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. One of Britain's leading cult rock bands, Cardiacs' sound folded in genres including art rock, progressive rock, art punk, post-punk, jazz, psychedelia and heavy metal, all of which was topped by Smith's anarchic vocals and hard-to-decipher lyrics. The band's theatrical performance style often incorporated off-putting costumes and make-up, complete with on-stage confrontations. Their bizarre sound and image made them unpopular with the press, but they amassed a devoted following.
Sidi Bou Said were a British rock band formed in 1990 by Claire Lemmon, Gayl Harrison and Melanie Woods. Their music combined an indie rock/folk sound with complex arrangements and literate lyrics. They were often compared to Throwing Muses and the Pixies, with whom they shared a taste for sometimes uncomfortable lyrical themes—murder, religion, the workings of the human body and surrealist stories and films. Their name comes from a town in Tunisia.
Jonathan Charles Poole is a British musician and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer, he is best known for his work as guitarist for Cardiacs and as bass player for the Wildhearts and Lifesigns.
Sing to God is the fourth studio album by English rock band Cardiacs. Their first album with drummer Bob Leith and their second as a four-piece, it was recorded throughout 1995, breaking a hiatus by the band that had lasted since the band's previous album Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992). During writing and recording, Jon Poole took a greater role than before, contributing to many songs written by band leader Tim Smith, and writing some of his own. The band decided to create a double album to encompass the great wealth of material written after their previous album. As with the band's previous albums, it presents a unique sound, and is seen as more eclectic than the band's previous albums, with one reviewer describing the record as "essentially [taking] everything Cardiacs had always been and [ramping] it up to maximum," and another saying the album was where "Smith's ability to express the music inside his head really began to transcend any sort of identifiable genre and turned Cardiacs into something truly unique."
Heaven Born and Ever Bright is the third studio album by British rock band Cardiacs, released on 15 May 1992 through the band's label Alphabet Business Concern, originally marketed by Rough Trade and distributed by Rough Trade and Pinnacle. It was produced by Tim Smith, engineered by David Murder and mixed by both. Due to Rough Trade going bankrupt soon after the album's release, it was scarce until reissued in 1995. This reissue was remastered and given new cover art.
Guns is the fifth studio album by English rock band Cardiacs. It was recorded and mixed at Apollo 8 in London and released on 21 June 1999. After a brief period of unavailability, the album was re-pressed in August 2007.
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.
Toy World is the second demo album by the English rock band Cardiacs. The cassette is a mixture of older songs by the earlier Cardiac Arrest lineup and newer songs by the then-current Cardiacs lineup. This was the last album to feature keyboard player/backing singer Colvin Mayers, and the first to feature saxophonist/backing singer/occasional keyboard player Sarah Cutts.
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.
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.
"Signs" is a song by the English rock band Cardiacs from their fifth studio album Guns (1999). It was released as a CD on 2 August 1999 and a free download on 3 August as the album's second single, featuring the track "Sang 'All Away Away!'" and an instrumental version of "Dog Like Sparky" from the album Sing to God (1999).
William Derek Drake is an English musician, keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a former member of the cult English rock band Cardiacs, whom he played with for nine years between 1983 and 1992. He has also been a member of the Sea Nymphs, North Sea Radio Orchestra, Nervous, Wood, Lake of Puppies and The Grown-Ups, as well as pursuing a career as a solo artist. He is a distant cousin of the English singer-songwriter Nick Drake.
Tim Smith's Spratleys are an English psychedelic rock band originally formed by Cardiacs leader Tim Smith and Joanne Spratley in 1998. The band changed their name to Tim Smith's Spratleys Rats in 2021 to distance themselves from the negative connotations of the derogatory term Jap. As of 2024, the band's name is simply Tim Smith's Spratleys.
Pony is the debut studio album by the English psychedelic rock band Spratleys Japs. Released in 1999 on All My Eye and Betty Martin Music, the album was a side-project of Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith and his then-partner Joanne Spratley.
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, a fall tour, a radio session with Marc Riley and 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.
"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.
Robert G. Leith is an English musician, the drummer for the rock band Cardiacs from 1993 and Blurt from 2005 to 2008. Leith played in secondary school bands in Milton Keynes inspired by the punk ethos and co-formed the anarcho-punk band Part 1, which he played with from 1980 to 1983 in the early death rock scene.
"Foundling" is a song by the English rock band Cardiacs from their fourth studio album, Sing to God (1996). Written and produced by Tim Smith, it is a ballad built on dense keyboards and searing synth with gentle vocals and lyrical ideas about the afterlife. Reviewers considered the song an effective album closer, noting its beauty and emotional resonance. The song was included on compilations released by Org Records; a cover version by Spiritwo was released as a single by Org in 2007.
