The Trudy | |
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Origin | Kingston upon Thames, England |
Genres | |
Years active | 1979–present |
Labels |
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Spinoffs | Richard Targett and the Monos, Luminous |
Spinoff of | Cardiac Arrest |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | thetrudy |
The Trudy are an English pop band formed in Kingston upon Thames in 1979 by former Cardiacs members Peter Tagg [1] (drums) and Ralph Cade (vocals and keyboards) [2] [3] along with Derek Tagg (guitar) and Sue Smallwood (bass).
In 1980 The Trudy, with the above line-up, released an album Volcano Fo Le Ferret, on Binkie Records along with another Kingston band The Magnificent 7, [4] with each band featuring on one side of the record.
In 1981 the band were included on the various artist compilation LP The Snoopies Album, which also included The Europeans and Cardiacs among others. [5]
In 1982 the band released the cassette single Air Commodore. [6] By this time Sue Smallwood had been replaced on bass by Jon Bastable Jnr and second guitarist Ian Plummer had been added.
Many releases followed on a variety of different labels. [7] [8] Among these was the 1998 EP given free with House of Dolls, a popular mainstream alternative music magazine, on which The Trudy was included, along with The Wedding Present, Claytown Troupe & The Hunters Club. [9]
A 1986 side-project was released by Peter Tagg/Richard Targett, Victor Champion, Nick Shadow, Minerva Allen and Damien Saxxe-Coburg, all with various links to the band. By the name 'Richard Targett and the Monos', one three-track cassette EP was released under Primitive Records by the name of 'One of Our Satellites is Missing!'. [10]
In 1991, when they released the album Tune-In To The Trudy Love-Ray!, [11] the line-up was Peter Tagg, Derek Tagg, Melisa Jo Heathcote Paul Crook and Arturo Bassick (of The Lurkers, Pinpoint and 999).
In 1993 they released the David M Allen & Rat Scabies produced single Big Wheel under the alias Luminous. [12]
In 2010 the band covered the Cardiacs song "Day Is Gone" on the album Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1 [13] on the Believers Roast label. [14]
In 2012 the singles Dirt Cheap Melody and Bucolics Anonymous were released. [15]
The Trudy has performed extensively around the UK and headlined venues such as the Marquee and University of London Union. [16] A flyer for a Marquee gig that The Trudy headlined is in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection. [17]
As of 2016 the line up was Melissa Jo Heathcote (formerly of The Pukes [18] ), Del Tagg, Paul Crook, Peter Tagg & Eugene Bezodis (of Patrick & Eugene). [19]
On 26 February 2016 the single "Rocket Heart" was released and was followed by the album Always Never Beautiful Forever on 15 April. [20]
On 5 March 2021 they released the digital single "Dear Sancho", which was accompanied by a promotional video. [21] On 10 November 2023 the single "Every Story Ever Told" was released and a forthcoming mini album was announced. [22]
Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith and his brother Jim in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. One of Britain's leading cult rock bands, Cardiacs' sound folded in genres including art rock, progressive rock, art punk, post-punk, jazz, psychedelia and heavy metal, all of which was topped by Smith's anarchic vocals and hard-to-decipher lyrics. The band's theatrical performance style often incorporated off-putting costumes and make-up, complete with on-stage confrontations. Their bizarre sound and image made them unpopular with the press, but they amassed a devoted following.
The Records were an English power pop band formed in 1978. They are best remembered for the hit single and cult favourite "Starry Eyes".
Timothy Charles Smith was an English musician, record producer and music video director. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Smith rose to prominence as the frontman of the rock band Cardiacs, which he co-founded with his brother Jim. In addition to Cardiacs, Smith led, co-led or contributed to The Sea Nymphs, Panixphere, Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld and Spratleys Japs. Recognised for the particular complexity, skill and idiosyncrasies of his songs and music, Smith was honoured with the Doctor of Music degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2018, two years before his death in 2020.
Sidi Bou Said were a British rock band formed in 1990 by Claire Lemmon, Gayl Harrison and Melanie Woods. Their music combined an indie rock/folk sound with complex arrangements and literate lyrics. They were often compared to Throwing Muses and the Pixies, with whom they shared a taste for sometimes uncomfortable lyrical themes—murder, religion, the workings of the human body and surrealist stories and films. Their name comes from a town in Tunisia.
Comet Gain are a British indie pop band, formed by singer-songwriter and guitarist David Christian in 1992, with musical influences including post-punk and northern soul. Pitchfork called them "one of the most underrated contemporary indie bands in the UK".
Sing to God is the fourth studio album by English rock band Cardiacs. Their first album with drummer Bob Leith and their second as a four-piece, it was recorded throughout 1995, breaking a hiatus by the band that had lasted since the band's previous album Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992). During writing and recording, Jon Poole took a greater role than before, contributing to many songs written by band leader Tim Smith, and writing some of his own. The band decided to create a double album to encompass the great wealth of material written after their previous album. As with the band's previous albums, it presents a unique sound, and is seen as more eclectic than the band's previous albums, with one reviewer describing the record as "essentially [taking] everything Cardiacs had always been and [ramping] it up to maximum," and another saying the album was where "Smith's ability to express the music inside his head really began to transcend any sort of identifiable genre and turned Cardiacs into something truly unique."
A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window is the debut studio album by the English rock band Cardiacs. It was released on 21 March 1988 in the United Kingdom by their own label the Alphabet Business Concern and in the Netherlands by Torso Records. Its single "Is This the Life" saw brief chart success due to exposure on mainstream radio, and garnered the attention of a wider audience when it entered the Independent Top 10 in the UK, peaking at number 80.
Toy World is the second demo album by the English rock band Cardiacs. The cassette is a mixture of older songs by the earlier Cardiac Arrest lineup and newer songs by the then-current Cardiacs lineup. This was the last album to feature keyboard player/backing singer Colvin Mayers, and the first to feature saxophonist/backing singer/occasional keyboard player Sarah Cutts.
"A Bus for a Bus on the Bus" is the debut single by English rock band Cardiacs, then known as Cardiac Arrest, released in 1979 under Tortch Records. The song's title recalls "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus" from the Mothers of Invention album Uncle Meat (1969).
William Derek Drake is an English musician, keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a former member of the cult English rock band Cardiacs, whom he played with for nine years between 1983 and 1992. He has also been a member of the Sea Nymphs, North Sea Radio Orchestra, Nervous, Wood, Lake of Puppies and The Grown-Ups, as well as pursuing a career as a solo artist.
Mark Andrew Cawthra is a British musician of the project Redbus Noface and formerly of Cardiacs.
Tim Smith's Spratleys are an English psychedelic rock band originally formed by Cardiacs leader Tim Smith and Joanne Spratley in 1998. The band changed their name to Tim Smith's Spratleys Rats in 2021 to distance themselves from the negative connotations of the derogatory term Jap. As of 2024, the band's name is simply Tim Smith's Spratleys.
Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1 is a compilation album featuring cover versions of songs by Tim Smith, the songwriter behind Cardiacs, The Sea Nymphs, Spratleys Japs and his solo project OceanLandWorld. It was released on CD on 13 December 2010 on the Believers Roast label. The release date for download, via iTunes, was 20 December 2010.
Fireraisers Forever! is the eighth studio album by British Indie pop band Comet Gain. It was released on 11 October 2019 under Tapete Records.
"Ditzy Scene" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs. It was planned as the opening track and lead single from the band's unfinished sixth album, LSD. It was released on Org Records, and was the band's last single to be released in frontman Tim Smith's lifetime, as well as their most recent to be composed of entirely new material.
"Day Is Gone" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their third studio album, Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992). It was released as a twelve-inch single preceding the album on 28 October 1991 alongside a free 7-inch titled "Appealing to Venus" by side project the Sea Nymphs from their eponymous debut studio album (1992). Both tracks were written by Tim Smith who solely produced the former, while the Sea Nymphs produced the latter. Musically, "Day Is Gone" has been described as a power pop song with a 5
4 time signature and prominent guitars.
"Stoneage Dinosaurs" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their EP Big Ship (1987). The song was written by frontman Tim Smith and produced by Smith alongside Graham Simmonds. Musically, the song is a melancholy track with violins, saxophones and funeral paced drums. Its lyrics reference family, contemporary celebrities and the First World War. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted its stark difference to the other tracks on the EP.
James A. Smith is an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band Cardiacs which he formed with his brother Tim Smith. Along with performing backing vocals for the group, he co-wrote the hymn "The Alphabet Business Concern ", sang lead vocals on "Food on the Wall" live.
"Vermin Mangle" is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their unfinished album LSD, intended as the album's final track. The song was written by Tim Smith, who played it live during solo performances in 2000 and 2006. Following Smith's death, it was released as a free download on 1 September 2020 through the band's Bandcamp page as the second single from the album, to mark his funeral that same day. Intended as a thank you to the group's fans, the song features the circus, progressive rock and psychedelic instrumentation that drove much of the band's work.