |
| Sarah Smith ( née Cutts, now Jones) [34] | 1980–1989 (touring and studio guest 1989–2007) |
|
| |
| Tim Quy | 1981–1990 (substitute bass 1980–1981) (died 2023) |
|
| |
| Dominic Luckman | 1982–1993 |
|
| |
| William D. Drake | 1983–1990 [lower-alpha 3] |
|
| |
| Graham Simmonds | 1983–1984 | guitar |
| |
| Marguerite Johnston [lower-alpha 4] | saxophone |
| ||
| Christian "Bic" Hayes | 1989–1991 |
|
| |
| Jon Poole | 1991–2003 |
|
| |
| Sharron Fortnam ( née Saddington) | 2004–2008 | vocals |
| |
| Claire Lemmon |
| |||
| Dawn Staple | percussion |
| ||
| Quoted names in brackets denote aliases used on early recordings as Cardiac Arrest. [7] | ||||
Some members of the Cardiacs crew are listed on the album liner notes of Greatest Hits (2002) alongside the other band members. [33]
| Image | Name | Role | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Hiles (Bill Hiles) | Ordinary Shop Girl [30] |
| |
| The Consultant (James Stevens) [36] |
| ||
| Miss Swift (Wendy Swift) | label representative |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Hills | 1984 | trombone |
| |
| Mike Peters | trumpet | |||
| Nick Pell | ||||
| Lanze Lorrens |
| |||
| Wendy Collins | vocals on "A Little Man and a House" | |||
| Ashley Slater | 1988 | trombones | A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988) | |
| Phil Cesar |
| |||
| Elain Herman | violins | |||
| Mr Walmesley (Mark Walmsley) [37] | vocals |
| ||
| Natalie Box | 1996 | violins | Sing to God (1996) | |
| Jane Kyprianidis | scissors | |||
| Mark Barratt | trumpets | |||
| Chris Brierly |
| string quartet |
| |
| Catherine Morgan | ||||
| Mark Pharaoh | ||||
| Robert Woollard | ||||
| David Murder | 1996 | orchestral arrangements on "Fiery Gun Hand" and "Wireless" |
| |
| Joanne Spratley | 1999 | vocals on "Sleep All Eyes Open" and "Come Back Clammy Lammy" | Guns (1999) | |
| Rob Deschamps |
| |||
| Suzanne Kirby | 2007 | vocals |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Bastable | 1983 (substitute) | bass | Bastable filled in for Jim Smith when neither he nor Tim Quy could make it to a gig. [7] A noted gig was at the Kingston Grove Tavern on 13 July 1983. [21] | |
| Stephen Gilchrist | 2004 (substitute) | drums | Gilchrist filled in for Bob Leith at a show supporting the Wildhearts on 8 December 2004. [30] [21] |
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Late 1977 – 1978 |
| none |
| 1978 (The Filth) |
|
|
| 1978 – 1979 (Cardiac Arrest) | ||
| July 1979 – June 1980 (Cardiac Arrest) |
|
|
| c. June 1980 – March 1981 |
|
|
| c. March 1981 – 30 August 1983 |
| none |
| 31 August 1983 – 10 July 1984 |
|
|
| 11 July 1984 – 13 August 1984 |
| none |
| 14 August 1984 – 11 February 1989 |
|
|
| 1989 – 30 June 1990 |
| |
| 31 June 1990 – 16 May 1991 |
| none |
| c. 17 May 1991 – 20 October 1991 |
|
|
| 21 October 1991 – 20 July 1993 |
| |
| 2 December 1993 – 16 October 2003 |
|
|
| 17 October 2003 – 2004 |
|
|
| 2004 – 2008 |
|
|
| 2008 – 21 July 2020 |
|
|
| 21 July 2020 – present |
|
Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith and his brother Jim in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. The band's sound fused circus, baroque pop and medieval music with progressive rock and post-punk, adding other elements like nursery rhymes and sea shanties. Tim Smith was the primary lyricist, noted for his complex and innovative compositional style. He and his brother were the only constant members in the band's regularly changing lineup.
Timothy Charles Smith was an English musician, record producer and music video director. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Smith rose to prominence as the frontman of the rock band Cardiacs, which he co-founded with his brother Jim. In addition to Cardiacs, Smith led, co-led or contributed to The Sea Nymphs, Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld and Spratleys Japs. Recognised for the particular complexity, skill and idiosyncrasies of his songs and music, Smith was honoured with the Doctor of Music degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2018, two years before his death in 2020.
On Land and in the Sea is the second studio album proper by the English rock band Cardiacs. Produced by band leader Tim Smith, it was recorded and mixed in 1988 at The Slaughterhouse studios in Yorkshire and released in May 1989 by the band's label Alphabet Business Concern. The record features a complex sound, with songs moving through rapid shifts in tempo and key, as well as more experimentation with song structures than the group's previous album. Critics have described the record as art rock and pop in style. It was their final album with their "classic" six-piece line-up.
The Seaside is the third demo album from English rock group Cardiacs. The album originally featured the second recording of what would become the band's only hit single, "Is This the Life?". It is the last of the band's releases to feature keyboard player/drummer/singer Mark Cawthra and the first to feature keyboard player William D. Drake.
Archive Cardiacs is a compilation album by English rock band Cardiacs. The album is composed of early tracks by the band recorded from 1977 to 1979. The tracks were compiled from Cardiacs' demo albums The Obvious Identity (1980) and Toy World (1981), as well as three pieces recorded by Tim Smith and Dominic Luckman for a side project that never saw fruition.
Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake is an album by English psychedelic folk band the Sea Nymphs. Recorded and released in 1984 under the name Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake, it was the band's only recording to be distributed prior to their 1991 reformation. The band is a side project of Cardiacs, composed of core members Tim Smith, Sarah Smith and William D. Drake.
Big Ship is the second extended play (EP) by the English band Cardiacs, released in January 1987 by the Alphabet Business Concern. It is an album-sized vinyl record played at the speed of a single (45rpm) and was issued with a lyric insert. It was the first Cardiacs release to exclusively feature the so-called classic 1980s line-up of the band.
"Is This the Life" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their debut studio album A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988). The song was released on vinyl by the Alphabet Business Concern and Torso on 16 April 1988 as the only single from the album. The song was previously recorded for the demo albums Toy World (1981) and The Seaside (1984). It also briefly attained chart success after being played on various Radio 1 shows thanks to DJ Liz Kershaw. The Torso version of the 7" is exactly the same as the Alphabet release although it comes in a paper sleeve instead of a cardboard one. Only the Torso 12" differs in both track listing and cover design.
All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest is a live album and concert film by the English rock band Cardiacs. It is their third live album, and was originally recorded in the afternoon in the Salisbury Arts Centre on 30 June 1990 with Napalm Death. It is the only Cardiacs album to feature guitarist Christian Hayes throughout. The album was released on VHS in 1992 and as a live album on 1 June 1995.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the English rock band Cardiacs, released on 22 February 2002.
Kavus Torabi is a British-Iranian musician, composer, record label owner and radio broadcaster. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his work in the psychedelic, avant-garde rock field. Torabi was one of the founding members of the Monsoon Bassoon, was a member of cult progressive rock group Cardiacs, and fronts and plays guitar for the current lineup of legendary psychedelic band Gong.
"Ditzy Scene" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs. It was planned as the opening track and lead single from the band's unfinished sixth album, LSD. It was released on Org Records, and was the band's last single to be released in frontman Tim Smith's lifetime, as well as their most recent to be composed of entirely new material.
The English rock band Cardiacs have released five studio albums and two extended plays along with a number of singles, compilations, live albums and demos. The group was formed by brothers Tim and Jim Smith in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest, releasing their debut single "A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" in 1979 and the demo album The Obvious Identity the following year. After being renamed to Cardiacs, the band released two more cassettes, Toy World (1981) and The Seaside (1984).
"Day Is Gone" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their third studio album, Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992). It was released as a twelve-inch single preceding the album on 28 October 1991 alongside a free 7-inch titled "Appealing to Venus" by side project the Sea Nymphs from their eponymous debut studio album (1992). Both tracks were written by Tim Smith who solely produced the former, while the Sea Nymphs produced the latter. Musically, "Day Is Gone" has been described as a power pop song with a 5
4 time signature and prominent guitars.
LSD is the unfinished sixth and final studio album by the English rock band Cardiacs. Recording began following lineup changes, with the lead single "Ditzy Scene" released by Org Records in 2007 to tease the upcoming double album. It was due to be released in October 2008, promoted by singles in August and November as well as a reissue of the concert film All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (1992). Production was indefinitely postponed after frontman Tim Smith had a cardiac arrest and stroke on 25 June 2008 leaving him unable to play or provide vocals.
"Stoneage Dinosaurs" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their EP Big Ship (1987). The song was written by frontman Tim Smith and produced by Smith alongside Graham Simmonds. Musically, the song is a melancholy track with violins, saxophones and funeral paced drums. Its lyrics reference family, contemporary celebrities and the First World War. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted its stark difference to the other tracks on the EP.
James A. Smith is an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band Cardiacs which he formed with his brother Tim Smith. Along with performing backing vocals for the group, he co-wrote the hymn "The Alphabet Business Concern ", sang lead vocals on "Food on the Wall" live.
"Vermin Mangle" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their unfinished album LSD, intended as the album's final track. The song was written by Tim Smith, who played it live during solo performances in 2000 and 2006. Following Smith's death, it was released as a free download on 1 September 2020 through the band's Bandcamp page as the second single from the album, to mark his funeral that same day. Intended as a thank you to the group's fans, the song features the circus, progressive rock and psychedelic instrumentation that drove much of the band's work.
The Sea Nymphs is the self-titled debut studio album by the English psychedelic folk band the Sea Nymphs, an offshoot of the rock band Cardiacs featuring Tim Smith, Sarah Smith and William D. Drake. It was originally released as a limited edition promotional cassette by All My Eye and Betty Martin Music in 1992 and was reissued on CD via Cardiacs' label the Alphabet Business Concern in 1995.
Timothy Graham Quy was a British musician, best known as the percussionist for the rock band Cardiacs from 1981 to 1990. Initially the band's sound engineer, Quy first gigged as reserve bass player in 1980 and joined full-time on percussion in 1981. He became a key part of the band's classic six-piece lineup, performing on all their releases from The Seaside (1983) to On Land and in the Sea (1989), and was a popular face in the UK underground. Quy's last performance with Cardiacs was documented in the live video All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (1992), where his marimba figures particularly high in the mix.
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