The Clouds (Manchester band)

Last updated

The Clouds were a Greater Manchester-based indie band signed to Chris and Julia Nagle's 'Wobble Records'. They recorded a John Peel session in 1991 and appeared live on Mark Radcliffe's 'Hit the North' BBC Radio 5 show in the same year. The band received some regional and national radio airplay and appeared live as a support act with World of Twist (1991), Intastella (1991) and Flowered Up (1991) as well as in their own right at venues in the North West. For the duration of the time they were signed to Wobble Records, the band were made up of:

Contents

Early years

The band was formed after the three remaining members of the 'Dillen Experience' Tim Jones, Simon Moss and Simon Dickinson were joined by Ex 'Dillen Experience', 'Rig' and 'Resonance' keyboard player Dave Drennan. They were joined by Simon Maguire (previously in Sale band 'The Sewage') shortly afterwards. They signed to Wobble Records following regular plays of a demo featuring "Moon Llama" to clients and staff at Strawberry Studios where Dave Drennan was employed. Three of the group were called Simon, which led to an array of obligatory pseudonyms, including Vincent Van Void, Sonic Windpipe, Balloon, Doctor Kecks, Bruce Starbuck, The Beast and Jimmy Goggles.

Releases

Two EPs were released on Wobble Records — "Moon Llama" and the follow-up "Bingo Clubs Millennium Ball"

EP TitleTrack NamesYear of ReleaseLabelProducer/Engineer
"Moon Llama""Moon Llama"1991WobbleJohn Pennington
"Snowman"1991WobbleChris Nagle
"Set Free to Be"1991WobbleJohn Pennington
"Moon Llama Too"1991WobbleJohn Pennington
"Bingo Club's Millennium Ball""Dude Electric Cell"1992WobbleJohn Pennington
"King of the Rocket Men"1992WobbleJohn Pennington
"Jungle Mooncake Rocket Man"1992WobbleJohn Pennington
"Blue Cat"1992WobbleJohn Pennington

The band also recorded tracks for an album that was never released — "Poll Tax Blues", "Druids Sacrifice of the Autumnal Equinox", "Osmosis", and "Touch of the Sun".

Courtesy of Wobble Records, vocalist and guitarist Simon Dickinson also played guitar and sang on the Mighty Force track "Playbeast" which featured on their 1992 album, Hypnovel.

The "Moon Llama EP" was recorded in down time at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. "Bingo Clubs Millennium Ball EP" was recorded at Courtyard Studios in Stockport.

The band stopped playing live and recording in 1992. They got together again circa 1997 for a one-off show at the Roadhouse in Manchester. This line-up did not feature rhythm guitarist Simon Maguire or keyboard player Dave Drennan, but did include Eldon Snelgrove (real name) on percussion and keyboards. They then re-formed briefly in 2012, playing four shows; at the North London Tavern (Kilburn, London), Power's Bar (Kilburn, London), Affstock (Chelmsford) and the Ruby Lounge (Manchester). The only absentee from the 2012 line-up was Simon Maguire.

Current activity

Following the demise of the Clouds, Simon Dickinson went on to form Buzzwagon with bass player Tim Jones and ex 'This Years Blonde' drummer Eldon Snelgrove, re-recording The Clouds' "Touch of the Sun". Simon Dickinson now writes and records as Hamfist and collaborates with drummer Simon Moss who records in his own right as Sonic Windpipe.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fall (band)</span> English post-punk band

The Fall were an English post-punk group, formed in 1976 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. They underwent many line-up changes, with vocalist and founder Mark E. Smith as the only constant member. The Fall's long-term musicians included drummers Paul Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft and Karl Burns; guitarists Craig Scanlon, Marc Riley, and Brix Smith; and bassist Steve Hanley, whose melodic, circular bass lines are widely credited with shaping the band's sound from early 1980s albums such as Hex Enduction Hour to the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereolab</span> English-French avant-pop band

Stereolab are an Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound features influences from krautrock and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repetitive motorik beat with the use of vintage electronic keyboards and female vocals sung in English and French. Their lyrics have political and philosophical themes influenced by the Surrealist and Situationist movements. On stage, they play in a more feedback-driven and guitar-oriented style. The band also draw from funk, jazz and Brazilian music, and were one of the first bands to be dubbed "post-rock".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Mondays</span> English alternative rock band

Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joined the band onstage as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta joined as a second vocalist in 1990. They were initially signed to Tony Wilson's Factory Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magazine (band)</span> English post-punk rock band

Magazine were an English rock band formed in 1977 in Manchester in England by singer Howard Devoto and guitarist John McGeoch. After leaving the punk group Buzzcocks in early 1977, Devoto decided to create a more progressive and less "traditional" rock band. The original lineup of Magazine was composed of Devoto, McGeoch, Barry Adamson on bass, Bob Dickinson on keyboards and Martin Jackson on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jah Wobble</span> English musician (born 1958)

John Joseph Wardle, known by the stage name Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; he left the band after two albums.

Armed and Hammered is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, spawned from Bunchofuckingoofs scene of the early 1980s.

Noko is an English musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, has formed and/or played with a number of bands primarily as a guitarist or bassist. In chronological order they were: Alvin the Aardvark and the Fuzzy Ants, the Umbrella, the Pete Shelley Group, the Cure, Luxuria, Apollo 440, Stealth Sonic Soul, Fast, Maximum Roach, James Maker and Noko 440, Magazine, Raw Chimp, Levyathan, SCISM, Am I Dead Yet? and Buzzcocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Albion Band</span> British folk rock band

The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. An important grouping in the genre, it has contained or been associated with a large proportion of major English folk performers in its long and fluid history.

Blue Orchids are an English post-punk band formed in Manchester in 1979, when Martin Bramah left the Fall, after playing on the band's debut album Live at the Witch Trials. Christened by Salford-based punk poet John Cooper Clarke the band recorded for Rough Trade and acted as backing band for the Velvet Underground's Nico before a 25-year period of intermittent activity and fluctuating line-ups.

The Hot Puppies were a Welsh band formed in Aberystwyth in 2000 and later based in Cardiff. They were signed to Fierce Panda Records. After releasing three albums, they split up in 2008.

Karl Burns is a British musician best known as the drummer for the Fall, featuring in many incarnations of the band between 1977 and 1998.

Waldemar Sorychta is a Polish heavy metal record producer and musician who has lived in Germany since 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Some Velvet Sidewalk</span>

Some Velvet Sidewalk was an experimental lo-fi rock band from Olympia, Washington on the independent label K Records.

<i>Everythings Alright Forever</i> 1992 studio album by the Boo Radleys

Everything's Alright Forever is the second album by English indie rock band the Boo Radleys, released in 1992.

<i>Shift-Work</i> (album) 1991 studio album by The Fall

Shift-Work is the 13th album by English rock band the Fall, released through Phonogram Records in 1991. The Fall started working on the album in 1990 while touring in support of Extricate. Mark E. Smith sacked guitarist Martin Bramah and keyboardist Marcia Schofield immediately after the Australian leg of the tour, reducing the lineup to four for the first time in band's history. Only one song ("Rose") from the sessions with Bramah and Schofield eventually appeared on the album. Several tracks were released as the Dredger EP in August 1990, including "Life Just Bounces", which would later be re-recorded for Cerebral Caustic. The Fall's first release with a reduced lineup was the single "High Tension Line" in December 1990.

<i>Code: Selfish</i> 1992 studio album by The Fall

Code: Selfish is a 1992 LP by British rock band The Fall. Their 14th full-length studio album, it entered the UK chart at number 21, although it spent only one week on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Bass</span> Musical artist

Colin Bass is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Since 1979, he has been a member of the British progressive rock band Camel, who, after a ten-year hiatus due to the ill health of bandleader Andrew Latimer, returned to active touring in 2013. From 1984 to 1992, he was also a core figure in the pioneering World Music group 3 Mustaphas 3. He has also made two solo albums under his own name and three albums recorded in Indonesia under the name Sabah Habas Mustapha. The title track of the first, "Denpasar Moon", became a hugely popular song in Indonesia in the mid-1990s and has been covered by over 50 Indonesian, Malaysian, Japanese and Filipino artists. As a record producer he has worked with a diverse range of international artists including: the Klezmatics (USA), SambaSunda (Indonesia), Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird (USA) Krar Collective (Ethiopia), Etran Finatawa (Niger) and 9Bach (Wales) amongst others. As a guest artist he has appeared on albums by a number of internationally acclaimed artists including top Malian singing star Oumou Sangare, playing on all tracks of her 1993 Ko Sira album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallon Drunk</span> English alternative rock band formed in London in 1988

Gallon Drunk were an English alternative rock band formed in London in 1988. Their sound contains a variety of influences, from noise to blues and jazz, and is noted for its dark subject matter.

Toiling Midgets is a rock band from San Francisco, California formed in 1979 by members of San Francisco punk bands Sleepers and Negative Trend. They have been active on-and-off since 1979, with their early 1990s lineup getting most attention due to the involvement of Mark Eitzel of American Music Club. They reunited in 2007.

The Rainkings are an English indie rock band, formed in 1989 by former members of Inspiral Carpets and The Bodines.

References

New Musical Express, 10 August 1991, Page 6
City Life Magazine, 29 August - 11 September 1991, Page 29
Ett Noll Ett, Issue 17, 1992, Page 35, ISSN   1102-1837, Swedish
Melody Maker (Gig Review - Manchester Boardwalk), 29 June 1991, Page 16
Melody Maker (The Clouds), 27 April 1991, Page 12, Author: John Robb
Melody Maker (Gig Review, Leeds Duchess of York), 31 August 1991, Page 27
City Life Magazine (EP Review), 20 May - 4 June 1992, Author Chris Sharrat
Manchester Evening News (Sun Shining on the Clouds), 23 May 1992
New Musical Express (But Cirrusly), 13 July 1991, Page 8, Author: Penny Anderson
New Musical Express (EP Review), 27 July 1991, Page 22
International Musician, Volume 17 - No 11, October 1991, Page 7
Manchester METRO News (As Lonely as a Cloud), 5 June 1992, Page 33
Manchester Evening News (Clouds Control), 12 July 1991, Page 12, Author: Terry Christian
When Does the Mind Bending Start? The Life and Times of World of Twist, July 2022, Page 231, Author Gordon King (ISBN 978-1-788-70538-7)