1990s British alternative rock band
Longpigs
were an English
indie rock
band who rose to fame on the fringe of
Britpop
in the 1990s, comprising Crispin Hunt (vocals),
Richard Hawley
(guitar), Simon Stafford (bass guitar) and former
Cabaret Voltaire
member Dee Boyle (drums) who was replaced by Andy Cook for their second album. Hailing from
Sheffield
, the group had success with singles such as "She Said", "On and On", and their well-received debut album
The Sun Is Often Out
(1996).
[1]
History
[
edit
]
Early career (1993)
[
edit
]
The group initially signed with
Elektra Records
, but just before the release of their first single, two major crises struck the band: Lead singer Hunt was seriously injured in a car accident, resulting in his being in a coma for three days.
[1]
Then, shortly afterwards, the UK arm of the record label closed, leaving the Longpigs' future in doubt. Elektra set a price of £500,000 to release them from their
recording contract
.
[
citation needed
]
The first success (1994?1996)
[
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]
The Longpigs' contract was purchased by
U2
's new record label,
Mother Records
. The band toured extensively, opening for
Echobelly
,
Supergrass
and finally
Radiohead
in early 1995. Their first singles on Mother Records, "Happy Again", "She Said" and "Jesus Christ" did little in the
charts
. The band played the 1995
Reading Festival
. The new track "All Hype" was featured on the
compilation
CD
Volume 14: Reading '95 Special
although was never released as a single.
Their fourth single, "Far", managed to hit the
UK
Top 40
. In March 1996 this was followed by the ballad "On and On", which received considerable radio airplay and hit the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.
[1]
In April 1996 the band released their debut album
The Sun Is Often Out
, which was declared one of 1996's 50 best albums by both
Q
and
Melody Maker
. On the heels of their newfound success, the band then repackaged and re-released "She Said" which also reached the UK Top 20 in June 1996, which was followed by "Lost Myself" (#22).
[1]
Attempted popularity in America (1997)
[
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]
Initially things seemed promising in America. In 1997, their single "On and On" was added to the playlist of the influential
Los Angeles
, California alternative radio station
KROQ-FM
briefly reaching the Alternative U.S. Top 10. The song was also featured on the
Mission: Impossible
soundtrack
(although it was not used in the film). They toured America with
Echo & the Bunnymen
and
The Dandy Warhols
, and even opened for
U2
on several dates of their
PopMart world tour
. This tour featured a new track "Beyond Good and Evil" which was never officially released. The band also played the 1997
Glastonbury Festival
, with the live track "Travel" (formerly known as "Far"
B-side
"Amateur Dramatics") being featured on the official
BBC
live Glastonbury compilation
Mud for It
.
The song "On and On" can be found on the soundtrack to the 1997 film
Face
starring
Robert Carlyle
.
Decline and split (1999?2000)
[
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]
Before the recording of the band's second album,
Mobile Home
, Dee Boyle left the band and was replaced by Andy Cook. Boyle's relationship with the band resulted in later conflicts with the members.
[2]
Mobile Home
was released in October 1999, along with the two singles "Blue Skies" and "The Frank Sonata". After briefly reaching the Top 40 in the
UK Albums Chart
, sales of the album faded away.
[1]
Mother Records folded in 2000, and the rest of the band split up shortly afterwards.
Aftermath and other projects
[
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]
Following the break-up of the band, guitarist
Richard Hawley
went on to tour with
Pulp
, before embarking upon a successful solo career and also working with
Jarvis Cocker
in the electro group
Relaxed Muscle
. Hawley's fourth and seventh solo albums,
Coles Corner
and
Standing at the Sky's Edge
were nominated for the
Mercury Prize
, although each lost out, to fellow Sheffield band
Arctic Monkeys
and art rock band
Alt-J
respectively.
Simon Stafford has also played as part of Cocker's backing band on his solo endeavours. He played in Hawley's band for a year and went on to join
Joe Strummer
's band
The Mescaleros
, playing with them until Strummer's death in 2002. He has since played with Jarvis Cocker and various local Sheffield bands, playing various instruments.
In 2004, Hunt lent his voice to the self-titled album by electronic band Mayonnaise, which also featured
Howie B
, on the Lunaticworks/BMG label. The following year Hunt joined a band called Gramercy, with Nigel Hoyle (ex
Gay Dad
) and Dylan Rippon). In August 2005 the band recorded a single entitled "Hold On" (Redemption Records), which had begun to pick up airplay on
BBC Radio 2
when the band split before releasing any material.
Hunt has also worked as a songwriter and record producer for
Ellie Goulding
,
Penguin Prison
, Midnight Lion,
Florence and the Machine
,
Newton Faulkner
, Kiko Bun,
Natalie Imbruglia
,
Gabriella Cilmi
,
Lisa Mitchell
,
Lissie
,
Richard Walters
,
Josephine Oniyama
,
Clare Maguire
,
Liam Frost
,
Ron Sexsmith
,
Kate Walsh
,
Jake Bugg
, Misty Miller, Eliza and the Bear and
JP Cooper
.
[
citation needed
]
In 2013, a compilation album
On and On: The Anthology
was released, featuring material from the Longpigs' both studio albums, singles' b-sides and previously unreleased material.
In April 2017, it was reported that Dee Boyle, the band's former drummer had died. He was 52 years old.
[3]
The cause of death was unknown.
[4]
In April 2019, Hunt was announced as an
MEP
candidate for the newly formed
Change UK - The Independent Group (TIG)
political party for the
2019 European Parliament election
.
[5]
He was not elected.
Discography
[
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]
Albums
[
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]
Compilations
[
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]
- On and On: The Anthology
(2013)
Singles
[
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]
Year
|
Title
|
Peak chart positions
|
Album
|
UK
|
US Alt
|
1995
|
"She Said"
|
67
|
?
|
The Sun is Often Out
|
"Jesus Christ"
|
67
|
?
|
1996
|
"Far"
|
37
|
?
|
"On and On"
|
16
|
17
|
"She Said" (re-issue)
|
16
|
?
|
"Lost Myself"
|
22
|
?
|
1999
|
"Blue Skies"
|
21
|
?
|
Mobile Home
|
"The Frank Sonata"
|
57
|
?
|
References
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]
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International
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Artists
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Other
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