Prelude (band)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Prelude


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = United Kingdom
Instruments = Vocals, Guitar
Genre = Folk, Pop, MOR
Years_active = 1970–present
Label = Dawn, Pye, Island, EMI, After Hours
URL =
Current_members = Brian Hume
Irene Hume
Chris Ringer
Past_members = Ian Vardy
Jim Hornsby

Prelude are an English based folk trio, who in their most famous line-up consisted of Brian Hume (vocals, guitar), his wife Irene Hume (vocals) and Ian Vardy (guitars, vocals). They formed in their native Gateshead in 1970.

Career

They began to write their own material and built a following on the folk circuit and in 1973 they recorded their first album "How Long Is Forever?" on Dawn Records at Rockfield recording studios in Wales. [ [http://www.vinylnet.co.uk/label-discography.asp/label/36/Dawn-records-discography.html Vinylnet.co.uk | Prelude discography on Dawn records 1973 - 1975] ] [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=17074&aid=39694 Billboard.com | "How Long is Forever" album] ] From it came their best known recording, an a cappella version of the Neil Young song "After The Goldrush", on Pye. In the UK, it entered the top 50 on 26 January, 1974, had a 9 week stay, peaking at Number 21. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=6281 Chartstats.com | "After the Goldrush" UK Chart run] ] In America, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 on 11 February, 1974 and had a five week stay, peaking at #22.

Brian Hume explained (in 1974) how the song came about: “We were standing at a bus stop in Stocksfield and we just started singing it. There was no particular reason, it was just a nice song. The way we do it now is really no different from the way we did it at the bus stop. We included it in our act and it went down really well – even the rowdier clubs listened to it. We certainly never thought of it as a possible single. In any case we always thought of ourselves as an album group rather than making singles and included the song on the album "How Long Is Forever" as an afterthought”.

The group subsequently toured the U.S., but "After the Goldrush" proved their only U.S. chart success. They then toured the UK supporting artists such as Ralph McTell and Joan Armatrading. In 1981 they toured the UK with Don McLean. Also in 1974, they recorded backing vocals for the Ralph McTell No.2 hit "Streets of London". The group signed with EMI and in 1980 scored their second UK hit with "Platinum Blonde", (a song about a girl killed by her father). The group appeared on Top Of The Pops to promote the single. The follow-up "Trick Of The Light" failed to chart, but was noted in one review of its similarity to Fleetwood Mac. Further success was achieved in 1982 when a re-recorded version of "After The Goldrush" made the UK top 30. The group released three further singles in the same year, namely, "Only The Lonely" (a cover of the Roy Orbison song), "City Tonight" and "Silent Night". All singles made the UK top 100, but surprisingly no album was released around this time. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=2444 Chartstats.com | Prelude UK Chart discography] ]

Vardy left the band in 1985. Irene and Brian continued as a duo until 1987, when they were joined by Jim Hornsby (guitar/dobro). By 1993, Hornsby had left and Prelude continued as a duo once more. They still write and perform on the folk circuit, along with Chris Ringer (bass/vocals). [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=17074 Billboard.com Prelude Biography] ]

Irene and Brian are now also a successful (in the UK) Country duo.

UK discography

ingles

*1973 "Out There" (Dawn)
*1974 "After the Goldrush" (Dawn) peaked at No.21
*1974 "Here Comes the Sun" (Dawn)
*1974 "Dear Jesus" (Dawn)
*1975 "Fly" (Dawn)
*1975 "A Love Song" (Dawn)
*1980 "Platinum Blonde" (EMI) peaked at No.45
*1980 "Trick of the Light" (EMI)
*1981 "When Two Worlds Collide" (EMI)
*1982 "After The Goldrush" (re-issue) (After Hours) peaked at No.28
*1982 "Only The Lonely" (After Hours) peaked at No.55
*1982 "City Tonight" (After Hours)
*1982 "Silent Night" (After Hours)

Albums

*1973 "How Long Is Forever?" (Dawn)
*1974 "After The Gold Rush" (Island)
*1975 "Dutch Courage" (Dawn)
*1975 "Owl Creek Incident" (Pye)
*1976 "Back Into The Light" (Pye)
*1984 "Prelude" (CMP)
*1997 "Archive" (Rialto) (Compilation)
*2000 "Floating on the Breeze: The Dawn " (Castle) (Compilation of 1970s material)

References

* Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
* Guinness Book of British Hit Albums - 7th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-619-7

External links

* [http://www.prelude.org.uk/ Official web site]