| The Delgados |
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
Hamilton, Scotland |
| Genre(s) |
Indie rock |
| Years active |
1994–2005 |
| Label(s) |
Chemikal
Underground |
Associated
acts |
Bubblegum |
| Website |
delgados.co.uk |
| Former members |
Alun Woodward
Stewart
Henderson
Paul
Savage
Emma
Pollock |
The Delgados were an indie rock
band who formed in Hamilton in 1994, and
disbanded in 2005.
|
Contents
- 1 Biography
- 2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Singles
and EPs
- 3 References
- 4 External
links
|
Biography
The band was formed after friends Alun Woodward (vocals/guitar), Stewart
Henderson (bass) and Paul Savage (drums) were forcibly
ejected from the band Bubblegum. Joined by Savage's then-girlfriend Emma
Pollock (vocals/guitar), the band named themselves after Tour
de France winning cyclist Pedro Delgado.
Their first commercial release came with the inclusion of
their track "Liquidation Girl" on the compilation album Skookum
Chief Powered Teenage Zit Rock Angst from Nardwuar the Human
Serviette. Neglecting to go the traditional route of signing to a record
label, the band instead started their own, Chemikal
Underground, with which to release not only their records but also
other local bands. Chemikal Underground's first release was naturally
The Delgados first single "Monica Webster / Brand New Car". The single
caught the attention of veteran BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel and the band quickly became one
of his favourites, going on to play more than ten sessions for his show.
The cost of Chemikal Underground's second release, the single
"Disco Nation 45" by Bis, left the cash-strapped
label unable to afford another release by The Delgados, so their next
release "Lazarwalker" came from the London-based Radar
Records. Tempted by Radar to a five album deal, the band declined,
instead poaching their A&R contact, Graeme Beattie, for work at
Chemikal Underground.
Another single, "Cinecentre" followed in early 1996 as the
band juggled work at the label (made all the more hectic with Bis's
appearance on Top of the Pops) with several tours,
and recording their debut album. The band released two more singles,
this time taken from their album Domestiques
released on October
28, 1996.
Both singles and the album were critically lauded, with the song "Under
Canvas, Under Wraps" being voted number three in John Peel's Festive
Fifty.
The band released their second album in 1998. Peloton
- also a cycling
reference - which saw the band begin to broaden their musical palette.
Including a wider range of styles and more complex arrangements the
record proved a critical success. It did not sell in huge numbers,
however, though the single "Pull the Wires From the Wall" gave the
Delgados their first UK chart hit, reaching number 69. The band's close
relationship with John Peel continued, with "Pull the Wires From the
Wall" voted to number one in the Festive Fifty (it would also make the
all time chart made in 2000) and other entries at 9 and 38.
The Delgados' evolution continued with The Great Eastern
in 2000. The record, produced by Dave Fridmann, was heavily
orchestrated and contained shifting time signatures. Again, the record
was lauded by the critics but failed to significantly expand the band's
following. The first single, "American Trilogy", reached number 61 in
the UK charts. The record was nominated for the Mercury
Music Prize and four of its songs reached the Festive Fifty, two in the
top ten.
This pattern was extended for their fourth album, Hate,
which was released on Mantra rather than the band's own Chemikal
Underground label. The album's epic songs were popular among critics
and festive fifty voters but a wider public still proved elusive. The
song "The Light Before We Land" was used as the opening music for the
anime Gunslinger Girl,
bringing the band to a new audience.
The band returned to their own label for 2004's Universal
Audio - which marked something of a move away
from the orchestrated sounds of its two predecessors, towards a
simpler, poppier approach.
The band announced they were splitting up in April 2005 due to
the departure of bass player Stewart Henderson who found it difficult
"to pour so much of my energy and time into something that never quite
seemed to get the attention or respect I felt it deserved." The four
friends will continue to run Chemikal Underground together. Songwriters
Emma Pollock and Alun Woodward are pursuing individual projects, while
drummer Paul Savage will continue production duties at the band's
Chem19 Studios in Hamilton and in a new studio.
A double disc containing 29 tracks, The Complete BBC Peel
Sessions, was released on June 12, 2006 in Europe. A
release in the USA is expected before the end of 2006.
Discography
All records on Chemikal Underground unless
otherwise stated.
Albums
- Domestiques
(1996, LP / CD )
- Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit CD)
- Peloton
(1998, LP / CD)
- The Great Eastern
(2000, LP / CD)
- Live at the Fruitmarket
(2001, CD)
- Hate (2002,
Mantra LP / CD)
- Universal Audio
(2004, LP / CD)
- The Complete BBC Peel
Sessions (2006, CD)
Singles and EPs
- "Monica Webster" / "Brand New Car" (1995, 7")
- "I've Only Just Started to Breathe" (Ché, 2x7", split with Bis, Merzbow and The
Golden Mile)
- "Lazarwalker" (1996, Radar 7"/CD)
- "Cinecentre" (1996, 7”/CD)
- "Under Canvas Under Wraps" (1996, 7”/CD)
- "Sucrose" (1996, 7”/CD)
- "Everything Goes Around the Water" (1998, 7”/CD)
- "Pull the Wires From the Wall" (1998, 7”/CD)
- "The Weaker Argument Defeats the Stronger" (1998, 7”/CD)
- "American Trilogy" (2000, 7"/CD)
- "No Danger (Kids' Choir)" (2000, 7"/CD)
- "Coming in From the Cold" (2002, Mantra 7" /CD)
- "All You Need is Hate" (2003, CD)
- "Everybody Come Down" (2004, 7"/CD)
- "Girls Of Valour" (2005, 7")
References
External links
