- The Woodentops
Infobox Musical artist
Name = The Woodentops
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Origin =Northampton ,England
Genre =Alternative rock ,Indie rock
Years_active = 1983 -
Label = Food, Rough Trade, Columbia, Epic, Hyperactive
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URL = http://woodentopsmusic.com/
Current_members = Rolo McGinty
Simon Mawby
Alice Thompson
Frank de Freitas
Benny Staples
Past_members = Paul Hookham
Anne StephensonThe Woodentops are a British
rock band that enjoyed considerable critical acclaim, and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s.History
The band formed in 1983 in
Northampton , with an initial line-up of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar, formerly of The Innocents andThe Jazz Butcher ), Simon Mawby (guitar), Alice Thompson (keyboards), Frank DeFreitas (bass guitar), and Paul Hookham (drums).cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Great Alternative & Indie Discography |year= 1999 |publisher=Canongate |isbn=0-86241-913-1 ] cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |title=The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music |year= 1992 |publisher=Guinness Publishing |isbn=0-85112-579-4 ] After a debut single, "Plenty" onFood Records in 1984, they signed to the independent labelRough Trade Records , releasing a series of singles in 1985 and their debut album, "Giant", in 1986. Generally well received by critics, the album's sound was characterised by acoustic guitars, but also featuredaccordion ,marimba , strings, andtrumpet sounds, showing influences ofSuicide . The album reached #35 on theUK Album Chart . A single from the album, "(Love Affair With) Everyday Living" became a minor hit, reaching #72 in theUK Singles Chart .The band then became more experimental and frenetic live, using more
electric guitar and electronic sounds. This first became apparent in their live shows, as documented on the live album "Live Hypno Beat" (1987), which was recorded inLos Angeles in 1986. The band became more raw live and unpredictable, becoming one of the most exciting independent groups from the U.K., while gaining an early hit on the burgeoning club scene in Ibiza with '"Why."In 1987, Thompson left, to be replaced by Anne Stephenson of
The Communards . The more experimental mood was continued on the second album "Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway" released the following year, which failed to live up to the expectations set by the debut. However, most notably, the listeners ofLos Angeles radio stationKROQ voted their song "Stop This Car" number 15 out of 106 in theKROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1988 , outperforming many more established acts, and one of the album's standout tracks, "Wheels Turning," became a dancefloor favourite.The Woodentops continued to play live, touring the world until 1992, and tracks such as "Tainted World" became a regular on New York radio station Kiss Fm with DJ
Tony Humphries. Vocalist and guitarist Rolo McGinty, who also wrote all Woodentops songs, resurfaced with the DJ band Pluto in the 1990s, the Dogs Deluxe electronica project and also provided vocals for
Gary Lucas 's "Gods and Monsters ". The Woodentops have a myspace.com page (myspace.com/thewoodentops [http://www.myspace.com/thewoodentops] ) and returned to live performance in September 2006, beginning with a warm-up gig in Northampton, England on September 10th.Original drummer Paul Hookham joined
The Redskins .Line-up
* Rolo McGinty - vocals, guitar
* Simon Mawby - guitar
* Alice Thompson - keyboards
* Frank de Freitas - bass guitar
* Benny Staples - drumsDiscography
Albums * "Well, Well, Well... The Unabridged Singles Collection" (1985)Fact|date=April 2008
* "Giant" (1986) Rough Trade/Columbia (UK #35, UK Indie #2)
* "Live Hypnobeat Live" (1987) Rough Trade/Epic (UK Indie #1)
* "Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway" (1988) Rough Trade (UK #48, UK Indie #1)
* "Bamboo: The Best Of The Woodentops" (2003)
=Singles=* "Plenty" (1984) Food (UK Indie #40)cite book |last=Lazell |first=Barry |title=Indie Hits 1980-1999 |year= 1997 |publisher=Cherry Red Books |isbn=0-9517206-9-4 ]
* "Move Me" (1985) Rough Trade (UK Indie #9)
* "Well Well Well" (1985) Rough Trade (UK Indie #1)
* "It Will Come" (1985) Rough Trade (UK Indie #4)
* "Good Thing" (1986) Rough Trade (UK Indie #7)
* "(Love Affair With) Everyday Living" (1986) Rough Trade (UK #72, UK Indie #1)
* "Give It Time" (1987) Epic (US)
* "You Make Me Feel" (1988) Rough Trade (UK Indie #4)
* "Woodentops Vs. Bang The Party" EP (1991) Hyperactive
* "Stay Out of the Light" (1991) HyperactiveReferences
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