Sheep on Drugs

Last updated

Sheep on Drugs
OriginEngland
Genres
Years active1990–present
Labels
Members
  • Lee Fraser
  • Johnny Borden
Past members
  • Duncan X
  • Skot Diablo
Website www.sheepondrugs.co.uk

Sheep on Drugs are a British techno/industrial music group, originally formed by Duncan X (also known as King Duncan) on vocals and Lee Fraser (also known as Dead Lee) on guitar and keyboards. The group now comprises Fraser and Johnny Borden (vocals and keyboards).

Contents

Biography

Duncan and Fraser met in 1988 and created Sheep on Drugs as a reaction to the direction of the late 1980s acid house scene. Fraser had previous musical experience and had experimented with sampling before meeting Duncan. Together, they aimed to create energetic electronic music. [1]

Initially associated with the rave movement, Sheep on Drugs released early singles such as "Catch 22", [2] "Motorbike", "15 Minutes of Fame", and "Track X" (covered by Grace Jones as "Sex Drive"). "15 Minutes of Fame" charted in the UK, [3] while "From A to H and Back Again" peaked at #4 on the CMJ RPM Charts and #40 in the UK. [4] [5]

Their 1993 debut album, Greatest Hits, produced by Gareth Jones, received positive reviews and charted at #55 in the UK. [6] [5] The follow-up album, ...On Drugs (1994), was less successful, attributed by Fraser to a lack of guidance and producer input. [7]

After being dropped by Island, the band released two EPs: Suck in 1994 and Strapped for Cash in 1995 on the band's own label, The Drug Squad. [8] The band was then signed to Martin Atkins' Invisible Records in the United States. [1] With Invisible, they released the two EPs as Double Trouble in 1996, [9] their third studio album, One for the Money and a remix collection, Never Mind the Methadone in 1997, and a live recording, Two for the Show in 1998.

By this time, they had tired of their situation in the States and were unsatisfied with Invisible. [7] Frontman Duncan X departed Sheep on Drugs shortly afterwards though he did perform live with the band on rare occasions. Fraser continued his relationship with Invisible Records, releasing two more albums as "Bagman", and was briefly a member of Atkins' bands Pigface and The Damage Manual, usually under the moniker "Lee 303". Fraser revived the group in 2002, with himself as the frontman and collaborating with Johnny Borden. They released a new album, F**K, on Invisible in 2005.

Medication Time (2010), Club Meds (2012), and Does Dark Matter (2019) followed, with remixes and live performances continuing through the 2010s and 2020s.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

As Bagman (Lee Fraser solo)

Tribute appearances

Soundtracks

References

  1. 1 2 Waggoner, Andy (1996). Waggoner, Andy (ed.). "Sheep On Drugs". Interface Magazine. 3 (2). Steel Skin Media Group: 16–17. ISSN   1081-8065.
  2. Sikorsky XXIII (February 1992). "Sheep On Drugs - Catch 22". Music From The Empty Quarter (4). UK: The Empty Quarter: 55. ISSN   0964-542X.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 495. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  4. McLaughlin, Megan (13 June 1994). "RPM" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. 39 (384). Great Neck, NY: College Media, Inc.: 32. ISSN   0890-0795. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Sheep on Drugs". The Official UK Charts. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  6. "Acclaim". Lecluricaun.com. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 Donnacha DeLong (2002). "Another 15 minutes". Sorted magAZine. Archived from the original on 25 August 2006. Retrieved 8 September 2006.
  8. George (August 1995). "Sheep on Drugs". Music From The Empty Quarter (12). UK: The Empty Quarter: 59. ISSN   0964-542X.
  9. Kirchoff, Veronica (Winter–Spring 1997). Valerio, Paul (ed.). "Sheep on Drugs - Double Trouble". Industrialnation . 1 (14). Chicago, IL: Moon Mystique: 73. ISSN   1062-449X.