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1990 |
|
The Charlatans |
Indian
Rope |
Northwich based West Midlands band, The
Charlatans, fronted by Salford-born
Tim Burgess,
release their debut single 'Indian Rope' in February.
It doesn't chart but creates a huge buzz on the
Manchester scene and their local fanbase explodes
[video] |
|
Inspiral Carpets
rework their 'Find Out Why' single to become the soundtrack
for popular Saturday morning kids TV show 'The 8:15
from Manchester' |
In March, The Fall's
'Extricate' album displays a Madchester influence and
reaches no.31 |
'Absolutely', ABC's
greatest hits, reaches no.7 in April and proves to be
their last chart success |
|
New Order |
World
In Motion |
In
May, New Order
enjoy their only ever no.1 single, when they team
up with the England football team to record their
official 1990 World Cup theme, under the name
of 'Englandneworder' [video] |
|
|
Inspiral
Carpets |
Life
|
with
their baggy psychedelic organ sound, Inspiral
Carpets reach no.2 with the album
'Life' in May, beaten to the top spot by The Carpenters
'Greatest Hits'! Along with Manchester influenced
track 'Sackville', it includes 'She Comes In The
Fall' (no.27), 'Move' (no.49) and 'This is How
it Feels' (no.14), a song about unemployment in
Thatcher's Britain which features their roadie
Noel Gallagher,
on backing vocals [video] |
|
|
Northside |
Shall
We Take A Trip |
Another band to benefit from the Madchester scene
in May is Oldham's Northside.
Their debut single 'Shall We Take A Trip' becomes
the anthem of the era and is used as the theme
tune for Granada Soccer Night. It fails to chart
after it's banned from the airwaves because of
it's 'LSD' lyrics |
|
|
The Charlatans |
Some
Friendly |
The Charlatans
go straight to no.1 (USA no.73) with their baggy
debut album, 'Some Friendly' in October. It includes
the singles 'The Only One I Know' (no.9), and
'Then' (no.12), together with the locally influenced
track 'Sproston Green'
[video] |
|
In October, Morrissey
reaches no.9 (US no.59) with his album, 'Bona Drag',
which rounds up all the previous singles including 'The
Last Of The Famous International Playboys' (no.6), 'Interesting
Drug' (no.9), 'Ouija Board Ouija Board' (no.18), 'November
Spawned A Monster' (no.12) and 'Piccadilly Palare' (no.18)
[video] |
By now at the height of their career, Happy
Mondays reaches no.4 with their third album
'Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches', which includes the
hits 'Step On' (UK no.5 / USA no.57), 'Kinky Afro' (no.5)
and 'Loose Fit' (no.17)
[video]
|
|
MC Tunes |
The
North At It's Heights |
Manchester rapper MC
Tunes (real name Nicky Lovett),
reaches no.26 with his 'The North At It's Heights'
album (Nov). As well as track 'Mancunian Blues',
It includes his collaboration with 808
State on both the hits 'The Only
Rhyme That Bites' (no.10) and 'Tunes Splits The
Atom' (no.18)
[video] |
|
Also in November, the compilation album 'The Very Best
Of The Bee Gees'
reaches no.6 |
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1991 |
|
The High |
Box
Set Go |
Buzzocks
offshoot band Flag Of
Convenience become baggy Manchester
act The High. Featurng
ex-Stone Roses
bassist Andy Couzens, they reach
no.28 in January with the single 'Box Set Go'. It's
their only hit, with the excellent album 'Somewhere
Soon' failing to chart. Lead singer John Matthews
later spends some time in an institution after it's
claimed his drink was spiked in a Manchester club
[video] |
|
In February, The Railway
Children enjoy their only chart success when
the single 'Every Beat Of The Heart' reaches no.24 in
the UK
[video] |
In March, Morrissey
reaches no.8 (US no.52) with his album, 'Kill Uncle',
which spawns the hit singles 'Our Frank' (UK no.26) and
'Sing Your Life' (no.33)
[video] |
Sad Cafe frontman
Paul Young, re-joins Mike
& The Mechanics for their third album,
'Word Of Mouth', (UK no.11). He sings vocals on the hit
lead single of the same name (no.13) as well as album
tracks 'Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow', 'Stop Baby' and 'Let's
Pretend It Didn't Happen' |
In March, The Fall
reach the lofty heights of the Top 20 with their album,
'Shift-Work' (no.17) |
John Baker leaves The
Charlatans, with Mancunian Mark Collins
taking over on guitar |
The Bee Gees
reach no.24 in April with their 17th album, 'High Civilization',
with the top 5 single 'Secret Love' |
In May 808 State
enjoy their biggest success with the no.4 album 'Ex:El',
which features vocals from Bjork and
New Order's
Bernard Sumner. It includes the hits
'Cubik' / 'Olympic' (no.10), 'Lift' (no.38), 'Oops' (no.42)
and the biggest hit of their career, the classic acid
house track 'In Yer Face' (no.9).
[video] |
Also in May, Inspiral
Carpets reach no.5 with their second studio
album 'The Beast Inside', yielding the organ driven baggy
hit 'Caravan' (no.30)
[video] |
In June, Northside's
only album, 'Chicken Rhythms', reaches no.19 and includes
the singles 'My Rising Star' (no.32), 'Take 5' (no.40)
and their debut single 'Shall We Take A Trip' [video] |
|
Electronic |
Electronic
|
Selling over a million copies worldwide,
Electronic's
debut album reaches no.2 in July 1991 (bettered
only by Seal's debut). It includes hits 'Get the
Message' (no.8) and 'Feel Every Beat' (no.39). Busy
with the Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant
only sings on one track (two on the reissue, which
includes 'Getting Away With It').
[video] |
|
The Mock Turtles,
enjoy a no,18 hit with the extremely baggy 'Can You Dig
It', which is included on their second album, 'Two Sides'
(no.33) in July. With all the other singles from the album
failing to chart, they are soon dropped by their record
company and split up shortly afterwards [video] |
|
The Other
Two |
Tasty
Fish |
The side project from Stephen Morris
and Gillian Gilbert (so named because
they were the only members of New
Order not to have branched out), reaches
UK no.41 in October with the single 'Tasty Fish',
named after a fish & chip shop in Stockport.
Later singles and 2 albums fail to chart and they
concentrate on TV soundtracks.
[video] |
|
On 8th November, Dave Rowbottom, the
original guitarist in Manchester art rockers, The
Durutti Column is found in his Burnage home
axed to death. The Happy
Mondays later write the song, 'Cowboy Dave'
about him. |
ABC's 'Abracadabra'
album only reaches no.50. The band decide to call it a
day |
|
Sub Sub |
Space
Face |
Electronic
dance act, Sub Sub,
comprising Jimi Goodwin, Andy Williams and Jez Williams
release their debut single 'Space Face'. It doesn't
chart, which considering the future the band's career
later takes, makes it an expensive highly collectable
release |
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1992 |
The original 10cc line-up
reforms with Godley
& Creme returning for the '...Meanwhile'
album. It doesn't chart and Godley
& Creme part company with Stewart and
Gouldman once more |
In February, the New Order
'BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert' album reaches
no.33 in the UK |
In March, The Fall
show a techno-influence on the album 'Code: Selfish' (no,21)
with its politcial Top 40 hit 'Free Range' (no.40) [video] |
The Charlatans
second album 'Between 10th and 11th' only reaches no.21
in April. It includes the no.19 hit single 'Weirdo'
[video]
|
In May, Swing Out
Sister, reach no.27 with the album 'Get In
Touch With Yourself'. It includes the singles 'Am I The
Same Girl?' (UK no.21 / USA no.45) and 'Notgonnachange'
(UK no.49) [video]
|
In July, Morrissey
reaches no.4 (US no.21) with his album, 'Your Arsenal',
featuring hits 'We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful'
(UK no.17), 'You're the One for Me, Fatty' (no.19) and
'Certain People I Know' (no.35). It's his most controversial
album yet with tracks like 'The National Front Disco'
seeing him accused on racism whilst 'Glamorous Glue',
hinted at an anti-American feeling
[video] |
|
The Smiths |
Best
of The Smiths Volume 1 |
In
August, The Smiths,
enjoy their second no.1 with the retrospect 'Best
Of' compilation album. It includes 'This Charming
Man' (UK no.8) and 'How Soon Is Now' (no.16) which
are reissued to promote the album, both enjoying
greater chart success than their original releases
[video] |
|
The High's single
'More' is disqualified from the charts because of sales
irregularities (their record label was buying their own
releases). As a result, the band split up. |
In September, 'Yes Please!', the fourth album from Happy
Mondays only reaches UK no.14, with its singles
'Stinkin Thinkin' (no.31) and 'Sunshine & Love' (no.62)
also flopping. Having been recorded in Barbados, it's
said to be the record that bankrupts Factory Records
[video]
|
Another band to be affected by the media's shift away
from anything Madchester is Inspiral
Carpets, who only reach no.17 with their
harder sounding third album 'Revenge Of The Goldfish'
in October - singles 'Generations' (no.28), 'Two Worlds
Collide' (no.32) & 'Bitches Brew' (no.36)
[video] |
In November, Factory Records goes into
receivership with debts of over £2 million |
Meanwhile, 'The Best of The
Smiths Volume 2' reaches no.29, with the
promotional single 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out'
reaching no.25.
[video] |
The Charlatans
keyboard player Rob Collins is arrested
and imprisoned for 8 months, after driving the get-away
car in the armed robbery of an off-license near his home
|
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1993 |
In February, without original member Martin Price, who
left shortly before recording, 808
State reach no.17 with the album 'Gorgeous'.
It includes the remix of UB40's 'One
In Ten' (UK no.17), a song written in 1981 about unemployment
in Thatcher's Britain
[video] |
Amid reports of fights and drug addictions, Happy
Mondays split up |
The Fall's uncharacteristically
accessible 'The Infotainment Scan' gives them their only
Top 10 album, reaching no.9 in March and boasting a cover
of Sister's Sledge's disco hit 'Lost in Music' |
The same month, Elkie
Brooks reaches no.27 with the album 'Round
Midnight'. |
|
Melanie
Williams |
Ain't
No Love (Ain't No Use) |
In
April, Sub Sub,
now signed to Rob Gretton's Rob's
Records label, enjoy their only chart success with
the huge no.3 hit 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)',
which features Bury vocalist Melanie
Williams. It launches her solo career
and she goes on to have hits 'Everyday Thang' (no.38)
and 'You Are Everything' (no.28) [video] |
|
|
New Order |
Republic
|
In
May, New Order's
first album since the demise of Factory
Records, is also their most successful
on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching no.1 in
the UK (no.11 in USA). It includes the hit singles
'Regret' (UK no.4 / USA no.28), 'Ruined In A Day'
(no.22), 'World (The Price Of Love)' (UK no.13 /
USA no.92) and 'Spooky' (UK no.22). Despite the
success, the band split up during their USA tour.
[video] |
|
Also In May, the live Morrissey
album, 'Beethoven Was Deaf' reaches UK no.13 |
On August 13th, Georgie
Fame's wife, Nicolette, commits suicide by
jumping from the Clifton Suspension Bridge |
The Bee Gees
reach no.23 in September with their 18th album, 'Size
Isn't Everything' which spawns the hits 'For Whom The
Bell Tolls' (no.4), 'Paying The Price Of Love' (no,23)
and 'How to Fall in Love, Part 1' (no.30) |
Tim Burgess
appears on St.Etienne's 'I Was Born On Christmas Day'
festive hit (no.37)
[video]
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1994 |
Electronic
and former Smiths
guitarist Johnny Marr
leaves The The. |
without a record contract for 2 years, The
Railway Children split up. Singer Gary Newby
continues under the band's name |
|
Morrissey |
Vauxhall
& I |
Morrissey
enjoys his second UK no.1 album (US no.18) in
March with his sixth solo release, 'Vauxhall &
I'. It includes his only USA Billboard hit single,
'The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get' (UK no.8
/ US no.46) together with flop singles 'Hold On
To Your Friends' (no.47) and 'Now My Heart Is Full'
[video] |
|
The excellent 'Devil Hopping' album from the Inspiral
Carpets, reaches no.10 in March and includes
the hits 'Saturn 5' (no.20) & 'I Want You' (no.18),
featuring Mark E Smith
on guest vocals
[video] |
The Charlatans
third album, 'Up To Our Hips', reaches no.8 in April.
It includes singles 'Can't Get Out of Bed' (no.24) &
'I Never Want an Easy Life If Me & He Were Ever to
Get There' (no.38) [video]
|
In December, 'the Best Of New
Order' compilation album reaches no.4 in
the UK, and includes the promotional singles, the 'True
Faith 94' remix (UK no.9) and 'Nineteen63' (UK no.21)
[video] |
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1995 |
In February, 'The World Of Morrissey'
compilation album reaches UK no.15. It pulls together
some of the none album singles and b-sides including 'My
Love Life' (no.29) and 'Boxers' (no.23)
[video]
|
In March, the retrospective The
Smiths greatest hits album 'Singles' reaches
no.5 in the UK, although is criticised by the music press
for including album versions rather than the single edits.
As a result of the new found exposure, the four original
Smiths albums
all rechart at the same time. |
Paul Young reaches no.13 with Mike
& The Mechanics album, 'Beggar On A Beach
Of Gold' |
Despite contributions from Paul McCartney, Wax's
Andrew Gold and the inclusion of the no.29 acoustic hit
single of 'I'm Not in Love', 10cc's
'Mirror Mirror' album fails to chart in March and Eric
Stewart bitterly leaves the group, predicting
that Graham Gouldman would "try
to squeeze the last drop of blood out of it". Gouldman
has continued to tour with Rick Fenn,
Paul Burgess and others under the name
of 10cc |
The retrospective Joy
Division collection 'Permanent' reaches no.16
in July |
|
The Charlatans |
The
Charlatans |
The Charlatans
self-titled fourth album sees a return to the big
time and gives them their second UK no.1, selling
over 300,000 copies in September and spawning the
hit singles 'Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over'
(no.12), 'Crashin' In' (no.31), 'Just Lookin' &
'Bullet Comes' (no.32)
[video] |
|
The same month, Morrissey's
'Southpaw Grammar' reaches no.4 in the UK album charts
(US no.66). It includes the hit singles 'Dagenham Dave'
(no.26) and 'The Boy Racer' (no.36)
[video]
|
The remix album 'The Rest Of New
Order' reaches no.5 in the UK, featuring
yet another remix of 'Blue Monday' (UK no.17), it's third
outing as a single
[video] |
Inspiral Carpets
decide to split-up and their 'Singles' collection reaches
no.17 in September, with the 1989 single 'Joe' be re-issued
to promote it (no.37)
[video] |
On 5th October, former Sweet
Sensation frontman, Marcel King,
dies of a brain haemorrhage, aged 38. 2 years later, his
son Zeus, 19, was shot dead in an outbreak of gang warfare
in Moss Side. |
|
Black Grape |
It's
Great When You're Straight... Yeah |
Despite
drug problems Happy
Mondays members Shaun Ryder
and Bez return with a new band,
Black Grape,
which features ex-Paris
Angels guitarist Paul Wagstaff and
Ruthless Rap Assassin
Kermit. Incredibly their debut album 'It's Great
When You're Straight... Yeah!' spends two weeks
at no.1 in the UK and spawns the Top 10 hits 'In
The Name Of The Father' (no.8), 'Reverend Black
Grape' (no.9) plus 'Kelly's Heroes' (no.17) [video] |
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1996 |
Madchester faves, Northside
split up |
In March, Paul Young appears on Mike
& The Mechanics best of compilation 'Hits'
(UK no.3)
|
On July 2nd 1996, a week before The
Charlatans are set to play their biggest
ever gig, supporting Oasis
at Knebworth, keyboard player Rob Collins
is killed when his red BMW crashes in Rockfield near Monmouth
in Gwent. He was later found to have been over the legal
alcohol limit and was not wearing a seat belt, which police
say would have saved his life. He was 33 years old |
The Charlatans
go ahead with their Knebworth concert, drafting in Primal
Scream keyboardist Martin Duffy for the show |
In July, Bernard Sumner and Johnny
Marr return, without Neil Tennant,
for Electronic's
second album, 'Raise The Pressure' (UK no.8). Featuring
Kraftwork's Karl Bartos, it includes
the hits 'Forbidden City' (UK no.14), 'For You' (no.16)
and 'Second Nature' (no.35)
[video]
|
In December, The Smiths
drummer Mick Joyce is awarded £1
million when he takes Morrissey
and Marr
to court for unpaid royalties. Bass player Andy
Rourke settles out of court for £80,000 |
A fire destroy's Sub Sub's
recording studio, with all their equipment and recordings |
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1997 |
|
Monaco |
Music
for Pleasure |
New Order
bassist Peter Hook' returns in
February with new band Monaco.
Featuring Bernard Sumner-sounding
Bolton vocalist David Potts (from Revenge,
Hook's previous unsuccessful project), they enjoy
a UK no.11 album 'Music For Pleasure', with hit
singles 'What Do You Want From Me?' (no.11), 'Sweet
Lips' (no.18) and 'Shine' (no.55) [video] |
|
The Bee Gees
enjoy their biggest chart success in 15 years, reaching
no.2 in March with the album 'Still Waters' (US no,11).
Selling over 4.5 million copies it boasts the hits 'Alone'
(no,5), 'I Could Not Love You More' (no.14) and 'Still
Waters (Run Deep)' (no.18) |
In March, 'The Very Best of Elkie
Brooks' reaches no.23. |
|
The Charlatans |
Tellin'
Stories |
The Charlatans
spend 2 weeks back at the top of the charts in April
with fifth album 'Tellin Stories', which features
'North Country Boy' (no.4), 'How High' (no.6), 'Tellin'
Stories' (no.16) and the biggest hit they ever produce
'One To Another' (no.3). Largely recorded ahead
of Rob Collins death, it includes
the tribute tracks 'Rob's Theme' and 'How Can You
Leave Us'.
[video] |
|
'The Very Best Of 10cc'
reaches no.27 in April |
After 15 years, The Hacienda
nightclub closes down in June 1997. It is later demolished
to make way for luxury apartments, licensed under 'The
Hacienda' name by it's owner
New Order's Peter Hook |
In August, Morrissey's
'Maladjusted' album reaches Uk no.8 (US no.61) and features
the hit singles 'Alma Matters' (no.16), 'Satan Rejected
My Soul' (no.39) and the brilliantly titled 'Roy's Keen'
(no.41), which lends a nod to the Manchester
United legend, Roy Keane.
The track 'Sorrow Will Come In The End' is pulled from
UK editions as it obviously refers to the Mick
Joyce court case
[video]
|
In September, the Greatest Hits compilation 'Suedehead
- The Best Of Morrissey'
only reaches no.25, despite including previous non-album
hits 'Pregnant for the Last Time' (no.25), 'Sunny' (no.42)
and 'Interlude' (no.25), his duet with Siouxsie
Sioux
[video]
|
Martin Fry resurrects the ABC
name with the album 'Skyscraping', a collaboration with
Sheffield musicians Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17) and Keith
Lowndes. It enjoys no commercial success although, as
a solo artist, Fry continues to record and perform under
the ABC name. |
In November, Black Grape's
second album only reaches no.11 despite featuring plastic
googly eyes glued to the front cover and including singles
'Get Higher' (no.24) & 'Marbles' (no.46)
[video]
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1998 |
Georgie Fame
joins Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings |
The best of The Charlatans,
'Melting Pot', reaches no.4 in February |
In May, 808 State's
greatest hits, '808:88:98', scrapes into the Top 40 (no.40),
with the promotional re-issue of the singles 'Pacific'
& 'Cubik' reaches no.21 |
In July, The Bee Gees
join Celine Dion on the UK no.5 single 'Immortality' |
in July, New Order
reform, without Gillian Gilbert, after
a 5 year hiatus. They also start to play Joy
Division songs in their set for the first
time |
The same month, Black
Grape disband after Shaun Ryder
sacks all the group whilst on tour |
In September 1998 The Bee
Gees play to over 56,000 people at Wembley
Stadium. |
In November 1998 The Bee
Gees enjoy their best ever sales since 1979's
'Spirits Have Flown Album', selling over 6 million copies
of the live concert CD & DVD, 'One Night Only', recorded
at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, their first concert in
over 10 years. It reaches UK no.4. |
|
Doves |
The
Cedar EP |
In the same month, Sub
Sub return after the fire that destroyed
their studio. They change their name to Doves,
adopting a rockier sound and release 'The Cedar
EP' which includes the tracks 'Rise', 'Zither' and
'The Cedar Room'. It doesn't chart |
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1999 |
On May 5th, Doves
receive another dose of bad luck, when their manager,
Rob Gretton, dies of a heart attack,
aged 46. Gretton had been manager of Joy
Division and New
Order amongst many bands and was part owner
of Factory Records and The
Hacienda |
In May, Happy Mondays
reform, playing a sell-out concert at the MEN Arena and
reaching no.24 in the charts with a cover of Thin
Lizzy's 'The Boys Are Back In Town' (with amended
lyrics, 'back in the MCR'). It's included on their 'Greatest
Hits' CD, which reaches no.11. Shaun Ryder
later jokes "it took us two meetings to get Bez
back in the band, the first one lasted about five hours
but the next one was cool. We knocked him down from his
£50,000 to £15 and a free Admiral T-shirt."
|
In July, Bernard Sumner & Johnny
Marr recruit Sub
Sub's Jimi Goodwin &
Black Grape's
Ged Lynch, for Electronic's
third album. 'Twisted Tenderness' reaches UK no.9 &
includes the single 'Vivid' (no.17)
[video]
|
On what is to be his last recording, Paul Young
appears on the Mike &
The Mechanics 'Mike And The Mechanics M6'
album in June. (UK no.14)
|
|
The Charlatans |
Us
and Us Only |
The Charlatans'
seventh studio album, 'Wonderland', featuring new
keyboard player Tony Rogers, is kept from the top
spot by Shania Twain. It owes more than a nod to
Bob Dylan, Tim
Burgess's hero, and includes the hit
singles 'Forever' (no.12), 'Impossible' (no.15)
and 'My Beautiful Friend' (no.31).
[video] |
|
The Twisted Wheel
re-opens as a monthly Northern
Soul club night in the original Whitworth
Street premises |
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