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McAlmont & Butler | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Indie rock, soul |
| Years active | 1994–1995 2002–2004 2006 2014–present |
| Labels | Hut/Virgin/EMI Rough Trade |
| Members | Bernard Butler David McAlmont |
McAlmont & Butler are an English rock/soul music duo, comprising singer David McAlmont and guitarist Bernard Butler. [1]
Formed in 1994, David McAlmont and Bernard Butler had already experienced individual success: Butler as the guitarist in Suede, and McAlmont as a solo singer as well as part of the duo Thieves. [1]
The duo was formed after Butler met McAlmont at the Jazz Café in Camden. He presented the singer with the beginnings of the song "Yes", which was then an instrumental. The single, released in May 1995, was described as "a conceptual masterpiece" [2] and the production likened to that of Phil Spector. [3] In support of "Yes", the duo appeared at London's Hanover Grand in May 1995 (supported by Edwyn Collins [4] ) and on Later... With Jools Holland the following month. [1] [5] "Yes" reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, [1] and its success encouraged the duo to write and record more material. [3] The follow-up single, "You Do", was released in October 1995. The same month, McAlmont was interviewed by the NME – apparently intoxicated [3] – in which he highlighted how his and Butler's working relationship had deteriorated and they had little communication, [6] as well as accusing Butler of homophobia; [7] [8] he later retracted his comments and issued Butler an apology. [3] In November, The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler was released as a compilation of the group's recording sessions. [1]
The duo split following the release of the album; the split has been attributed to either McAlmont's NME interview or that from the outset the duo planned to have a limited duration. [9]
After pursuing solo careers for several years, the duo reunited in 2002 and released Bring It Back and two singles – "Falling" and "Bring It Back". [9] The group toured in promotion of the album. [10]
Preparations for a third album were made, although negotiations with EMI Records fell through and the label dropped the band. [9] [11] Despite this, the song "Speed" – taken from the album sessions – was released by Rough Trade Records in 2006. [11]
In 2014, Butler organised two special shows as McAlmont & Butler in aid of the Bobath Centre, a cerebral palsy treatment organisation. The performances were held at the Union Chapel and the Assembly Hall, both in Islington. The duo were supported by The Magic Numbers, and the shows received positive reviews; both The Guardian and the Evening Standard rating them four stars. [12] [13]
In November 2015, the group headlined a UK tour. [14]
| Year | Album | UK Albums Chart [2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler | No. 33 |
| 2002 | Bring It Back | No. 18 |
| Year | Single | UK Singles Chart [2] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Yes" | No. 8 | The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler |
| "You Do" | No. 17 | ||
| 2002 | "Falling" | No. 23 | Bring It Back |
| "Bring It Back" | No. 36 | ||
| 2006 | "Speed" | No. 193 | Non-album single |
Suede are an English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bass player Mat Osman. Drawing inspiration from glam rock and post-punk, Suede were dubbed "The Best New Band in Britain" by Melody Maker in 1992, and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede went to the top of the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster 'Britpop' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the term.
Bernard Joseph Butler is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists". He was voted the 24th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years in a national 2010 BBC poll and is often seen performing with a 1961 cherry red Gibson ES-355 TD SV with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.
Nigel Timothy Godrich is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He has worked with acts including Radiohead, Travis, Beck, Air, Paul McCartney, U2, R.E.M., Pavement, Roger Waters and Arcade Fire.
Everything but the Girl are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer, songwriter, composer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer, producer and singer Ben Watt. The group's early works have been categorized as sophisti-pop with jazz influences before undergoing an electronic turn following the worldwide success of the 1994 hit single "Missing", remixed by Todd Terry.
David Irving McAlmont is a British vocalist, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, particularly through his collaboration with Bernard Butler. In the 2010s he returned to academia, working with the University of Leicester and the Architectural Association School of Architecture.
Here Come the Tears is the only studio album by English rock band the Tears. It was released on 6 June 2005 on Independiente. Frontman Brett Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler had found success together earlier in Suede, with Butler leaving that band after just two albums. Suede's career was on pause when the two reunited for this project. In January 2004, the pair had begun recording music together in secrecy; they decided to form the Tears with bassist Nathan Fisher, drummer Makoto Sakamoto and keyboardist Will Foster. The band had accumulated 18 demos by June 2004, after which, they started recording the album. Sessions were held across various studios with Butler as the producer and finished by October 2004. Here Come the Tears is a pop album that evokes the work of David Bowie, and was compared to Suede's second studio album Dog Man Star (1994).
"Animal Nitrate" is the third single by English rock band Suede, released through Nude Records on 22 February 1993 and later included on the band's debut album Suede. It charted at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest-charting single from the album. The song is the band's highest-charting single in Ireland and New Zealand, peaking at No. 11 in both countries. It also debuted and peaked at No. 21 in Sweden but stayed on the chart for only two weeks.
The Long Blondes were an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox, Reenie Hollis, Emma Chaplin, Kate Jackson and Screech Louder.
Thieves was a British pop duo active during the early 1990s. It was most notable for being the band on which both members – singer David McAlmont and multi-instrumentalist/producer Saul Freeman – based their subsequent musical careers.
"Yes" is the debut single of English music duo McAlmont & Butler, released on 15 May 1995 and later included on their debut album, The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler. The soul ballad was their first UK hit, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, and remains their most successful single, selling over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom to earn a silver sales certification. The song also charted in Ireland, reaching number 24, and in New Zealand, peaking at number 40. British magazine NME ranked the song at number 174 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2014.
The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler is the debut album by English rock and soul duo McAlmont & Butler, released in 1995. Recorded from 1994–95 and released after the duo had split up, the album is essentially a compilation, comprising both of the band's singles—"Yes" and "You Do"—and the B-side tracks thereof, alongside one previously unreleased track, "The Right Thing'".
Bring It Back is the second album by rock/soul duo McAlmont & Butler, released in 2002 following the reunion of the duo who had split up in 1995. Playlouder ranked the album at number 37 on their list of the top 50 albums of 2002.
Chase & Status are an English electronic music duo composed of Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status). In addition, Andy Gangadeen is the drummer when the band performs live. MC Rage formerly performed as MC with the group, but left in July 2021 to focus on solo ventures. The duo are from London, and formed in 2003 after meeting at university in Manchester. The duo have since released six studio albums and collaborated with major artists such as Plan B, CeeLo Green, Rihanna, Example, and Tinie Tempah. They run the independent record label MTA Records. William Kennard founded ELAM in 2014.
People Move On is the debut studio album of English singer-songwriter Bernard Butler that was released on 6 April 1998 through Creation Records. After a dispute with David McAlmont over the McAlmont & Butler project, Butler collaborated with various artists before starting his solo career. Following a brief period with Sony LRD in early 1996, by the end of that year, Butler had signed to Creation and switched managers from Geoff Travis to Gail Colson. Butler produced the sessions for People Move On at RAK and Air Studios, both in London, between February and July 1997. The album, which is described as a pop, rock, and folk release, has been compared to the work of Jeff Buckley, Neil Young, and Wilco.
60 Ft. Dolls were a Welsh rock trio active in the 1990s, known as the Cool Cymru era.
La Roux is an English synth-pop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album La Roux (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles such as "In for the Kill" and "Bulletproof". Recording of a follow-up album was marred by unsuccessful collaborations, the cancellation of two planned release dates, and reported conflict between the duo.
Friends and Lovers is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Bernard Butler, released on 25 October 1999 through Creation Records. He released his debut studio album, People Move On, in early 1998; within a few months, Butler had accumulated enough material for his next release. Recorded between November 1998 and February 1999, Butler produced the sessions at RAK Studios in London, before moving to Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and finishing at Konk Studios in London. Described as a pop rock release, Friends and Lovers had been compared to the works of Mott the Hoople, Small Faces and Spooky Tooth.
"Not Alone" is the second single from Bernard Butler released in March 1998. It was taken from the album People Move On and charted at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.
"A Change of Heart" is the third single from Bernard Butler released in June 1998. It is the final single taken from the album People Move On and charted at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Anchoress is the stage name of Welsh-born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and author Catherine Anne Davies.
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