This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2010) |
The Primitives | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Coventry, West Midlands, England |
Genres | |
Years active |
|
Labels | |
Members |
|
Past members |
|
The Primitives are an English indie pop band from Coventry, best known for their 1988 international hit single "Crash". Formed in 1984, disbanded in 1992 and reformed in 2009, the band's two constant members throughout their recording career have been vocalist Tracy Tracy and guitarist Paul "PJ" Court. Drummer Tig Williams has been a constant member since 1987. Often described as an indie pop or indie rock band, the Primitives' musical style can also be seen as straddling power pop, new wave and post-punk.
The Primitives were formed in the summer of 1984 by PJ Court (born Paul Jonathan Court) (vocals, guitar), Steve Dullaghan (born Stephen Anthony Dullaghan, ex–Nocturnal Babies) (bass guitar), Peter Tweedie (drums) and Keiron McDermott, ex-Nocturnal Babies (vocals). [1] Vocalist McDermott was later replaced by Tracy Tracy (born Tracy Louise Cattell). [1] Tig Williams replaced Pete Tweedie on drums in October 1987. [2]
McDermott left the band claiming that he could not work with new manager Wayne Morris, and so reformed the Nocturnal Babies. Needing a singer for an upcoming gig, Court wrote on a piece of scrap paper "male singer wanted" and posted it at the Coventry library. Tracy responded that afternoon.
The band were part of the indie music scene of the mid-1980s, [1] alongside bands like the Soup Dragons and the Wedding Present. Their major rivals within the 'blonde pop' scene were Transvision Vamp and the Darling Buds. They received valuable publicity when the Smiths' lead vocalist Morrissey was photographed wearing a Primitives T-shirt.
The band's early singles were released on their own Lazy Records imprint. [1] In late 1987, they signed the label over to RCA, which released the band's material from then until their split. [1]
Lovely (1988), the band's debut studio album, reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, and produced two top 40 hit singles: "Crash" (UK No. 5, US Modern Rock No. 3) and "Out of Reach" (UK No. 25). [1] "Crash", and the band were described in Melody Maker as "the perfect band who have made the perfect single". [3]
"Way Behind Me" was released as a single soon after, and was included on later versions of the debut album, as well as on the follow-up studio album Pure . [1] 1988 was the band's peak year; in addition to the hit album and singles, the band undertook a sell-out tour of the UK, ending in two nights in May at London's Town & Country Club. [4]
The studio album Pure (1989) was preceded by three singles: "Way Behind Me" (UK No. 36, US Modern Rock No. 8), "Sick of It" (UK No. 24, US Modern Rock No. 9) and "Secrets", (UK No. 49, US Modern Rock No. 12).
In 1990, the band co-headlined a tour of the US with the Sugarcubes as well as a short tour of Japan. [4] They split in 1992 following the commercial failure of their third studio album Galore (1992). [2] Their song "Crash" was featured on the soundtrack album for the Peter Farrelly film Dumb and Dumber in 1994.
Steve Dullaghan died in Coventry on 4 February 2009, [5] [6] following which, after nearly 18 years of dormancy, the Primitives re-formed, with new bassist Raphael Moore. [2] Their first live shows were in Coventry and at the Buffalo Bar in London in October 2009. In early 2010, the Primitives toured the UK and performed a single US concert at The Bell House in New York City. The Primitives supported the Wedding Present at Koko in Camden, London on 13 December 2010 as part of that band's Bizarro album 21st anniversary tour.
The Primitives returned to the studio with original producer Paul Sampson, recording the EP Never Kill a Secret, [2] featuring two original songs — the title track and "Rattle My Cage" — and two cover versions of lesser-known female-fronted songs — "Need All the Help I Can Get" (written by Lee Hazlewood and originally recorded by Suzi Jane Hokom in 1966) and "Breakaway" (originally recorded by Toni Basil in 1966). The EP was released on 7 March 2011. The album Echoes and Rhymes followed in 2012, featuring 14 further recordings of lesser-known female-fronted songs. [2] [7] The Japanese edition of Echoes and Rhymes features three additional bonus tracks, two of which are remix versions of "Need All the Help I Can Get" and "Breakaway". The third bonus track "Can't Stop the Want", also featured on the digital EP Turn Off the Moon.
Their original track "You Trashed My Christmas" is featured on the Elefant Records compilation album A Christmas Gift for You from Elefant Records. An accompanying video for the track was released. In March 2013, the compilation album Everything's Shining Bright – The Lazy Recordings 1985 – 1987 was issued. The compilation featured all of the Lazy releases; aunreleased, different versions of songs that were on Lovely; some 1985 demos; and the 1987 ICA show, with Morrissey introducing the band on stage.
The single "Lose the Reason" was released on 18 February 2013 through Elefant Records. Spin-O-Rama, the group's fifth studio album, was released on Elefant on 13 October 2014, and it was preceded by the release of the title track as a 7" and download single.
In April 2017, the four-song collection New Thrills was released. The first 1,000 copies were personally autographed by band members. Included with the album was a code and instructions for digital download of the tracks:
The group toured California in June 2017, playing in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In April 2019, The Primitives visited Tokyo.
Current members
| Former members
|
Strawberries is the fifth studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. It was released in October 1982 by record label Bronze. Limited editions included a strawberry-scented lyric insert. The album reached No. 15 in the UK charts,the band's first to reach the Top 20.
Terence Edward Hall was a British musician who came to prominence as the lead singer of the 2-tone band the Specials, and later recorded with groups such as Fun Boy Three, the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas.
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.
Hot Hot Heat was a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 1999. The band was signed to Seattle label Sub Pop in 2001 and Warner Records throughout the majority of their career.
"Blew" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the band's debut album Bleach, released in June 1989 by Sub Pop.
BMX Bandits are a Scottish guitar pop band formed in Bellshill in 1986. Led by songwriter and lead vocalist Duglas T. Stewart, their music is heavily influenced by 1960s pop. They have shared members with numerous other local bands, including Teenage Fanclub and the Soup Dragons. BMX Bandits were a favourite band of Kurt Cobain, who said "If I could be in any other band, it would be BMX Bandits". In 2011, they were the subject of the documentary Serious Drugs: A Film About BMX Bandits.
"Sunny Sundae Smile" is a song by the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. It was released as a non-album single in February 1987 on Lazy Records. Recorded at Alaska Studios in London, "Sunny Sundae Smile" was the band's first release on Lazy Records and the final release to feature original vocalist David Conway.
Helen Love are an indie band from Wales whose music is a combination of punk rock, bubblegum pop and disco dance music. The band was formed in 1992 by Helen Love with Sheena, Roxy, and Mark (keyboards). Current members are Helen, Sheena and Ricardo Autobahn.
Amplifier are an English rock band originating from Manchester. The band has released six albums and four EPs since its inception in 1999. Their music has been described as "Soundgarden, Tool, Black Sabbath, Oceansize and Pink Floyd taking copious amounts of mind-altering substances and venturing on a trip through time and space, and back again." Their music is characterised by guitarist Sel Balamir's effect pedals, Matt Brobin's complex drumming, extended heavy sections, atmospheric compositions and philosophical lyrics.
"Crash" is a song by British indie pop band the Primitives, written by band members Paul Court, Steve Dullaghan, and Tracy Cattell. The song was first recorded for the band's 1988 debut album, Lovely. "Crash" was released as a single in February 1988, peaking at number five on UK Singles Chart, number three on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number two on the Swedish Singles Chart.
Donnette Ruth Thayer is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter most active in the 1980s and early 1990s indie rock scenes of Northern California. Thayer was a member of the band Game Theory, and later formed Hex with Steve Kilbey of The Church.
Let's Get Out of This Country is the third studio record by the Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura, released by Elefant Records on 6 June 2006. It was recorded in Sweden with the producer Jari Haapalainen, and arranged by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John.
"Lazy Sunday" is a song by the English band Small Faces, which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1968 and number 42 in Canada. It was written by the Small Faces songwriting duo Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, and appeared on the band's 1968 concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. Against the band's wishes, it preceded the album as a single release.
"Ride a White Swan" is a song by English band T. Rex. It was released as a stand-alone single on 9 October 1970 by record label Fly, and was the first single credited under the band's new, shorter name. Like all of the band's songs, it was written by the group's singer, guitarist and founder Marc Bolan. The song was included on the US version of the 1970 album, T. Rex.
Lovely is the debut studio album by the English indie pop band the Primitives, released in March 1988 by RCA Records. It features the international hit single "Crash", as well as the UK top 100 hits "Stop Killing Me", "Thru the Flowers", and "Out of Reach". "Way Behind Me" was issued as a single after the album's initial release and was later included on re-releases as well as on the follow-up studio album Pure (1989).
Pure is the second studio album by the British band The Primitives, released in 1989 as the follow-up to their debut, Lovely. The line-up changed slightly over the course of the previous year: Steve Dullaghan was replaced on the bass guitar by Paul Sampson, who also shared the production duties with Wayne Morris.
Attic Lights are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, formed in 2005 by Kev Sherry, Colin McArdle and Jamie Houston, later joined by Tim Davidson and Noel O'Donnell. The four-part harmonies in a number of their songs have led to critical comparisons with Teenage Fanclub and The Beach Boys. Their guitar heavy powerpop has been compared to alternative rock bands such as Weezer, R.E.M. and The Lemonheads.
This Is a Fix is the second album by Wales-based band The Automatic. It was released on 25 August 2008. The band worked with producer Don Gilmore in Los Angeles, but were disappointed with these sessions, and instead worked with Butch Walker at Sage and Sound Recording in Los Angeles then back in Cardiff with Richard Jackson and London with Stephen Harris.
Notes & Rhymes is the eighth studio album by Scottish folk rock duo the Proclaimers, released in 2009. It was produced by Steve Evans and recorded at Rockfield Studios.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)