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The Stingrays | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Bristol, England |
Genres | New wave |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels | Fried Egg Circus |
Members | Russ Mainwaring Richard H. Meredith |
Past members | Bill Stair, Pete Thelke, Dean Sidney, Chris Bostock, Sean McLuskey, Paul Johnson, Mark Paton, Duncan Stringer, Marc Raygun |
Website | The Stingrays Facebook Page |
The Stingrays are a British new wave band, which was originally formed in 1977 in Bristol, England, by Welsh musician Russ Mainwaring and Dean Sidney and are still gigging today. (There are at least three notable bands that have called themselves The Stingrays, Sting Rays or a permutation of the name). They have experienced various line up changes over the years, but have included: Russ Mainwaring (who is still a member), Bill Stair (Art Objects, Various Artists, Blue Aeroplanes), Chris Bostock, Sean McLuskey (Subway Sect, JoBoxers, If?) and Paul Johnson (Massive Attack).
Their first single, Countdown, was released on local label Fried Egg Records in 1980. They also contributed the track, "Sound", to the seminal Heartbeat Records compilation album, Avon Calling . [1]
The mini-album, The Stingrays At the Dugout in '77: The Sound of Two Hands Clapping, was recorded by Simon Edwards (of Heartbeat Records) live at the Dug Out Club, Park Row, Bristol. According to Steve Bush of Essential Bop, they were "a bit like Bristol's equivalent of The Ramones. A rockin' unit with an advanced sense of irony." [2]
In 2002 "Countdown" was re-released on the 1977 Records label in Japan
A CD of previously unavailable tracks, Back across the Rubicon was released on in 2009. [3]
2010 saw Japanese manga artist Zawa Freakbeat using The Stingrays gig at The Star Lounge in Tokyo as a theme in his manga Private World Volume 2
In 2011 an EP "The Girl in the Greengrocers" was released in Japan
In 2012 a limited edition vinyl release of Countdown was released in Japan
In 2017 an album Ticket from Home recorded in Osaka Japan was released
In 2019 an EP Kreuzberg was released. Recorded in Berlin, it was produced by Matt Dangerfield of The Boys.
Showaddywaddy are a rock and roll group from Leicester, England. They specialise in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, while also issuing original material. They have spent 209 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and have had 10 Top Ten singles, one reaching number one.
Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage was a founding member of the band. Although there was a period of time when the band had a different vocalist she reformed the band in 1997. Since 2008, the band have been releasing records on their own label Last Rockers.
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which have been Gerard Langley, brother John Langley, and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski. All three had previously been members of the new wave "art band" Art Objects from 1978 to 1981.
Blitzkrieg Bop were an English punk rock band formed in Teesside, England in February 1977. They were named after a song by the Ramones with the same name. They released three singles. These were "Let's Go"/ "Bugger Off" / "9 Till 5" ; "Let's Go" (re-recorded) / "Life Is Just A So-So" / "Mental Case" ; and "(You're Like A) UFO" / "Viva Bobby Joe". A collection of all these tracks, plus other unreleased material, was released in 1998 entitled Top of the Bops (Overground), but it is currently out of print.
Chris Bostock is an English musician, songwriter and music producer, known for his work with JoBoxers, Subway Sect, Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys, The Style Council, Spear of Destiny, The X-Certs and The Stingrays.
Electric Guitars were an English band formed early in 1980 by Neil Davenport and Richard Hall who were both studying English at Bristol University. The band soon increased to a five-man line-up, with Andy Sanders, Matt Salt (drums) and Dick Truscott (keyboards), they also later added two backing singers: Sarah and Wendy Patridge. Their first single "Health" / "Continental Shelf" was released on local label Fried Egg Records in 1980.
Glaxo Babies are a Bristol-based post-punk band, formed in late 1977. There were three distinct phases in the band's life and after initially breaking up in 1980, they reformed in 1985, only to finally break up again in 1990. The band reformed once again in 2015 for the Un-Peeled 2015 event with Steve Street on bass and Tony Wrafter's son Oscar on vocals.
Europeans were a new wave band formed in Bristol, England in 1977. The line-up was Jonathan Cole, Jon Klein, Steve Street and James Cole. According to Klein, ‘we were going to be called 'The Noses.'
The Lovely Eggs are a two-piece lo-fi psychedelic punk rock band from Lancaster, England. They consist of married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell. Ross was formerly the lead singer and guitarist in the all-female band Angelica.
Avon Calling is an album of tracks featuring bands from Bristol, UK, on local record label Heartbeat Records, and was originally released in 1979. All but 2 of the tracks were recorded at Crescent Studios in Bath by David Lord and Glenn Tommey, when the bands were "neatly fitting in on "off days" from on-going sessions by the likes of Peter Gabriel, The Korgis & Kate Bush."
Heartbeat Productions is the parent company of a number of record labels originating from Bristol, England. Heartbeat Records was formed in 1978, and other labels have been added over the years to cater for specific niche markets or bands: Riot City Records in 1980, Disorder Records in 1981, FSA Records in 1992 and Trash City Records in 1994.
The Escape were an English new wave band from Bristol, formed in 1981 by Alan Griffiths (vocals/guitar) and Emil (drums) from Apartment with bassist Stuart Morgan.
Fried Egg Records was a record label set up in 1979 by Andy Leighton, administrator of the Bristol-based Crystal Theatre. Its first release was by the Theatres anarchic "house band" Shoes For Industry. In its short two-year existence the label did manage to produce records from some of Bristols' more notable bands, plus a compilation LP, E(gg)clectic 1.
Stereo Models were an English new wave group, formed in 1979 in Bristol, England. They are best known for the track "Move Fast-Stay Ahead", on the Bristol compilation album, Avon Calling, released by Heartbeat Records in 1979. Rick Joseph of NME writing at the time of the original release said, 'The joys of profligate living are eulogised in "Move Fast, Stay Ahead", a reckless, infectious punkabilly chorus from Stereo Models'. The track was written by Russ Thomas, who provided vocals and played guitar, and was recorded at Horizon Studios, Coventry. The drummer was Mark Hatwood, formally of Coventry band Squad, which included Terry Hall in their line-up. Later Paul Tyler was added on bass and Steve Libby on keyboards.
Art Objects were a Bristol-based post-punk band who later evolved into the Blue Aeroplanes. Between 1978 and 1981 they released two singles and one album.
Butterfly House is the sixth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. The album was produced by John Leckie, whose previous collaborators include The Stone Roses and Radiohead. and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. It was released on 12 July 2010 to great critical acclaim. The album was recorded through a two-year span where the band road-tested the material. This is The Coral's first album without Bill Ryder-Jones, who departed in 2008. It peaked at #16 in the UK Album Charts but has since been a consistent seller for Deltasonic Records. The single, "1000 Years", reached #188 on the UK Singles Chart.
Essential Bop were an English, Bristol-based post-punk/art band, formed in early 1978 by Dave Robinson, with an initial line-up of Steve Bush, Mike Fewings, Simon Tyler, Nick Tufnell (drums) and Seng-gye Tombs Curtis (‘visualist’). According to Steve Bush, they were originally going to be called Essence of Bop, but instead opted for Essential Bop.
Rob Chapman is an English music journalist and rock musician, best known as the vocalist for the defunct post-punk band the Glaxo Babies.