The Caretaker Race | |
---|---|
Origin | London |
Genres | Indie pop |
Years active | 1986–1991 |
Labels | Roustabout, Foundation |
Past members | Andy Strickland Dave Mew Henry Hersom Sally Ward Jackie Carrera Andrew Deevey |
The Caretaker Race were an English indie pop band formed in East London in 1986 when singer/guitarist Andy Strickland (also a part-time music journalist) left The Loft. Strickland recruited Dave Mew (drums), Henry Hersom (bass guitar), and Sally Ward (keyboards). The band's name came from a Star Trek paperback adventure. [1] Gaining comparisons with The Go-Betweens, [2] they initially released a brace of singles on their own Roustabout Records label before signing to the Foundation label in 1989. Hersom left to join Bob, his replacement being ex-Flatmates bassist Jackie Carrera, [2] After two more singles on Foundation, the Stephen Street-produced album Hangover Square was released in 1990. Sally Ward left to take up teaching, to be replaced by Andrew Deevey. [3] The band split up in 1991.
Strickland also filled in on guitar for The Chesterfields in 1987. [3]
Shriekback are an English rock band formed in 1981 in Kentish Town by Barry Andrews, formerly of XTC and the League of Gentlemen (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals), and Dave Allen, formerly of Gang of Four (bass), with Carl Marsh, formerly of Out on Blue Six (guitars/vocals) soon added to the line-up. They were joined by Martyn Barker on drums in 1983. Their early music was a funk-influenced version of new wave and post-punk, later moving towards art rock and always featuring "insidiously weird vocals".
Xmal Deutschland, often written as X-Mal Deutschland, was a musical group from Hamburg, West Germany, which existed from 1980 to 1990. Founded in 1980 with a completely female line-up, they became chart hit makers both within, and outside, their native country. The lead singer of the band was vocalist Anja Huwe. Xmal Deutschland's last album was released in 1989.
The Soup Dragons were a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television series Clangers, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song "I'm Free", which was a Top 5 hit in the United Kingdom in 1990; and "Divine Thing", a Top 40 hit in the United States in 1992.
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Age of Chance were a British alternative rock-dance crossover band from Leeds, England, active from 1983 to 1991. They were perhaps most known for their mutant metallic cover of Prince's "Kiss" which topped the UK Indie Chart in 1986, and peaked at No. 50 in the UK Singles Chart in January the following year. Despite signing for major label Virgin, and being favourites with the UK music press, they never enjoyed a major hit in the UK, although "Don't Get Mad… Get Even" reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart.
The Three Johns were an English post-punk/indie rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, England, originally consisting of guitarist Jon Langford, vocalist John Hyatt and bassist Phillip "John" Brennan, augmented by a drum machine.
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The Loft were a British indie band, whose debut single was one of the earliest releases on Creation Records.
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