The Adventures

Infobox Musical artist
Name = The Adventures


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Belfast, Northern Ireland
Instruments = Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Drums
Genre = Rock, Pop, AOR, Irish folk
Years_active = 1984–1993
Label = Chrysalis, Elektra
URL =
Associated_acts = Starjets
Past_members = Terry Sharpe
Pat Gribben
Eileen Gribben
Gerard 'Spud' Murphy
Tony Ayre
Paul Crowder

The Adventures are a rock band formed in Belfast in the 1980s and moved to London where they had hits in the UK Singles Chart during the 1980s.

They signed to Chrysalis Records and released their first single in 1984. Following their debut album release a year later the group moved to Elektra Records and scored their biggest hit, "Broken Land". The song was written by guitarist Pat Gribben and reached number 20 in the UK Chart, it was also the most played song on BBC Radio 1 in 1988.

Despite the backing of Simon Fuller, who would go on to break the Spice Girls a decade later, The Adventures never quite achieved a significant commercial breakthrough. [ [http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/theadventures/bio.html biography ] ]

Background

Lead vocalist Terry Sharpe and guitarist Pat Gribben first worked together when in 1978 they joined the punk band Starjets. The band experienced limited success and disbanded in the early 1980s. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=3183 Chartstats.com | The Starjets] ] Sharpe and Gribben then formed The Adventures in early 1984 with Gribben's wife, Eileen, Gerard Murphy, Tony Ayre and Paul Crowder. They signed to Chrysalis Records and were taken on by upcoming manager, Simon Fuller, who saw them achieve much publicity and promotion in the music press. Despite this promising start, their debut single, "Another Silent Day", released in the summer of 1984, failed to chart highly. Further singles were released, all of which were minor hits in the UK Charts, but no major breakthrough was achieved. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=4174 Chartstats.com | The Adventures Chart discography] ] Their debut album, "Theodore and Friends", released in 1985 while the group were on a world tour supporting Tears for Fears, received much critical acclaim, but again, no significant sales.

The band laid low for the next two years. During this time, main songwriter, Pat Gribben composed some new songs for a second album and the band were picked up by Elektra Records. With another burst of promotion and heavy airplay, the first single "Broken Land" became their first significant hit, reaching No.20 in the UK Charts. The single was quickly followed up by the album, "The Sea of Love", which remained in the charts for 10 weeks. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=10176 Chartstats.com | "The Sea of Love" Chart info] ] The band were keen to release follow-up single, "Drowning in the Sea of Love", as they considered this to be stronger than the first, but it failed to reach as highly and stalled at No.44.

Drawing from the strong folk sound of "Broken Land", the band combined this with their more usual pop/rock sound for the third album, "Trading Secrets With the Moon". [ [http://www.freewebs.com/magdalane/tradingsecrets.htm The Adventures - Magdalane - "Trading Secrets with the Moon" review and info] ] Released in early 1990 along with a coule of singles, the album failed to capitalise on their earlier success and only appeared briefly on the UK album Charts. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=10177 Chartstats.com | "Trading Secrets with the Moon" Chart info] ] This ended their contract with Elektra.

With another rethink and now down to a quartet, The Adventures returned in 1992 with the single "Raining All Over the World". Now signed to Polydor Records, the song reached No.68 and was to be the group's final chart appearance. A fourth album was released in 1993, "Lions and Tigers and Bears", which despite featuring a new single, a contemporary reworking of 1960s hit "Monday Monday", the album met with tepid response and failed to chart. [ [http://www.freewebs.com/magdalane/lionstigersbears.htm The Adventures - Magdalane - "Lions and Tigers and Bears" review] ] The group were then dropped by Polydor and not long after they drifted apart. [ [http://www.freewebs.com/magdalane/biography.htm The Adventures Biography] ]

Pat Gribben continues to write songs and is currently working with singer Ryan Molloy, while Terry Sharpe spent some years performing in a cover band, The Dead Handsomes. The Adventures regrouped briefly in 2007 for some gigs in Belfast, but no major reunion was ever organised. [ [http://www.freewebs.com/magdalane/blog.htm?blogentryid=2755086#topBox The Adventures - Magdalene | Blogs - note from Pat Gribben] ]

Band members

* Terry Sharpe, vocals
* Eileen Gribben, vocals
* Gerry "Spud" Murphy, guitar & percussion
* Tony Ayre, bass
* Paul Crowder, drums
* Pat Gribben, guitar

Discography

[ [http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/a/adventures.html#top Adventures Albums ] ]

Singles

Albums

"Theodore and Friends"

"Theodore and Friends", the band's debut album, was released in 1985. The band played "Feel the Raindrops" live during a Radio One Roadshow in Northern Ireland bringing the band to prominence. The album contained 3 minor UK chart hits, including the highly acclaimed "Send My Heart" which also as used in the horror movie "Demoni" from the same year. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:acfqxqy5ld0e allmusic |The Adventures Overview ] ]

"Track listing"
# "Always"
# "Feel the Raindrops"
# "Send My Heart"
# "Two Rivers"
# "Don't Tell Me"
# "Another Silent Day"
# "When the World Turns Upside Down"
# "Love in Chains"
# "Lost in Hollywood"
# "These Children"

"The Sea of Love"

"The Sea of Love", released in 1988, was the band's second album. This was their most successful album, featuring the top 20 hit "Broken Land", while the album itself reached No.30 and remained on the UK charts for 10 weeks. The album also reached the top 200 in the US. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=9945&aid=61435 Billboard.com | "The Sea of Love" US Chart details] ]

"Track listing"
# "Drowning in the Sea of Love"
# "Broken Land"
# "You Don't Have to Cry Anymore"
# "The Trip to Bountiful (When the Rain Comes Down)"
# "Heaven Knows Which Way"
# "Hold Me Now"
# "The Sound of Summer"
# "When Your Heart was Young"
# "One Step from Heaven"

"Trading Secrets with the Moon"

"Trading Secrets with the Moon", the band's third album, was released in 1990. It failed to capitalise on the previous album's success and contained no hit singles. The album itself reached UK#64

"Track listing"
# "Your Greatest Shade of Blue"
# "Scarlet"
# "Washington Deceased"
# "Don't Blame It on the Moon"
# "Bright New Morning"
# "Love's Lost Town"
# "Desert Rose"
# "Hey Magdalene"
# "Sweet Burning Love"
# "Never Gonna Change"
# "Put Me Together Again"

"Lions and Tigers and Bears""Lions, Tigers and Bears", released in 1993, the band's last album. The album contained the minor hit "Raining All Over the World", signalling the end of their chart activity.

"Track listing"
# "Monday Monday"
# "Marianne"
# "Raining All over the World"
# "Come the Day"
# "I Don't Want to Play This Game"
# "The Only World I Know"
# "This Crazy Heart"
# "Impossible You"
# "I Really Don't Mind"
# "Here It Comes Again"
# "Too Late for Heaven"
# "Say Im Sorry"
# "Perfect Day"

References

External links

* [http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/theadventures/bio.html The Adventures Biography]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/magdalane/ Magdalane - Unofficial website of The Adventures]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqq5ldhe~T0 Allmusic Guide overview of The Adventures]