A Certain Ratio are an English post-punk band formed in Greater Manchester in 1977 by Peter Terrell (guitar), Simon Topping, Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson (drums), with Martha Tilson (vocals) joining soon after.
James are an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 1982. They achieved popularity during the 1990s, with four top-10 hits on the UK Singles Chart and nine top-10 placings on the UK Albums Chart. The band's best-known singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", "She's a Star" and "Laid". "Laid" also became a hit on American college radio. Following the departure of lead singer Tim Booth in 2001, the band became inactive, but members reunited in January 2007 and have since released a further seven albums. Live performance has continually remained a central part of the band's output. As of 2010, the band had sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.
Mezzoforte is an instrumental jazz-funk fusion band from Iceland, formed in 1977.
The Icicle Works are an English alternative rock band, named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl. They had a top 20 UK hit with "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" (1983). In the US and Canada, they had one top 40 hit, the 1984 single "Birds Fly ".
Wax were a new wave duo based in Manchester, England, consisting of American singer-songwriter Andrew Gold and 10cc guitarist/bassist Graham Gouldman. They are best known for their European hit singles "Bridge to Your Heart" and "Right Between the Eyes". In the US, they were listed as Wax UK, while later releases were additionally credited as Andrew Gold & Graham Gouldman.
King were an English new wave band which formed in 1984. The band achieved chart success in 1985, and are best known for their hit single "Love & Pride", which reached number 2 in the UK. The band had two Top 20 albums and five Top 30 singles in the space of a year.
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, also known very briefly as the Lorries, are an English rock band formed in Leeds in early 1981 by guitarist and songwriter Chris Reed, vocalist Mark Sweeney, bassist Steve Smith and drummer Mick Brown. After breaking up in 1991, the band reformed in 2003 and have released 5 studio albums over the course of their career.
Alan Rankine was a Scottish musician and record producer best known as keyboardist and guitarist for rock band the Associates, which he co-founded with lead vocalist Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s.
Shack is an English band from Liverpool, formed in 1987 by brothers Mick and John Head. Emerging from the cult 1980s band The Pale Fountains, Shack experienced various lineup changes and challenges, including the loss of early recordings in a studio fire. Despite these setbacks, they released several albums, such as Zilch (1988), Waterpistol (1995), and H.M.S. Fable (1999), which received critical acclaim. The band underwent multiple hiatuses and re-formations, with their music evolving over time. In the 2000s, Shack signed with Noel Gallagher's Sour Mash label and released albums like ...The Corner of Miles and Gil (2006). They briefly reunited The Pale Fountains in 2008 and continued to perform until drummer Iain Templeton's death in 2022. Mick Head has since focused on his project Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band, achieving his highest-charting album with Dear Scott in 2022.
Michael William Head is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool, England. He is most famous as the lead singer and songwriter for Shack and the Pale Fountains, both of which also feature his younger brother John Head. Though the bands never achieved mainstream success, they have a strong following and NME have described him as "a lost genius and among the most gifted British songwriters of his generation."
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb, Andy Silvester, and Alan Morley (drums), who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1967. Chicken Shack has performed with various line-ups, Stan Webb being the only constant member.
Fiction Factory were a Scottish new wave band from Perth. Formed in 1982, they are best known for their single "(Feels Like) Heaven", which peaked at #6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Eddie Jordan and Kevin Patterson.
Love and the Russian Winter is the seventh studio album by British pop and soul group Simply Red, released on 1 November 1999. It marks a distinct change from the band's preceding albums, featuring a more computer-generated sound. The album was released mainly due to pressure from their record label to fulfil their contract. It features a cover version of "Ain't That a Lot of Love", written by Willia Dean Parker and Homer Banks.
Painters and Dockers are a rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1982.
Andy Diagram is a British musician and trumpet player. He has worked with the instrument in a variety of bands and contexts ranging from pop and rock to experimental jazz, art rock and dance music. He is best known for his work with James, with Spaceheads and with the Pere Ubu singer David Thomas.
Christopher John Allison is a British record producer and founder head of Sonic360 Records.
Dislocation Dance are an English post-punk band from Manchester, England. The group's original line-up is obscure; their first EP, a self-titled 7" as a co-release between two labels, Delicate Issues and New Hormones recorded in May 1980, lists its line-up as 'B' on vocals and keyboard; 'Don' on drums; 'Ian' on vocals and guitar, and 'Paul' on bass, but also mentions 'Past members of the band' as Rod Bloor, Kathryn Way, Tim Glasser, Ian Rogers and Julie Gask.
The Diagram Brothers were an English post-punk band from Manchester active between 1979 and 1982. The band comprised Andy Diagram, Fraser Diagram, Lawrence Diagram (guitar), Jason Diagram (bass), and Simon Diagram (drums). Andy Diagram was also a member of Dislocation Dance from 1978 to 1982, and in 1985, and was a member of The Pale Fountains and James.
Pacific Street is the debut album by British band The Pale Fountains. The CD version of the LP contains all 11 of the songs that first appeared on it, plus 4 bonus tracks: "Thank You", "Meadow of Love", "Palm of My Hand" and "Love's a Beautiful Place".
