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The Blow Monkeys | |
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Background information | |
Origin | London, England |
Genres | |
Years active | 1981–1990, 2007–present |
Labels | FOD, RCA, Ariola, Cherry Red |
Members | Dr. Robert (Robert Howard) Neville Henry Mick Anker Tony Kiley Crispin Taylor |
Website | Official website |
The Blow Monkeys are a British pop band formed in 1981. Their first single, "Live Today Love Tomorrow", was released in 1982. [6] They subsequently enjoyed a successful career with several hit singles and albums throughout the 1980s before splitting up at the beginning of the 1990s. Their first hit song was "Digging Your Scene" which hit No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart [7] and No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart [8] in August 1986. [9] They had four albums and eleven singles in the UK charts between 1986 and 1990. [10]
In late 2007, the original band members reunited. They have subsequently released seven albums of new material.
The Blow Monkeys formed in 1981 when lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist, and piano player Dr. Robert (born Bruce Robert Howard, 2 May 1961, Haddington, Scotland) [11] returned to the United Kingdom after having spent five years in Australia. Dr. Robert is named after the Beatles song Doctor Robert. [12] The other band members are Mick Anker on bass guitar, Neville Henry on saxophone and Tony Kiley (born 16 February 1962) or Crispin Taylor on drums.
In 1984, the group released their debut album Limping for a Generation , but their first hit single came in 1986 with "Digging Your Scene," from their second album Animal Magic (which reached number 21 in the UK Albums Chart). [7] The single attracted attention for its topical lyrics, dealing with the AIDS-fueled backlash against gay people. [13] It peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 7 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. In addition, it reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 24 in Italy, and No. 25 in Germany.
Their third album She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter (whose title is a reference to then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher), was released in January 1987. It reached No. 20 in the UK, thanks to its biggest hit, "It Doesn't Have to Be This Way," which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 28 in Italy, and is featured in the movie Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol . The record featured harmony vocals by singer-songwriter Grayson Hugh. It was released in the United States but failed to chart there.
The song "You Don't Own Me" appears on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.
Outside the group, Robert Howard released a single, "Wait", which featured early Chicago House singer Kym Mazelle on female lead vocals. It reached No. 7 on the UK chart and was included on The Blow Monkey's fourth album, Whoops! There Goes the Neighbourhood ), and on their first greatest-hits album Choices – The Singles Collection . This was their highest-charting record, reaching No. 5 in the UK Albums Chart in 1989.
The band split up in late 1990, [6] shortly after the release of their fifth album Springtime for the World (an EP of the same name was also released, collecting all three singles from the album). After briefly recording with Dee C. Lee as Slam Slam, Dr. Robert went solo. He contributed to Paul Weller's solo debut album, and co-wrote material with both Weller and Lee. Another notable collaborator was Beth Orton.
On 18 November 2007, the original band members announced the reunion of The Blow Monkeys, as well as a new album Devil's Tavern, and a tour in 2008. Released on 8 September 2008, the album was funded by pre-orders placed by fans. Q magazine reviewed the album, saying, "Their first album in 18 years still finds the frontman in fine voice; Robert continues to sound like he dresses only in velvet and smokes cigarillos." [14]
In June 2009, the band released a special-edition double digipack CD and DVD of their performance at the 100 Club in London. It featured the original line-up performing fifteen songs including "Digging Your Scene," "It Doesn't Have to Be This Way," and "Wait," plus other tracks from the band's earlier work, and a few new songs from Devil's Tavern.
January 2011 saw the release of the album Staring at the Sea, [15] with "Steppin' Down" as the first single.
Feels Like a New Morning was released in April 2013, accompanied by a bonus CD containing 10 Blow Monkeys songs performed by Dr. Robert. [16]
In 2013, Sony Music issued a comprehensive, three-disc box set, Halfway to Heaven: The Best of The Blow Monkeys & Dr Robert, including a 1984 concert from the Hammersmith Palais.
In October 2014, the band went to Monnow Valley Studios, Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales to record a new album, with mixing and engineering by Jon Withnall. The resulting album If Not Now, When? was released in April 2015. [17]
In October 2017, the band released their tenth studio album The Wild River on Monks Rd. Records. It was written and produced by Robert Howard and recorded and mixed at Gismo 7 Studio in Motril, Spain. The album features Crispin Taylor on drums and is a return to their soul/funk roots.
In October 2018, the band supported Level 42 on their Eternity Tour. [18] [19]
In September 2021, they released their 11th studio album Journey To You, produced and written by Dr. Robert.
In January 2024, they announced their 12th studio album Together/Alone, to be released in May.
Erasure is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top-40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.
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Limping for a Generation is the 1984 debut album by the British band The Blow Monkeys.
Animal Magic is the second album from the British band The Blow Monkeys, released in 1986 by RCA/Ariola. It gave the group their commercial breakthrough after their debut album, Limping for a Generation, had won critical acclaim but had only sold modestly.
She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter is the third album by British pop band the Blow Monkeys, originally released in 1987.
Whoops! There Goes the Neighbourhood was The Blow Monkeys' 1989 follow-up album to She Was Only A Grocer's Daughter, released two years before.
Choices – The Singles Collection is a compilation album by British band The Blow Monkeys, released in 1989 by RCA and distributed by BMG / Ariola. The album includes most of the band's singles and features genres from the new wave of their debut album to pop rock and funky evolution, up to their discovery of the potentialities of the new dance revolution, a genre that they embraced on their final album, Springtime for the World, which was released the following year, shortly before they split up.
Blow Monkeys The Masters is a compilation album from British pop band The Blow Monkeys, released in 1997 by the Eagle label, for its well-known "Eagle Series", presenting many UK group's master collections.
Digging Your Scene: The Best of The Blow Monkeys is a double greatest hits album, released on 4 February 2008 by British band The Blow Monkeys. Led by singer, guitarist, piano and keyboard player Dr. Robert, the group formed in the early 1980s and disbanded in 1990. After that, Dr. Robert went on to pursue a solo career. The Blow Monkeys recently reformed, with the aim of touring and releasing a brand new album.
Swedish popular music, or shortly Swedish pop music, refers to music that has swept the Swedish mainstream at any given point in recent times. After World War II, Swedish pop music was heavily influenced by American jazz, and then by rock-and-roll from the U.S. and the U.K. in the 1950s and 1960s, before developing into dansband music. Since the 1970s, Swedish pop music has come to international prominence with bands singing in English, ranking high on the British, New Zealand, American, and Australian charts and making Sweden one of the world's top exporter of popular music by gross domestic product.
"Digging Your Scene" is a song recorded by English band the Blow Monkeys for their second studio album, Animal Magic (1986). The single was released in February 1986 as the second one from the parent record. It was written by lead singer Dr. Robert, while Howard, Peter Wilson, and Adam Moesley produced it. Musically a pop, soul, and jazz song, "Digging Your Scene" discusses the hatred and disgust that is associated with individuals who have HIV and AIDS. Several media professionals felt the song's subject matter would be the subject of criticism.
This article is the discography of British pop band The Blow Monkeys. Also included is the solo discography of frontman Dr. Robert.