1980-ші жылдардың британдық инди-рок тобы "The Housemartins" туралы

English indie rock group

The Housemartins were an English indie rock group formed in Hull who were active in the 1980s and charted three top ten albums and six top twenty singles in the UK. (the back cover of their debut album, London 0 Hull 4, contained the message, "Take Jesus – Take Marx – Take Hope"). The group's a cappella cover version of "Caravan of Love" (originally by Isley Jasper Isley) was a UK number one single in December 1986. After breaking up in 1988, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway formed the Beautiful South, while bassist Norman Cook became an electronic dance music DJ and producer, founding the groups Beats International, Pizzaman, and Freak Power, before rebranding himself as Fatboy Slim.

The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton (vocals) and Stan Cullimore (guitar), initially as a busking duo. Throughout his tenure with the band, Heaton billed himself as "P. d. Heaton". Heaton and Cullimore recorded a demo tape with Ingo Dewsnap and Sharon Green of Les Zeiga Fleurs which brought them to the attention of Go! Discs. They then expanded by recruiting Ted Key (bass), former guitarist with The Gargoyles. Their first live performance as a band was at Hull University in October 1984. The band's membership changed considerably over the years. Key left at the end of 1985 and was replaced by Norman Cook (later known as Fatboy Slim). Drummer Chris Lang was replaced briefly by Dodger (Roger Wilde) on loan from local Hull band 3 Action! for their first few gigs as a 4 piece then by Hugh Whitaker, former drummer with the Gargoyles, who in turn was replaced with Dave Hemingway. The band often referred to themselves as "the fourth best band in Hull", with the best three bands being Red Guitars, Everything but the Girl, and the Gargoyles. The single's success was helped by a claymation animated pop promo of a type that was in vogue at the time, featuring a cameo by television comedian Phill Jupitus, who toured with the band under his stage name of "Porky the Poet". Their debut album, London 0 Hull 4, was released later in 1986 and contained their previous two singles as well as alternative versions of first single "Flag Day" and follow up to Happy Hour, "Think for a Minute". At the end of 1986 they had their only UK No. 1 single on 16 December with a cover version of Isley Jasper Isley's "Caravan of Love".

The band's early releases saw them described as jangle pop, which brought comparisons with bands such as the Smiths and Aztec Camera. David Quantick, writing for Spin, described them in 1986 as playing "traditional '60s style guitar pop overlaid with soul vocals". Cook described the band as "religious, but not Christians", and the band's repertoire included gospel songs.