Breathe (band)
Encyclopedia
Breathe were a London
based group
formed in the early 1980s.
called Catch 22, all the members were actually childhood friends who went to Yateley School together in Hampshire
where they lived. They later trimmed down to a quartet
. Phill Harrison (bass) left to join the Fire Brigade. In 1984 singer David Glasper, guitarist
Marcus Lillington, drummer
Ian "Spike" Spice, and bass guitar
ist Michael "Mick" Delahunty began working on some demos
. Those tunes
were introduced to personnel from the label
Siren Records
, and that lead to a recording contract
with A&M Records
. They released the album
, All That Jazz
, in 1987. This contained their two best-known hits, "How Can I Fall?
" and "Hands to Heaven
". The former charted on the Billboard Hot 100
at #3, and the latter at #2 in 1988 and at number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
. "Hands" also ranked inside Billboard's 1988 Year-End Top 10 at #9.
Bassist
Michael Delahunty left the group in 1988 as they were about to reach the peak of their success, and the remaining three continued with promotion for the All That Jazz album and singles. Afterward, they continued in this line-up with the lesser known Peace of Mind in early 1990.
Their sound was a combination of light jazz
with some pop
and soul
, somewhat reminiscent of Air Supply
or even Rick Astley
. However, their success was short-lived. Sales were low even though many radio station
s played some tracks from the second release, Peace of Mind. They disbanded because major record labels did not continue to promote them.
After 2000, David Glasper returned to singing
, setting up a MySpace
account with two demos
. Marcus Lillington and Phil Harrison still play together in 'Stroke the Toad'.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in the early 1980s.
Career
Originally a larger, five-person bandBand (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...
called Catch 22, all the members were actually childhood friends who went to Yateley School together in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
where they lived. They later trimmed down to a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
. Phill Harrison (bass) left to join the Fire Brigade. In 1984 singer David Glasper, 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...
Marcus Lillington, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Ian "Spike" Spice, and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Michael "Mick" Delahunty began working on some demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. Those tunes
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
were introduced to personnel from the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Siren Records
Siren Records
Siren Records is an independent music label based in Auckland, New Zealand. It was formed in 2000 by Adrien de Croy , and Tracy Magan Siren Records is an independent music label based in Auckland, New Zealand. It was formed in 2000 by Adrien de Croy (owner of York Street Recording Studios), and...
, and that lead to a recording 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...
with A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. They released the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, All That Jazz
All That Jazz (Breathe album)
All That Jazz is the title of the debut album by the British pop group Breathe, released in April 1988. The album peaked at #22 on the UK Albums Chart and at #34 on the US albums chart. It has been certified Silver in the UK by the BPI and Gold in the US by the RIAA.The group's first single, "Don't...
, in 1987. This contained their two best-known hits, "How Can I Fall?
How Can I Fall?
"How Can I Fall?" is the title of a 1988 song by the British pop group Breathe. The song was written by group members David Glasper and Marcus Lillington and appears on their debut album, All That Jazz....
" and "Hands to Heaven
Hands to Heaven
"Hands to Heaven" is the title of a popular song released in 1987 and peaking on the charts in 1988 by the British pop group Breathe...
". The former charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at #3, and the latter at #2 in 1988 and at number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. "Hands" also ranked inside Billboard's 1988 Year-End Top 10 at #9.
Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Michael Delahunty left the group in 1988 as they were about to reach the peak of their success, and the remaining three continued with promotion for the All That Jazz album and singles. Afterward, they continued in this line-up with the lesser known Peace of Mind in early 1990.
Their sound was a combination of light jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
with some pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, somewhat reminiscent of Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
or even Rick Astley
Rick Astley
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...
. However, their success was short-lived. Sales were low even though many radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s played some tracks from the second release, Peace of Mind. They disbanded because major record labels did not continue to promote them.
After 2000, David Glasper returned to singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, setting up a MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
account with two demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. Marcus Lillington and Phil Harrison still play together in 'Stroke the Toad'.
Personnel
- David Glasper (vocals) - born 4 January 1965, CardiganCardigan, CeredigionCardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
, Mid WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. - Marcus Lillington (guitars, keyboards) - born 28 February 1967, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Now works at webInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
firm, Headscape, and co-hosts web design podcastPodcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, Boagworld.com. He plays guitar and sings in the band Stroke the Toad. - Spike (drums) - born Ian Spice, 18 September 1966 - died 2000.
- Michael Delahunty (bass) - band member 1984-1989.
- Steve Price-Wardley (keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
) - born in TrinidadTrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and educated at CharterhouseCharterhouse SchoolCharterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
. Later formed an indieIndie (music)In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
record label with Will Crichton-Stuart. - Phill Harrison (bass, guitar) - born 29 October 1966 - Bass player, Stroke the Toad - Leads 'Symmetry', an ongoing project with various musicians, owns Fluke Productions (.co.uk)
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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| All That Jazz All That Jazz (Breathe album) All That Jazz is the title of the debut album by the British pop group Breathe, released in April 1988. The album peaked at #22 on the UK Albums Chart and at #34 on the US albums chart. It has been certified Silver in the UK by the BPI and Gold in the US by the RIAA.The group's first single, "Don't... |
|
22 | 12 | 34 |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Silver Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold |
||||
| Peace of Mind |
|
— | — | 116 | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
NZ |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC |
||||||||
| 1987 | "Don't Tell Me Lies Don't Tell Me Lies "Don't Tell Me Lies" is the title of the debut single by the British pop group Breathe. It was written by group members David Glasper and Marcus Lillington .... " |
77 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 5 | All That Jazz | |||||
| "Hands to Heaven Hands to Heaven "Hands to Heaven" is the title of a popular song released in 1987 and peaking on the charts in 1988 by the British pop group Breathe... " |
4 | 29 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| 1988 | "Jonah" | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "How Can I Fall? How Can I Fall? "How Can I Fall?" is the title of a 1988 song by the British pop group Breathe. The song was written by group members David Glasper and Marcus Lillington and appears on their debut album, All That Jazz.... " |
48 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||||||
| 1989 | "Any Trick" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "All This I Should Have Known" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | |||||||
| 1990 | "Say Hello" | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Peace of Mind | |||||
| "Say a Prayer" | 93 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 3 | |||||||
| 1991 | "Does She Love That Man?" | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 17 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
External links
- [ Breathe biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- [ Breathe discography] at Allmusic website
- Unofficial Breathe Homepage