Luke Haines

Last updated

Luke Haines
Luke Haines.jpg
Haines, performing at the 2005 Summer Sundae
Background information
Birth nameLuke Michael Haines
Born (1967-10-07) 7 October 1967 (age 56)
Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England
OriginEngland
Genres Alternative rock, electronica
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, piano, keyboards
Years active1985–present
LabelsDegenerate
Website www.facebook.com/lukehainesuk/

Luke Michael Haines (born 7 October 1967) is an English musician, songwriter and author. He has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder.

Contents

Career

New Wave

Haines formed numerous bands when he was at school. At college he joined The Servants who recorded two commercially unsuccessful albums. It was only when Haines formed The Auteurs with Glenn Collins and girlfriend Alice Readman, who had also been drafted into The Servants on occasion, in 1991, that he began to achieve some success.

Regular gigging in London and an NME -sponsored gig brought them to the attention of Hut Records. They released their first single, "Showgirl" in 1993, and their debut album New Wave a month later. Haines claimed the album started Britpop, though he later showed disdain towards the movement.[ citation needed ] The album sold only 12,000 copies but was nominated for a Mercury Prize, although the eventual winners were Suede

Brush with fame

Their second album, Now I'm a Cowboy, (1994) featured "Lenny Valentino", which became one of their best-known songs. Soon after, Haines broke both of his ankles, resulting in the cancellation of much of their 1994 European tour. At the time he claimed "I jumped off a fifteen-foot wall[...]to finish the tour and get the insurance"[ citation needed ] but later, in the sleeve notes to greatest hits collection Das Capital , he denied that it was deliberate, writing "I merely drank too much wine and fell over." Confined to a wheelchair for most of 1995, Haines began writing the Auteurs' third album, After Murder Park. Bleaker and more introspective than previous albums, it was produced by Steve Albini and recorded at Abbey Road studios in North London.

New projects

The Auteurs recorded a session for John Peel on 20 February 1996. [1] Soon after, Haines formed solo side project called Baader-Meinhof named after the German far-left terrorist group. The Auteurs briefly disbanded, only to reunite them back together again for their fourth album How I Learned to Love the Bootboys.

Black Box Recorder

Following the release of what turned out to be the final Auteurs record, Haines formed Black Box Recorder with John Moore (formerly of The Jesus and Mary Chain) and Sarah Nixey. The band produced three commercially successful albums, England Made Me, The Facts of Life, and Passionoia. There is also a B-sides collection, The Worst of Black Box Recorder. The Facts of Life produced the eponymous single, which has been the biggest hit of Haines' career so far.[ citation needed ] Although no official split announcement was made, the band have been on hiatus since the mid-2000s.[ citation needed ]

Going solo

In 2000 Haines wrote the soundtrack for Christie Malry's Own Double Entry , a film adaptation of the B. S. Johnson novel. Director Paul Tickell had originally expressed a wish to license How I Learned to Love the Bootboys as the soundtrack for the film but couldn't afford the rights.[ citation needed ] In the same year Haines released The Oliver Twist Manifesto, a solo album released under his own name.

Soon after the sale of Virgin Records to French company Fnac, David Boyd of Hut Records (owned by Virgin) enlisted Haines to release an Auteurs greatest hits collection, giving the band the opportunity to re-record the songs as they saw fit. Das Capital: The Song Writing Genius of Luke Haines therefore consisted mostly of new versions of Auteurs songs with the inclusion of a string quartet, with some new tracks. A box set covering his career to date, Luke Haines is Dead, was issued in 2005, and two new albums were expected in 2006, including the soundtrack to the abandoned musical Property, which also features Sarah Nixey. It remains unreleased. Cherry Red Records released a Best of The Servants compilation, with sleeve notes by Haines, the same year.

Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop was released in October 2006. Haines worked with pop producer Richard X on some tracks. The album was preceded by a double A-sided single "Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop (Richard X version)", backed with "I Am The Best Artist/Skinny White Girls." Haines toured the UK and Ireland in support of the album during November 2006, with John Moore guesting on bowed saw and backing vocals at some dates. [2] Haines also played at book signings for David Peace during the promotional tour for his novel The Damned United .

Haines and Peter Buck, formerly of R.E.M., collaborated on an album, Beat Poetry for Survivalists, which was released in 2020. [3]

Black Box Recorder reformation

In December 2007, Black Box Recorder teamed up with Art Brut to create the single Christmas Number One under the collaborative title of The Black Arts. [4] In October 2008 Black Box Recorder appeared at a Nick Sanderson tribute concert. It was subsequently announced on Luke Haines' web site that the band would play their first headlining gig for five years at The Luminaire, Kilburn, London in February 2009.

Writing

Haines' memoir Bad Vibes: Britpop and My Part in Its Downfall was published on 1 January 2009 by William Heinemann Ltd. The book covers Haines' experiences during the Britpop era 1991 to 1997. Post Everything: Outsider Rock and Roll, his second volume of memoirs, was published in July 2011. Haines' first cookbook, Outsider Food and Righteous Rock 'N' Roll, was published in 2015.

In May 2009 a novel about Haines by Tim Mitchell Truth and Lies in Murder Park was published by benben press. [5] The book includes material based on interviews with Luke, and explores the themes of his music. In issue four of the comic book Phonogram , Haines appears as a spirit guide leading the main character through a metaphorical land representing Britpop.

Documentary

A documentary on Haines by Irish director Niall McCann, called Art Will Save the World, premiered at the East End film festival in Dalston on 6 July 2012. It was also shown at the Barcelona, Copenhagen and Cork film festivals. It featured interviews with Jarvis Cocker, John Niven, David Peace and Stewart Home along with extensive interviews with Haines.

Discography

Solo albums

Soundtracks

Singles and EPs

Compilation

Others

The Auteurs

Black Box Recorder

Baader Meinhof

Collaborations

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

The Auteurs were a British alternative rock band of the 1990s, and a vehicle for songwriter Luke Haines. Several bands influenced by the Auteurs have taken their names from the band's songs. The Polish band Lenny Valentino took its name from the Auteurs' song on their album Now I'm a Cowboy and the Minneapolis based band Valet took its name from the song "Valet Parking" from New Wave.

Black Box Recorder were an English indie rock band. They debuted in 1998 with England Made Me and followed this up with The Facts of Life, which gave them their first hit with the single of the same name in April 2000. Their third album, Passionoia, was released in 2003. There is also a compilation album, The Worst of Black Box Recorder, a collection of B-sides, cover versions and remixes.

<i>How I Learned to Love the Bootboys</i> 1999 studio album by The Auteurs

How I Learned to Love the Bootboys is the fourth and final album by British rock band the Auteurs. It was released on 5 July 1999 through Hut and Virgin Records. Following their third studio album After Murder Park (1996), Haines started the Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder projects. He regrouped with the Auteurs to start work on a concept album under the name ESP Kids, though sessions halted as Black Box Recorder worked on their debut album England Made Me (1998). The Auteurs re-started recording their next album in January 1998 at RAK Studios in London; Hut and Virgin were not happy with the lack of single-sounding songs. After writing "The Rubettes", the band finished recording in April 1998. How I Learned to Love the Bootboys is a glam rock album that takes atmospheric influence from England Made Me.

<i>Now Im a Cowboy</i> 1994 studio album by the Auteurs

Now I'm a Cowboy is the 1994 second album by British rock band the Auteurs. On 2 June 2014 Now I'm a Cowboy was reissued alongside After Murder Park and How I Learned to Love the Bootboys. The reissue features unreleased songs and liner notes written by Luke Haines. It was released through 3 Loop Music.

<i>After Murder Park</i> 1996 studio album by the Auteurs

After Murder Park is the third album by British rock band the Auteurs, released in March 1996. The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Steve Albini. In 2014, British independent record label 3 Loop Music re-released the album as a 2CD Expanded Edition which included b-sides, alternate versions, radio session tracks and live recordings.

<i>Baader Meinhof</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Baader Meinhof

Baader Meinhof is a 1996 album by Luke Haines, under the pseudonym Baader Meinhof. The name is taken from two of the main members of the Red Army Faction, Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, and the album, composed of 10 tracks, tells the history of group, since the ideas that might have inspired the group, their first actions, their travel to Jordan, their capture, the hijacking of a Lufthansa airplane by the members of the "second generation" of the RAF, in 1977 ("Mogadishu").

<i>England Made Me</i> (Black Box Recorder album) 1998 studio album by Black Box Recorder

England Made Me, the debut studio album of English rock band Black Box Recorder, was released through Chrysalis Records on 20 July 1998. After releasing albums with the Auteurs and as Baader Meinhof, in early 1997, musician Luke Haines formed Black Box Recorder with John Moore and Sarah Nixey. Through most of 1997, the band recorded their debut album with Auteurs collaborator-and-producer Phil Vinall in several London studios, including Milo and The Drugstore. The country folk, easy listening and pop album is named for Graham Greene's 1935 novel eponymous novel, and has been compared to the work of Portishead and Young Marble Giants. Bontempi drums and a radio scanner, and samples are used on several tracks. The songs' lyrics criticize the mundane experience of living and growing up in post-Restoration England, and explore the themes of single mothers and teenage sex.

<i>The Facts of Life</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Black Box Recorder

The Facts of Life is the second studio album by English rock band Black Box Recorder, released on 1 May 2000 through Nude Records. Following the release of their debut album England Made Me (1998), the band did not tour to promote it. By early 1999, they were playing two new songs at shows; by June 1999, they were working on a new album. Recording sessions were produced between the band members and Pete Hoffman, continuing through to the end of the year while Luke Haines was occupied with his other act the Auteurs. The Facts of Life is a new wave, synth-pop and psychedelic-lounge rock album that took elements from the works of elements from the works of Momus, Pet Shop Boys and Saint Etienne. Alongside this, the Saint Etienne comparison extended to the lyrical style and frontwoman Sarah Nixey being seen as a counterpoint to that band's Sarah Cracknell.

<i>Passionoia</i> 2003 studio album by Black Box Recorder

Passionoia is the third and final studio album by British rock band Black Box Recorder, released on 3 March 2003 through One Little Indian. Following the promotional cycles for the band's The Facts of Life (2000) and musician Luke Haines' The Oliver Twist Manifesto (2001), they started working on their next album. The band and Pete Hofmann produced the recording sessions; in the midst of this, their label Nude Records went bankrupt. Passionoia is a dance-pop album that was compared to the works of Pet Shop Boys and Saint Etienne, building on the lyrical theme of Britishness that they first explored on their debut album England Made Me (1998).

<i>The Worst of Black Box Recorder</i> 2001 compilation album by Black Box Recorder

The Worst of Black Box Recorder is a 2001 album by Black Box Recorder, whose members include Luke Haines, Sarah Nixey and John Moore. It is a compilation of B-sides from the singles of England Made Me and The Facts Of Life.

<i>Das Capital</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Luke Haines

Das Capital is a 2003 album released by British singer/songwriter Luke Haines. The album features orchestral re-recordings of some of his older songs from The Auteurs and Baader Meinhof periods, along with some new tracks.

<i>Luke Haines Is Dead</i> 2005 compilation album by Luke Haines

Luke Haines is Dead is a three-disc boxed set containing various rarities, remixes, b-sides, unreleased material and classic tracks from The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Haines' solo work.

Sarah Anne Nixey is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the vocalist in Black Box Recorder. Her debut solo album, Sing, Memory, was released on 19 February 2007, followed by Brave Tin Soldiers, released on 9 May 2011. Her latest album, Night Walks, was released on 5 October 2018. Nixey currently lives in London with her husband, music producer Jimmy Hogarth, whom she married in late 2010 and has one son, Reuben and a daughter, Lola. Nixey has a daughter, Ava from her previous marriage with John Moore.

<i>Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop</i> 2006 studio album by Luke Haines

Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop is a 2006 album by Luke Haines.

John Moore is a British musician, best known for his work as the drummer in the Jesus and Mary Chain and as a member of Black Box Recorder.

The Baader-Meinhof Group, also known as Red Army Faction, was a left-wing militant group active in West Germany from 1970 to 1998.

<i>Rock and Roll Animals</i> 2013 studio album by Luke Haines

Rock and Roll Animals is a concept album by British alternative rock artist Luke Haines. The album follows its predecessor in the way the concept is introduced, but it is in no case a sequel.

<i>Beat Poetry for Survivalists</i> 2020 studio album by Peter Buck & Luke Haines

Beat Poetry for Survivalists is a 2020 collaborative studio album by R.E.M. co-founder Peter Buck and English musician Luke Haines. It was released on March 6, 2020 under Cherry Red Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Savidge</span> British writer

Jane Savidge is a British writer and public relations agent.

References

  1. "Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 20/02/1996 Auteurs". BBC. 20 February 1996. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  2. "John Moore". Johnmoore23.blogspot.com. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  3. Clayton-Lea, Tony (6 March 2020). "Luke Haines & Peter Buck: Beat Poetry for Survivalists – the results may surprise you". The Irish Times . Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. Kharas, Kev (13 November 2007). "Eddie Argos joins race for Christmas number one / Music News // Drowned in Sound". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  5. "Tim Mitchell writing and music". Timmitchell.org.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  6. Music, Outsider (21 February 2015). "Luke Haines Outsider Music: NEW OUTSIDER MUSIC ALBUM!".
  7. "LISTEN: New Luke Haines". The Quietus.
  8. Nissim, Mayer (28 July 2016). "Luke Haines announces first non-concept album for ages". Digital Spy.
  9. "Issue 24 Print Edition – Includes FREE CD – Electronic Sound". Electronicsound.co.uk.
  10. "Luke Haines: I Sometimes Dream of Glue, Limited Edition Vinyl LP - Cherry Red Records". Cherry Red Records. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.