Black Grape
Encyclopedia
Black Grape were a 1990s rock
band
from England
, featuring former members of Happy Mondays
. The group's music was funky and eclectic, using varied instrumentation
and samples.
members Shaun Ryder
and Bez. It was Ryder's first musical project after the disintegration of Happy Mondays due both to his multiple drug addictions and to disagreements about revenues with other bandmembers. The formation of the new band was intended to draw a line between his past life and his new one. Ryder and Bez recruited rappers Kermit and Psycho, drummer Jed Lynch
, and guitarist
Wags (formerly of the Manchester
-based group the Paris Angels
). Recording of new material started that year, although the group was not under contract
.
In 1995 Black Grape was signed by Radioactive Records
(an imprint of major label BMG
) and released its debut album It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah
. It immediately charted
at number one in the UK Albums Chart
, and spawned three Top Twenty singles
.
The first single "Reverend Black Grape
" managed to outsell the Happy Mondays cover of John Kongos
"(He's Gonna) Step On (You Again)".
The third single, "Kelly's Heroes" - a song lampooning society's obsession with celebrities and idols that had much to do with Ryder's own previous hero worship of people he now saw as wastrels - had its opening lyric changed before recording from "Don't talk to me about heroes - Most of these guys snort cocaine," to "Don't talk to me about heroes - most of these men sing like suggs
." (Ryder initially intended it to be 'Smurfs', but feared he could be breaching copyright). Another song on the album, "Temazi Party", mocked the then-current craze for abusing Temazepam
sleeping pills (a.k.a. 'jellies'), but was deliberately misspelt on the album sleeve as 'Tramazi' instead of 'Temazi' in order to forestall any legal injunction against the album's release.
It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah received critical acclaim in the UK
, but the group made little impact in the US
. However, Metallica
drummer Lars Ulrich
listed it as his favourite album of 1996. The album cover featured a picture of then-recently-imprisoned terrorist Carlos The Jackal
.
The subsequent album Stupid Stupid Stupid
was less favoured. The group split in 1998 after Ryder fired the rest of the band while touring, starting with Kermit (who was suffering from septicemia) and ending with Bez (who was unsatisfied with his financial situation).
On 2 February 2010, NME
reported that Ryder will be reforming Black Grape with Saber and Kermit for a concert as part of the 'Get Loaded In The Dark' gig series on 1 April at The Coronet in London.
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...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, featuring former members of Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
. The group's music was funky and eclectic, using varied instrumentation
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
and samples.
History
The band was formed in 1993 by former Happy MondaysHappy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
members Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
and Bez. It was Ryder's first musical project after the disintegration of Happy Mondays due both to his multiple drug addictions and to disagreements about revenues with other bandmembers. The formation of the new band was intended to draw a line between his past life and his new one. Ryder and Bez recruited rappers Kermit and Psycho, drummer Jed Lynch
Jed Lynch
Ged Lynch is an English percussionist and composer.Lynch had early commercial success drumming with the Ruthless Rap Assassins, which included Kermit. In 1989 he joined The Icicle Works. He and Kermit joined Shaun Ryder and Bez in Black Grape in 1993. They had a No...
, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Wags (formerly of the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-based group the Paris Angels
Paris Angels
Paris Angels were a seven piece band, hailing from Guide Bridge, Ashton-under-Lyne, England, associated with the Madchester scene of 1989 -1991. Their music fused indie guitars with electronic dance music...
). Recording of new material started that year, although the group was not under contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
In 1995 Black Grape was signed by Radioactive Records
Radioactive Records
Radioactive Records was an American record label. It was formed as a joint venture between talent manager Gary Kurfirst and MCA Records, and it is now out of business....
(an imprint of major label BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
) and released its debut album It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah
It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah
It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah is the first album by British band Black Grape. It was released in 1995. The album was seen as something of a triumphant comeback for both Shaun Ryder and Bez...
. It immediately charted
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
at number one in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and spawned three Top Twenty singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
.
The first single "Reverend Black Grape
Reverend Black Grape
For Reverend Black see The Rockin' Vickers"Reverend Black Grape" is a song which was released in May 1995 by UK band Black Grape. It was the first single to be taken from their debut album It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah and peaked at #9 in the UK chart.The song was co-produced by Danny...
" managed to outsell the Happy Mondays cover of John Kongos
John Kongos
John Kongos is a singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single, "He's Gonna Step On You Again".-Career:...
"(He's Gonna) Step On (You Again)".
The third single, "Kelly's Heroes" - a song lampooning society's obsession with celebrities and idols that had much to do with Ryder's own previous hero worship of people he now saw as wastrels - had its opening lyric changed before recording from "Don't talk to me about heroes - Most of these guys snort cocaine," to "Don't talk to me about heroes - most of these men sing like suggs
." (Ryder initially intended it to be 'Smurfs', but feared he could be breaching copyright). Another song on the album, "Temazi Party", mocked the then-current craze for abusing Temazepam
Temazepam
Temazepam is an intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine. It is mostly prescribed for the short-term treatment of sleeplessness in patients who have difficulty maintaining sleep...
sleeping pills (a.k.a. 'jellies'), but was deliberately misspelt on the album sleeve as 'Tramazi' instead of 'Temazi' in order to forestall any legal injunction against the album's release.
It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah received critical acclaim in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but the group made little impact in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
drummer Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
listed it as his favourite album of 1996. The album cover featured a picture of then-recently-imprisoned terrorist Carlos The Jackal
Carlos the Jackal
Ilich Ramírez Sánchez , better known as Carlos the Jackal, is a Venezuelan pro-Palestinian currently serving a life sentence in France for shooting to death two French secret agents and a Lebanese informer in 1975....
.
The subsequent album Stupid Stupid Stupid
Stupid Stupid Stupid
Stupid Stupid Stupid was the second and final album by British band Black Grape. It was released in 1997. The original UK CD release of the album had hollow plastic "googly eyes" glued to the front of the CD cover...
was less favoured. The group split in 1998 after Ryder fired the rest of the band while touring, starting with Kermit (who was suffering from septicemia) and ending with Bez (who was unsatisfied with his financial situation).
On 2 February 2010, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
reported that Ryder will be reforming Black Grape with Saber and Kermit for a concert as part of the 'Get Loaded In The Dark' gig series on 1 April at The Coronet in London.
Albums
- It's Great When You're Straight... YeahIt's Great When You're Straight... YeahIt's Great When You're Straight... Yeah is the first album by British band Black Grape. It was released in 1995. The album was seen as something of a triumphant comeback for both Shaun Ryder and Bez...
(1995) #1 UK - Stupid Stupid StupidStupid Stupid StupidStupid Stupid Stupid was the second and final album by British band Black Grape. It was released in 1997. The original UK CD release of the album had hollow plastic "googly eyes" glued to the front of the CD cover...
(1997) #11 UK
Singles
- "Reverend Black GrapeReverend Black GrapeFor Reverend Black see The Rockin' Vickers"Reverend Black Grape" is a song which was released in May 1995 by UK band Black Grape. It was the first single to be taken from their debut album It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah and peaked at #9 in the UK chart.The song was co-produced by Danny...
" (1995) #9 UK - "In the Name of the Father" (1995) #8 UK
- "Kelly's Heroes" (1995) #17 UK
- "Fat Neck" (1996) #10 UK
- "England's Irie" (1996) #6 UK
- "Get Higher" (1997) #24 UK
- "Marbles" (1998) - #46 UK