Bands who should have been big, but weren't

[El Presidente]

1. The Chameleons

Three amazing albums in the early/mid 80's, but never more than an underground following and the coveted number 31 spot in the John Peel festive 50 of 1983.

Anyone who was lucky enough to see them live was an instant convert, swirling guitars, in your face lyrics by Mark 'Birdy' Burgess (who went on to work in the ticket office at his beloved Maine Road after the band split up) and thumping drums by John Lever.

A major argument with their label after they tried to sign for Geffen delayed the release of 'Strange Times', and this delay, coinciding with the death of their manager, the media focus on other local bands The Smiths and New Order lead to the implosion of one of Manchester's greatest hidden secrets.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Babylon Zoo

 

[Chicken Run]

Chesney Hawks

 

[Braders]

Babylon Zoo

good shout , 1 GREAT song , 1 not bad song , an okish album... and never seen again , shame

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

The Men they Couldnt Hang

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Stiltskin

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Elastica. Should have stuck around longer.

An album that should have done better : Joe Strummer, Earthquake Weather.

 

[Les Biehn]

Mansun. Saw them in Worthing and they were quality.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The Adventures in the mid-late 80s. Some minor hits, excellent live as support for Tears For Fears.

 

[Les Biehn]

Oh and Sabres of Paradise.

 

[Strike]

Tony Blair

 

[Pevenseagull]

I'm using unexpecedly stallled at the nearly selling out the Town And County club once or twice before dropping out of sight definition of should have been big

and I'm going for:

The Triffids - thereby avoiding the Jeans advert one hit wonder pit falls illustrated above and going for a band with a substanitial and, to these ears, impressive backlog of excellent songs (currently out of press in all formats)

to my knowledge they had only one top 40 hit and that was a song used in Neighbours


oh, and the singer died aged 36

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

The Wildhearts, saw them at Donnington's second stage, they were awesome then faded away.

Soul Asylum, had the one big hit over here (Runaway Train) saw them support Guns 'n' Roses and very nearly stole the show. Although they have been recording since 1981 and still going they never cracked it over here.

 

[Marc]

Consumed

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

mountain

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Graham Parker and the Rumour,saw in Brighton,shit hot band Also may surprise a few? A youthful Paul Young and the excellent Q-tips.

 

[Wozza]

Mansun. Saw them in Worthing and they were quality.

Great band.

 

[CHAPPERS]

The Longpigs.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

The Longpigs.

absafuckinlutely

 

[Hiney]

Graham Parker and the Rumour,saw in Brighton,shit hot band Also may surprise a few? A youthful Paul Young and the excellent Q-tips.

Good SHOUT

Also Eddie & The Hotrods

Tried to jump on the Dr Feelgood bandwagon but didn't quite pull it off.

"Do anything you Wanna Do" was a quality track tough