This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2020) |
The Candyskins | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Oxford, England |
Genres | Britpop, power pop |
Years active | 1989–1998, 2009 |
Labels | Stuff, Geffen, Ultimate |
Members | Nick Cope Mark Cope Nick Burton Brett Gordon John Halliday Karl Shale |
Website | thecandyskins |
The Candyskins were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Oxford, England. Though early members of the 'Oxford Scene', they enjoyed limited commercial success compared to their contemporaries Radiohead and Supergrass. They were considered by the British music press as one of the seminal early bands of the Britpop era. [1] The band recorded four studio albums over a period of eight years before breaking up in 1998 and reuniting in 2009.
The band owes its origins to Mark and Nick Cope, Nick Burton and John Halliday all living in the same village, Islip, Oxfordshire, and attending the same local secondary school (Gosford Hill School) between around 1974 and 1980. The four Islip members of the band had begun working together by the time they left school and various line-ups and name-changes followed during the 1980s, until "The Candyskins" were formed in 1989, with Richard (mini) Brown on bass and banjo. After the successful release of the single "Submarine Song" in 1990, the band went into the studio to produce their first full-length album Space I'm In. The album included three singles: "Submarine Song", "She Blew Me Away" and "You Are Here". Brown left the band before the album was released.
After a year of touring and the replacement of a stand-in bass player with Karl Shale, the band released their second album Fun? on Geffen Records in 1993. Characteristically, the band attempted to build upon the US success of Space I'm In with an ironic album featuring songs about football and gardening. The poor selling record began an elongated legal dispute between the record company and the band, reportedly due to disagreements over songwriting royalties. [1]
The album Sunday Morning Fever was released on Ultimate in the UK in 1997, and saw the band enjoy their biggest chart success with the single "Monday Morning" making it into the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. The record company went bankrupt and the band were left in limbo during the recording of their last album Death of a Minor TV Celebrity. The album did not do as well as their previous efforts, despite featuring the single "Feed It" which was one of the central songs on the soundtrack to the movie The Waterboy starring Adam Sandler.
The band broke up in 1998 and members now primarily pursue other projects in the music industry. Mark Cope has a new band Nine Stone Cowboy, and has released several singles including "Jesus Doesn't Like Me". Nick Cope writes and records music for children and his own CBeebies show Nick Cope’s Popcast. John Halliday has produced many bands in his studio in Oxford, Shonk Studios.
The band have reunited on several occasions since their break-up. Performances included:
A farewell gig on New Year's Eve, 2001 at The Zodiac.
The last night party of The Zodiac in Oxford on 17 May 2007. The event was filmed for a documentary about the history of the Oxford music scene, Anyone Can Play Guitar (in which The Candyskins featured).
They performed at the Truck Festival on 26 July 2009, on a bill that included old Oxford friends Supergrass, amongst others. [2]
Release date | Title | UK chart position |
---|---|---|
1991 | Space I'm In | - |
1993 | Fun? | - |
1997 | Sunday Morning Fever | - |
1998 | Death of a Minor TV Celebrity | - |
2000 | Live at the Zodiac | - |
Release date | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
US Modern Rock | UK [3] | |||
1991 | "Submarine Song" | 9 | – | Space I'm In |
1993 | "Wembley" | 12 | – | Fun? |
1996 | "Mrs Hoover" | – | 65 | Sunday Morning Fever |
1997 | "Monday Morning" | – | 34 | Sunday Morning Fever |
1997 | "Hang Myself on You" | – | 65 | Sunday Morning Fever |
1997 | "Feed It" | – | 82 | Death of a Minor TV Celebrity |
1998 | "You Better... Stop" | – | 78 | Death of a Minor TV Celebrity |
Supergrass are an English rock band formed in 1993. For the majority of the band's tenure, the line-up consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey. Originally a three-piece, the band was officially joined by Rob Coombes in 2002.
Bread was an American soft rock band from Los Angeles, California. They had 13 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1970 and 1977.
Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lodge. They were later augmented by Ian Gomm on guitar and vocals.
I Should Coco is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Supergrass, released on 15 May 1995 by Parlophone. The title of the album is Cockney rhyming slang for "I should think so".
Zed is a New Zealand rock group, which formed as Supra in 1996 in Christchurch by Ben Campbell on bass guitar and triangle, Nathan King on lead vocals, guitar and trumpet, and Adrian Palmer on drums and percussion. In 2000 they added a second guitarist, Andrew Lynch. Their debut album, Silencer (2000), peaked at No. 1 on the New Zealand Albums Chart; while their second album, This Little Empire, reached No. 3. Their top 10 singles are "Glorafilia" (1999), "Renegade Fighter" (2000), and "Hard to Find Her" (2003). They toured New Zealand, Australia and United States before disbanding in 2004. They have reformed periodically including in 2017, 2019 and 2023.
Gareth Michael "Gaz" Coombes is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Supergrass. He first entered the music scene aged 14 as the lead singer of the band The Jennifers which featured Supergrass bandmate Danny Goffey.
Curve were an English alternative rock and electronic music duo from London, formed in 1990 and dissolved in 2005. The band consisted of Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia. Halliday wrote the lyrics of their songs and they both contributed to songwriting. Producer Alan Moulder was a prominent collaborator who helped shape their blend of heavy beats and densely–layered guitar tracks set against Halliday's vocals.
Unbelievable Truth are a British rock band, led by Andy Yorke, with Nigel Powell, Jason Moulster, and Jim Crosskey. Their sound has been described as "slow, melancholy, country-tinged ballads, wrapped in a soft blanket of acoustic guitars and minor chords".
"Moving" is a song by English rock band Supergrass from their eponymous third album (1999). Released as a single in September 1999, "Moving" reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Supergrass's last top-10 hit. In addition, it peaked at number 14 in Finland, where it is the band's sole top-20 hit, and number 81 in the Netherlands. The song later appeared on their greatest hits compilation Supergrass Is 10 (2004). The song features over the closing credits of East is East.
The Colourfield were an English band formed in 1984 in Manchester, England when former Specials and Fun Boy Three frontman Terry Hall joined up with Karl Shale and ex-Swinging Cats member Toby Lyons. Despite the fact that all three members were from Coventry, the band was based in Manchester.
Uncanny X-Men were an Australian pop rock band which formed in late 1980. Their founding mainstay was lead singer Brian Mannix. Originally with Nick Matandos on drums and Ron Thiessen on guitar, they were soon joined by Chuck Hargreaves on guitar and Steve Harrison on bass guitar. John Kirk replaced Harrison and Craig Waugh replaced Matandos by 1984. The band's debut album, 'Cos Life Hurts, peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report, and provided their highest-charting single "50 Years" which reached No. 4 on the related singles chart. Thiessen left to be eventually replaced by Brett Kingman. Their second album, What You Give is What You Get, reached No. 19, and included a top 20 single, "I Am" (April). The group disbanded in 1987 and have occasionally reunited to play live concerts. Mannix has had a solo career as a singer, TV personality and actor.
"Caught by the Fuzz" is the debut single of Britpop band Supergrass.
Diamond Hoo Ha is the sixth and final studio album by British alternative rock band Supergrass, released in the UK on 24 March 2008, and offers a return to punchier Supergrass songs, in comparison to the more mellow Road to Rouen, their previous album released in 2005. Several songs appearing on the album were performed at Guilfest 2007. In November 2007, the track "Diamond Hoo Ha Man"—one of the songs debuted at Guilfest—was distributed as the first single on a limited vinyl release, restricted to 1500 copies. "Bad Blood" followed as the second single on 17 March 2008, peaking in the top 75 at number 73.
Medal were an English alternative rock band from Oxford.
100 Bullets Back are an English electro/dance/pop duo from Oxford, England consisting of David Clayton and Noel Pearson. They have released two studio albums, five singles and two EPs. They played their last gig in early 2011 as part of a one-off reunion show at Abort, Retry, Fail?, and are currently on long term hiatus as they explore other projects.
Space I'm In is the debut album from the British rock band the Candyskins. It contains their hit single "Submarine Song" and the title track was an MTV favourite. A video was also made for their cover of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth", directed by Samuel Bayer, whose video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana had recently entered heavy rotation on MTV. The recording of the album was financed by Geffen Records, although the first single release was under the Long Beach label. The band were signed to Geffen by A&R man Tom Zutaut.
Fun? is the second album from the British rock band the Candyskins. It contains their hit single "Wembley". It is the band's last release on a major label, being dropped by Geffen Records following two years of inactivity after its release. After the band had minor success with later singles, Geffen reissued Fun? in 1996. Nick and Mark Cope, the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist, were arrested for spray painting 'No Fun' on the wall of the Geffen offices in London after learning about this.
Sunday Morning Fever is the third album from the British rock band The Candyskins. It is the band's first release after being dropped by Geffen Records and signing with the indie label, Ultimate, and is their last album with original bassist Karl Shale. The album boasts three singles that all cracked the UK Singles Chart: "Mrs. Hoover", "Hang Myself on You", and the band's only Top 40 hit "Monday Morning".
Anyone Can Play Guitar is a documentary film made by Jon Spira, examining the music scene in Oxford over the period starting 1978, but focusing on 1984–2007. The film takes its name from the song by Radiohead from their 1993 album Pablo Honey.
Live on Other Planets is a double live album by Supergrass. Released on 27 November 2020, it consists of songs recorded during the band's reunion tour from earlier that year. Its title is a play on the band's fourth studio album, Life on Other Planets.