The Higsons

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The Higsons
Origin Norwich, Norfolk, England
Genres Funk, punk rock, ska
Years active1980–1986
LabelsRomans in Britain, 2 Tone, Upright, Waap, R4
Past members Charlie Higson
Terry Edwards
Simon Charterton
Colin Williams
Stuart McGeachin
Dave Cummings
Website The Higsons - artist profile

The Higsons were an English funk-punk band, who existed between 1980 and 1986.

Contents

History

Founded in 1980 at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, Norfolk, England, [1] The Higsons' first recording was on the Norwich - A Fine City compilation album. The Higsons' first single, "I Don't Want to Live with Monkeys", was released in 1981 on the short-lived Romans In Britain label. [1] The group subsequently issued singles on their own Waap! Records label and in 1982 became one of the first non-ska acts signed to 2 Tone Records.

The band's blend of high-energy funk and groove brought them some chart success: their most remembered track was "Conspiracy", released in 1982, with the refrain "Who stole my bongos?; Did you steal my bongos?". Following the end of their association with 2 Tone, the group issued their first and only studio album Curse of the Higsons on Upright Records in 1984. The album included their cover of "Music to Watch Girls By" which reached #83 in the UK singles chart, helped by a heavily-reworked electronics-based 12" mix re-titled "Music to Watch Boys By". Though work began on a second album, the band ultimately played their last gig in March 1986, disbanding by mutual consent. [2]

After the break-up

Charlie Higson found fame as a comedy writer and actor in The Fast Show . [1] Dave Cummings, after several years as a guitarist with Scottish rock band Del Amitri, [1] re-joined forces with Higson as a scriptwriter on The Fast Show, and continues to write for radio, TV, and film. Terry Edwards joined Gallon Drunk in 1993, [3] fronted his own band and became a session musician. Simon Charterton formed the bands The Aftershave, Zook, Nitwood and Simon & the Pope. Terry and Simon play together in the Near Jazz Experience. Stuart McGeachin and Colin Williams got full-time jobs.

Robyn Hitchcock paid tribute to the band with the song "Listening to the Higsons" which acknowledged their song "Got to Let This Heat Out" in the couplet, "I thought I heard them singing "Gotta let this hen out"." Hitchcock used this mishearing as the title of his 1985 live album with the Egyptians.

Band members

Discography

Albums

Cassette

Compilation albums

UK singles

TitleDateUK Chart UK Indie Chart [7] LabelFormatCat #Other tracks
"I Don't Want to Live with Monkeys"July 19815Romans in Britain7"HIG2"Insect Love"
12"
"The Lost and the Lonely"November 198110Waap7"WAAP1"It Goes Waap"
"(Got to Let This) Heat (Out)"November 198110Waap12"12WAAP1"It Goes Waap" (re-recorded)
"Conspiracy"March 19825Waap7"WAAP2"Touchdown"
"Tear the Whole Thing Down"October 19822 Tone7"CHSTT21"Ylang, Ylang"
12" white label promoCHSTT1221"Ylang, Ylang"
"Run Me Down"February 19832 Tone7"CHSTT24"Put the Punk Back into Funk Pts 1 & 2"
12"CHSTT1224"Run Me Down" (Long Version)
"Run Me Down" (instrumental)
"Put the Punk Back into Funk Pts 1 & 2"
"Push Out the Boat"November 19834Waap7"WAAP4"Round and Round Pub Mix"
12"12WAAP4"Round and Round Pub Mix"
"Push Out the Boat" (extended)
"Music to Watch Girls By"
"Music to Watch Boys By"
7": 1983
12": Sep 1984
2Upright7"UP 9"Music to Watch Girls By" (7" only)
"Lying on the Telephone"
12"UPT 9"Music to Watch Boys By" (unique 12" version)
"Lying on the Telephone"
"Clanking My Bucket" (live at The Lyceum, 3.7.84)
"I Don't Want to Live with Monkeys" (live at The Lyceum, 3.7.84)
"Take It"1985R47"FOR2"I Walk the Land"
12"12FOR2"I Walk the Land"
"Take It" (extended mix)
"Take It" (instrumental)
"Lost and the Lonely"December 1981Vinyl Magazine No. 9 (released in the Netherlands)FlexidiscV 9"Jigsaw Mentallama" (by Virgin Prunes)

BBC Radio 1 in concert

A one-hour concert was recorded and broadcast from the Paris Theatre in London on 7 September 1983. The Higsons played the first half hour whilst the Norwich-based band the Farmer's Boys played the second half.

Videos

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References

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  2. "The Higsons – Romans In Britain + Waap Records – 1981". Killyourpetpuppy.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  3. Prato, Greg. "Gallon Drunk". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "SessionsG-H". Terryedwards.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  5. "Higsons mp3s, Higsons music downloads, Higsons songs from eMusic.com". Archived from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  6. "The Higsons: Run Me Down". Record Store Day. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  7. Lazell, Barry:"Indie Hits 1980-1989", 1997, Cherry Red Books, ISBN   0-9517206-9-4
  8. "2 Tone Records - Artists - The Higsons". 2-tone.info. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  9. "Cherry Red Records : Higsons". Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2020.