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The Weather Prophets | |
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| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Indie pop |
| Years active | 1986–1988 |
| Labels | Creation, Elevation |
| Past members | Peter Astor Oisin Little Greenwood Goulding Dave Morgan |
The Weather Prophets were a British indie band formed in London in 1986 after the break-up of The Loft. After two studio albums, the band split up, with singer Peter Astor going on to a solo career.
Following the breakup of The Loft, Peter Astor (vocals, guitar) and Dave Morgan (drums) formed The Weather Prophets (named after a line in the opening paragraph of Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer ) in 1986. [1] An early incarnation saw Creation Records head-honcho Alan McGee playing bass, but he soon reverted to manager as new members David Greenwood Goulding (bass) and Oisin Little (guitar) were recruited to complete the line up.
The debut single, "Almost Prayed" (Creation, 1986), seemed to carry on where The Loft had left off; consequently both interest and critical approval were high for the record, and a second single was issued on Creation that same year.
After a German mini-album, for the release of their debut album proper, McGee had successfully managed to sign the band to Elevation Records - the WEA subsidiary with which he was associated. Expectations were high when the Lenny Kaye-produced Mayflower appeared in 1987, but the album was greeted with a mixed response[ citation needed ] by the critics and the band were eventually dropped from the label.
All was not lost, however, as they eventually returned to Creation for a further album, Judges, Juries and Horsemen in 1988. By this time, Oisin Little had departed, and interest in the band had waned. A final single, "Always the Light", was issued before the band decided to split up.
Following the split, Peter Astor embarked upon a solo career, and later recorded as Wisdom of Harry and Ellis Island Sound, while the two remaining members joined The Rockingbirds.
An odds 'n' ends compilation, Temperance Hotel, was released by Creation in 1989, with '87 Live appearing in 1991. Blue Skies & Freerides – The Best of 1986-1989 was issued by Cherry Red in 2004.
Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although it was revived at one point in 2011 for the release of the compilation album Upside Down.
Alan John McGee is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian. He co-founded the independent Creation Records label, running it from 1983 until its closure in 1999.
The Jazz Butcher was the alias of British singer/songwriter Pat Fish. It also served as the name of the band, though adjuncts were frequently used to distinguish between Fish’s persona and band itself
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The June Brides are an English indie pop group, formed in London in 1983, by Phil Wilson and Simon Beesley of International Rescue. Influenced by Postcard-label bands such as Josef K and punk-era bands such as Buzzcocks, The Desperate Bicycles and The Television Personalities, their mix of guitar pop with viola and trumpet formed a blueprint for many of the indie pop bands that would follow.
Biff Bang Pow! were an indie pop band from London, England, active between 1983 and 1991, centering on Creation Records boss Alan McGee.
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The Loft were a British indie band, whose debut single was one of the earliest releases on Creation Records.
Peter Astor is an English songwriter and solo artist, known for his work with The Loft, The Weather Prophets, The Wisdom of Harry and Ellis Island Sound.
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The Wisdom of Harry was an experimental electronic music ensemble from London, England. The group was formed by Peter Astor, formerly the singer/songwriter of Weather Prophets and The Loft, in 1997 and began doing remixes for musicians such as Cornelius and Andrew Weatherall. The Wisdom of Harry's early singles were collected and released as Stars of Super 8 in 1999 on Matador Records. The band made two further albums for Matador. In 2000, House of Binary in which Astor pursued a combination of instrumental, electronic compositions and more lyric driven, song-based work. In 2003, "Torch Division" marked a return to songs, including a cover of Anne Briggs' "Tangled Man".
Elevation was a record label set up as a joint venture between Creation Records and WEA in 1987. Frustrated with the limitations of independent distribution and financing, Alan McGee set up the label to get wider distribution and sales for some of the bands on Creation, with a view to generating additional funds for investment in other Creation artists. The label released albums and several singles by Primal Scream, The Weather Prophets, and Edwyn Collins, although the deal with WEA collapsed due to disappointing sales.
One Thousand Violins were an English 1960s-influenced indie-pop group from Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, who had several UK Indie Chart hits in the late 1980s.
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