- Deaf School
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Deaf School are an English rock band, formed in the mid 1970s and hailing from Liverpool. Their style is somewhere in between pub rock, punk, glam rock and art rock. They originally disbanded after their third album but their influence lived on. As Holly Johnson, said: "They revived Liverpool music for a generation." [1] The journalist, author and founder of Mojo, Paul Du Noyer, went further: "In the whole history of Liverpool music two bands matter most, one is The Beatles and the other is Deaf School. If that seems like a sweeping statement then consider this: after the pop revolution of the 1960s led by The Beatles and other Merseyside groups, it looked as if the city's music scene had dried up forever. But in 1975 there came a motley band of Liverpool art students called Deaf School".[2].
Contents
History
Memories differ, but Enrico Cadillac recalls "We got together in 1974 for the art school Christmas dance. Anyone who wanted to be in it could be. There were about 13 on stage at that time. No one could play – it was based on people we thought were interesting....(we entered and)..won the Melody Maker rock and folk contest and were suddenly a big deal. We signed to Warners because their A&R guy, Derek Taylor, had been The Beatles publicist and when he saw us rehearsing in Matthew Street, he cried his eyes out. [3]. After disbanding, several members continued working in the music industry; singer Bette Bright went solo, Clive Langer became one of the foremost record producers of the 1980s and 1990s producing Madness, Morrissey, David Bowie, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Bush amongst others. Steve Lindsey formed the hit band, The Planets, scoring a Top of the Pops appearance with his song "Lines". Enrico Cadillac (real name: Steve Allen) joined Ian Broudie (former member of Big in Japan) to form The Original Mirrors who released two albums. Allen later formed The Perils Of Plastic with former Attractions keyboard player Steve Nieve before going onto a successful pan-European solo career, later taking on the management of Espiritu as well as an A&R post with Warner Bros. Records from 1993 to 2004.
In 1988 almost all former Deaf School members reunited for a live date in Liverpool, the performance released as a live album, 2nd Coming, produced by Clive Langer and Julian Wheatley, featuring live versions of their best songs from their 1970s albums with guests including Tin Machine's Reeves Gabrels, Nick Lowe and Lee Thompson from Madness. The Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor, who signed Deaf School to Warner Bros., also made the trip to Liverpool.
In May 2006 Deaf School re-formed for a couple of concerts, culminating in an oversubscribed show in Liverpool for the reopening of the New Picket in the newly formed Independent District on 27 May. In September 2007 Deaf School reunited again and played several live shows including a warm up at The Dublin Castle pub in Camden Town followed by the Carling Academy Manchester and the Carling Academy Liverpool. In December 2007 they played again at the Indigo2 venue at The O2 in London for Madness's aftershow party. In September 2009 the band did shows at The Dublin Castle and The Garage in London before returning to Liverpool for four sell out concerts at The Everyman Theatre, and an appearance at The Hope St. Festival. The three Deaf School albums were re-mastered and included a new booklet with previously unseen band shots and unreleased recordings. It was released in September 2009 on Cherry Red's Lemon label.[4]
The full band augmented by ex-Crackout drummer Nicholas Millard, played 'The Deaf School Xmas Bash' shows in December 2009 at the 100 Club in London, and the Liverpool O2 Academy, making it ten live appearances in 2009, a first since the 1970s.
Bandmember Thomas Sam Davis (aka Eric Shark) died, aged 59, on 7 January 2010, from lung disease. The band played two concerts in Liverpool in April in tribute, featuring guests such as Suggs, Ian Broudie and Kevin Rowland.[5]
Deaf School announced 9 live dates aka 'The Listen & Learn Tour' in early 2011 including The Garage London and dates in Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Liverpool culminating in 2 shows in Tokyo. A mini album, entitled Enrico & Bette xx was released in 2011 containing five new songs, 'You Turn Away', 'I Know I Know', 'The Enrico Song', 'Goodbye To All That' and 'Scary Girlfriend'.
Deaf School again appeared at The Everyman Theatre Liverpool for 2 emotionally charged 'Goodbye To The Everyman' shows as part of the refurbishment closure events and played the Port Eliot festival July 2011.
Band members
- Bette Bright: vocals
- Enrico Cadillac: vocals
- Thomas Sam Davis (aka Eric Shark): vocals (b. 1950 – d. 2010)[6]
- Ian Ritchie: woodwind instruments
- Max Ripple: keyboards
- Clive Langer: guitar
- Steve "Average" Lindsey: bass guitar
- Tim Whittaker: drums (d. 1996)
1997 – Brighton based theatre production company Hanover Productions staged the world premiere of "2nd Honeymoon – The Musical" at The Brighton Festival. With a book/script written by actor-musician Chris Beaumont it played for 6 successful nights although didn't manage to go further. Using all of the songs from the album of the same name plus "Darling" and a new number "I Need A Man", the show was performed by ten actor/musicians who collectively played all of the numbers live.
Discography
Albums
- 1976: 2nd Honeymoon
- 1977: Don't Stop the World
- 1978: English Boys/Working Girls
- 1988: 2nd Coming: Liverpool '88
- 2003: What a Way to End It All: The Anthology
- 2009: 2nd Honeymoon + bonus tracks
- 2009: Don't Stop The World + bonus tracks
- 2009: English Boys/Working Girls + bonus tracks
- 2011: Enrico & Bette xx
Singles
- 1976: "What a Way to End It All" / "Nearly Moonlit Night Motel"
- 1977: "Taxi" / "Last Night"
- 1978: "All Queued Up" / "Golden Showers" / "Working Girls"
- 1978: "Thunder & Lightning" / "Working Girls"
References
- ^ Simpson, Dave (Thursday 21 July 2011). "'Catalyst bands': What do you mean, you've never heard of them?". The Guardian.
- ^ du Noyer, Paul (2007). Liverpool – Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture. Virgin Books. ISBN 9780753512692.
- ^ Simpson, Dave (Thursday 21 July 2011). "'Catalyst bands': What do you mean, you've never heard of them?". The Guardian.
- ^ "Official website for Cherry Red Records". Cherryred.co.uk. http://www.cherryred.co.uk/lemon/artists/deafschool.php. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- ^ Paddy Shennan (9 January 2010). "obituary for Thomas Sam Davis". Liverpool Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-entertainment/echo-entertainment/2010/01/09/tributes-flood-in-for-sam-davis-aka-eric-shark-one-of-the-singers-with-liverpool-band-deaf-school-100252-25559286/. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- ^ Paddy Shennan (9 January 2010). "Liverpool Echo". Liverpool Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-entertainment/echo-entertainment/2010/01/09/tributes-flood-in-for-sam-davis-aka-eric-shark-one-of-the-singers-with-liverpool-band-deaf-school-100252-25559286/. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
External links
Categories:- English punk rock groups
- Musical groups from Liverpool
- Pre-punk groups
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