18 Wheeler
Encyclopedia
18 Wheeler were a Scottish
rock band
active in the early 1990s, consisting of Sean Jackson (vocals, guitar), David Keenan
(guitar, vocals), Alan Hake
(bass), and Neil Halliday (drums). Original bassist Chris "Pint Glass" Stewart left before any recordings were made, and was replaced by original drummer Hake.
Keenan left in 1994 to start his own group, the Telstar Ponies
and was replaced by guitarist Steven Haddow. In the same year, the band released their first album Twin Action on Creation Records
and in 1995 they released their second album, Formanka.
Their third album Year Zero
, which saw them take a more experimental sample based approach, was released in early 1997. The remixed single "Stay" was given mainstream radio play and gave them their only UK Top 75 hit single (peaking at #59 in March). They were subsequently dropped by Creation during the recording of what was to be their fourth studio release. Although Alan Hake
has stated that Creation Records allowed the band to keep the master tapes to this album, no plans to officially release it have materialised. Hake went on to co-found the Must Destroy
record label.
The band were once introduced by Tony Blair
at the 1996 Labour Party
Conference. The future Prime Minister
managed to wrongly introduce them as "Wheeler 18". Their biggest claim to fame, however, is that they were the band Oasis
were supporting the night that Oasis were discovered by Creation Records
boss Alan McGee
at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on 31 May 1993. The Oasis setlist on the night was: Rock'n'Roll Star; Bring it on down; Up in the Sky; I am the Walrus.
After a hiatus of several years spent mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, Sean Jackson returned to the music world with a solo album Slots, recorded in 2005. The album, although written in Košice
, Eastern Slovakia
, and Saint Petersburg
, Russian Federation, is influenced by traditional British folk, as well as rock music
, and will be released on PoppyDisc Records in spring 2010. He read English as undergraduate at the University of Glasgow
and subsequently obtained a post-graduate diploma in Russian language from the University of Strathclyde
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
active in the early 1990s, consisting of Sean Jackson (vocals, guitar), David Keenan
David Keenan
David Keenan is a Scottish author, critic and musician. He is the author of England's Hidden Reverse, a biography of Coil, Current 93 and Nurse With Wound, a regular contributor to The Wire since 1995, and proprietor of Volcanic Tongue, a shop, distributor, record label and mailorder business that...
(guitar, vocals), Alan Hake
Alan Hake
Alan Hake is the co-founder of Must Destroy Records, but was also a key figure in many important Scottish underground bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was a key member of Exploding Tortoise. Hake went on to be a founder member of 18 Wheeler, signed to Creation Records in the early 1990s,...
(bass), and Neil Halliday (drums). Original bassist Chris "Pint Glass" Stewart left before any recordings were made, and was replaced by original drummer Hake.
Keenan left in 1994 to start his own group, the Telstar Ponies
Telstar Ponies
Telstar Ponies are a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1994. They were signed to Fire Records Their musical style varies considerably but displays obvious influences from Krautrock, folk , and experimental noise.-History:...
and was replaced by guitarist Steven Haddow. In the same year, the band released their first album Twin Action on Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
and in 1995 they released their second album, Formanka.
Their third album Year Zero
Year Zero (album)
Year Zero is the fifth studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on April 17, 2007, by Interscope Records. Frontman Trent Reznor wrote the album's music and lyrics while touring in support of the group's previous release, With Teeth...
, which saw them take a more experimental sample based approach, was released in early 1997. The remixed single "Stay" was given mainstream radio play and gave them their only UK Top 75 hit single (peaking at #59 in March). They were subsequently dropped by Creation during the recording of what was to be their fourth studio release. Although Alan Hake
Alan Hake
Alan Hake is the co-founder of Must Destroy Records, but was also a key figure in many important Scottish underground bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was a key member of Exploding Tortoise. Hake went on to be a founder member of 18 Wheeler, signed to Creation Records in the early 1990s,...
has stated that Creation Records allowed the band to keep the master tapes to this album, no plans to officially release it have materialised. Hake went on to co-found the Must Destroy
Must Destroy
Must Destroy is the independent record label that discovered The Darkness and Goldie Lookin' Chain and released records by bands such as Do Me Bad Things, Tramp Attack and Computerman....
record label.
The band were once introduced by Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
at the 1996 Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Conference. The future Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
managed to wrongly introduce them as "Wheeler 18". Their biggest claim to fame, however, is that they were the band Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
were supporting the night that Oasis were discovered by Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
boss Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on 31 May 1993. The Oasis setlist on the night was: Rock'n'Roll Star; Bring it on down; Up in the Sky; I am the Walrus.
After a hiatus of several years spent mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, Sean Jackson returned to the music world with a solo album Slots, recorded in 2005. The album, although written in Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, Eastern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russian Federation, is influenced by traditional British folk, as well as rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and will be released on PoppyDisc Records in spring 2010. He read English as undergraduate at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and subsequently obtained a post-graduate diploma in Russian language from the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
.
Line up
- Sean Jackson: Guitars, Vocals, Bass and Piano
- Neil Halliday: Percussion, Vocals, Guitars and Synth
- Alan HakeAlan HakeAlan Hake is the co-founder of Must Destroy Records, but was also a key figure in many important Scottish underground bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was a key member of Exploding Tortoise. Hake went on to be a founder member of 18 Wheeler, signed to Creation Records in the early 1990s,...
: Bass, Vocals, Guitar and Moog - Steve Haddow:
- David KeenanDavid KeenanDavid Keenan is a Scottish author, critic and musician. He is the author of England's Hidden Reverse, a biography of Coil, Current 93 and Nurse With Wound, a regular contributor to The Wire since 1995, and proprietor of Volcanic Tongue, a shop, distributor, record label and mailorder business that...
:
Studio albums
- Twin Action (1994, CRECD164)
- Formanka (1995, CRECD181 & CRECD181L)
- Year Zero (1997, CRECD192)
Singles and EPs
- Nature Girl
- Suncrush
- Kum BackKum BackKum Back is the first bootleg album by The Beatles, released in September 1969. The album is an early mix of what would become 1970's Let It Be, taken from an acetate prepared by the groups's producer, Glyn Johns...
- The Revealer
- Boddha
- Steel Guitars
- The Hours And The Times
- Crabs
- Stay
- Prozac Beats
- Grease