Catatonia (band)
Encyclopedia
Catatonia were an alternative rock
band from Wales
who gained a national following in the United Kingdom
in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews
on vocals, Mark Roberts
on guitar, Paul Jones on bass (both now members of Y Ffyrc
, and former members of Sherbet Antlers
and Y Cyrff
), Owen Powell (who is a judge on 'Wawffactor
' – akin to a Welsh X Factor
) on guitar, and Aled Richards (who now drums for Amy Wadge
) on drums. Matthews and Roberts were the main songwriters.
) on keyboards, Daisy Hewitt as a harmony singer, Dafydd Ieuan
and Kris Jenkins (of Super Furry Animals
) on drums and percussion, before settling down to the "classic" line up in 1995.
It is rumoured that Matthews and Roberts first met in Cardiff
when she was busking
. They hit it off and began writing songs together in 1992. For four years after this they were also in a relationship, many aspects of this being played out publicly in their lyrics.
The couple came across the word catatonia
, believing it to mean a sense of extreme pleasure and sleep, and the band was subsequently originally called 'Sweet Catatonia'. On discovering the real meaning of the word (i.e. a psychiatric symptom of certain mental disorders) they dropped the prefix 'sweet'.
and underground
indie rock
. Their songs are characterized by clever lyrics and Matthews' enticing, raspy, prominently Welsh accented vocals, which made her something of a sex symbol
.
, were proudly, or at least happily, Welsh. The chorus of the (mostly Welsh
) song International Velvet declares "Every day when I wake up, I thank the Lord I'm Welsh." This, they insisted, should not be taken too seriously, as they are more internationalists than nationalists (hence the name of their 1998 release, International Velvet). Catatonia, in fact, only ever released 5 Welsh
tracks - International Velvet being the only one to appear on a UK album (As well as Gyda Gwen, which was a hidden track on their debut album "Way Beyond Blue". The others appeared as B sides and on EP
collections.
. During promotional appearances for this album it became clear that Matthews was not coping well with the increased pressure, suffering from anxiety and nervous exhaustion which resulted in the cancellation of several tour dates and a deterioration in the relationships between the band members. On 21 September 2001, the band officially split.
, in May 2003. Her second album Never Said Goodbye was released in August 2006. In November 2007 she released a mini-album of Welsh language songs Awyren=Aeroplane on the My Kung Fu
label. Matthews returned in late 2009 as the first recording artist to release albums simultaneously in both Welsh and English (Paid Edrych I Lawr and Don't Look Down, respectively). At the same time she released her Moon Songs EP, featuring four English-language tracks which were recorded in the Don't Look Down sessions, but didn't make the album track listing.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Wales
Wales
Wales 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...
who gained a national following in the United Kingdom
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...
in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
on vocals, Mark Roberts
Mark Roberts (singer)
Mark Roberts sang and played the guitar during his teenage years in the local Welsh band, Y Cyrff. He then met Cerys Matthews and formed Catatonia along with Paul Jones....
on guitar, Paul Jones on bass (both now members of Y Ffyrc
Y Ffyrc
Y Ffyrc are a Welsh pop group, comprising Mark Roberts and Paul Jones, who formerly played together in Y Cyrff, Catatonia and Sherbet Antlers....
, and former members of Sherbet Antlers
Sherbet Antlers
Sherbet Antlers was a Welsh rock band, formed by Mark Roberts and Paul Jones, former members of the band Catatonia, together with John Griffiths and Kevs Ford from the Welsh dance pioneer band Llwybr Llaethog....
and Y Cyrff
Y Cyrff
Y Cyrff were a popular Welsh language indie band in the 1980s. They came from Llanrwst, Conwy, and their line-up included Mark Roberts , Barry Cawley , Paul Jones and Dylan Hughes . Dylan left to join Welsh punks Yr Anhrefn and Mark Kendall took Dylan's place...
), Owen Powell (who is a judge on 'Wawffactor
Wawffactor
Wawffactor was a Welsh television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions...
' – akin to a Welsh X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
) on guitar, and Aled Richards (who now drums for Amy Wadge
Amy Wadge
-Early life and musical beginnings:Amy Wadge was born and brought up in Backwell, a small village just outside Bristol, England. Her father's passion for music influenced Amy enormously and she was exposed to the sounds of everyone from The Beatles to Elton John, Pink Floyd to Joni Mitchell, from...
) on drums. Matthews and Roberts were the main songwriters.
Formation
Initially the line up fluctuated, at various times including Clancy Pegg (later of TystionTystion
Tystion was a Welsh language hip hop band from Wales.- Background :In 1996, MC Sleifar and G Man got together and released a few cassettes themselves...
) on keyboards, Daisy Hewitt as a harmony singer, Dafydd Ieuan
Dafydd Ieuan
Dafydd Ieuan is the drummer with the band, Super Furry Animals and The Peth. He currently lives in Cardiff with his wife Debbie, and their two children Cai and Lleucu....
and Kris Jenkins (of Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
) on drums and percussion, before settling down to the "classic" line up in 1995.
It is rumoured that Matthews and Roberts first met in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
when she was busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
. They hit it off and began writing songs together in 1992. For four years after this they were also in a relationship, many aspects of this being played out publicly in their lyrics.
The couple came across the word catatonia
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
, believing it to mean a sense of extreme pleasure and sleep, and the band was subsequently originally called 'Sweet Catatonia'. On discovering the real meaning of the word (i.e. a psychiatric symptom of certain mental disorders) they dropped the prefix 'sweet'.
Sound
Catatonia deliberately tried to make their songs accessible to a broad audience, while at the same time not shying away from original, experimental, or even potentially abrasive sounds. The result was a mix of hooky popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. Their songs are characterized by clever lyrics and Matthews' enticing, raspy, prominently Welsh accented vocals, which made her something of a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
.
Welsh music
The band, in its music, lyrics, and PRPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, were proudly, or at least happily, Welsh. The chorus of the (mostly Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
) song International Velvet declares "Every day when I wake up, I thank the Lord I'm Welsh." This, they insisted, should not be taken too seriously, as they are more internationalists than nationalists (hence the name of their 1998 release, International Velvet). Catatonia, in fact, only ever released 5 Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
tracks - International Velvet being the only one to appear on a UK album (As well as Gyda Gwen, which was a hidden track on their debut album "Way Beyond Blue". The others appeared as B sides and on EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
collections.
Success
After their rise to fame with their second album "International Velvet", and subsequent success with third release "Equally Cursed And Blessed" they returned in 2001 with their fourth studio album Paper Scissors StonePaper Scissors Stone (album)
Paper Scissors Stone was the fourth and final album by Welsh band Catatonia. It was released on August 6, 2001 in the UK, and reached #6 on the UK album chart....
. During promotional appearances for this album it became clear that Matthews was not coping well with the increased pressure, suffering from anxiety and nervous exhaustion which resulted in the cancellation of several tour dates and a deterioration in the relationships between the band members. On 21 September 2001, the band officially split.
Solo career
Matthews went on to release her first solo album, CockahoopCockahoop
Cockahoop is Cerys Matthews' first solo album, released in 2003. It went to #30 in the UK .-Track listing:#"Chardonnay" – 3:04...
, in May 2003. Her second album Never Said Goodbye was released in August 2006. In November 2007 she released a mini-album of Welsh language songs Awyren=Aeroplane on the My Kung Fu
My Kung Fu
My Kung Fu is an independent record label based in Cardiff, United Kingdom.Currently signed artists include Soft Hearted Scientists and Truckers Of Husk...
label. Matthews returned in late 2009 as the first recording artist to release albums simultaneously in both Welsh and English (Paid Edrych I Lawr and Don't Look Down, respectively). At the same time she released her Moon Songs EP, featuring four English-language tracks which were recorded in the Don't Look Down sessions, but didn't make the album track listing.
Studio albums
| Year | Details | Peak chart position | 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 thresholds) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
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... |
IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
NZL |
|||
| 1996 | Way Beyond Blue Way Beyond Blue Way Beyond Blue is the debut album by Welsh band Catatonia. It has been seen by many fans as being something of an early greatest hits compilation, as many of the tracks have either been released previously and/or re-recorded with previous members and different producers...
|
32 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1998 | International Velvet
|
1 | 27 | — | 39 | 32 |
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... : 3x Platinum |
| 1999 | Equally Cursed and Blessed Equally Cursed and Blessed Equally Cursed and Blessed is the third album by Welsh band Catatonia, released in April 1999 via Blanco y Negro Records. Like its predecessor, International Velvet, it reached number one in the UK Album Chart... Atlantic Records Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... |
1 | 48 | — | — | 28 |
|
| 2001 | Paper Scissors Stone Paper Scissors Stone (album) Paper Scissors Stone was the fourth and final album by Welsh band Catatonia. It was released on August 6, 2001 in the UK, and reached #6 on the UK album chart.... |
6 | — | 55 | 37 | — |
|
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Details | Peak chart position | 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 thresholds) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
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... |
IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
NZL |
|||
| 1995 | The Sublime Magic of Catatonia The Sublime Magic of Catatonia The Sublime Magic Of Catatonia is a compilation of singles and EPs released by the band Catatonia. It combined tracks from the Bleed and Whale singles and the Hooked EP. The first five tracks on this release were later re-recorded for the band's first album, Way Beyond Blue...
|
— | — | — | — | — | |
| 1998 | The Crai-EPs 1993/1994 The Crai-EPs 1993/1994 The Crai-EPs 1993/1994 is a compilation of two EPs released by the band Catatonia; For Tinkerbell and Hooked .... |
— | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | Greatest Hits Catatonia Greatest Hits (album) Catatonia's Greatest Hits is a compilation of the bands best known songs, mainly the singles, but also included collaborations between Cerys Matthews with Space and with Tom Jones himself .... |
24 | — | — | 43 | — | |
| 2006 | Platinum Collection Catatonia Platinum Collection (album) Catatonia's Platinum Collection is a compilation album of the bands songs ranging from 1994 to 2001.Although the band released a Greatest Hits in 2002... |
— | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||
Singles and EPs
| Year | Title | 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 ... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NZL |
||||
| 1993 | May | "For Tinkerbell" (EP) | — | — | — | — | Non-album EP |
| 1994 | Jun | "Hooked" (EP) | — | — | — | — | The Sublime Magic of Catatonia |
| Sep | "Whale" (vinyl-only) | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995 | Jan | "Bleed" | 158 | — | — | — | |
| Dec | "Christmas '95" (fan club vinyl)1 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| 1996 | Apr | "Sweet Catatonia" | 61 | — | — | — | Way Beyond Blue |
| Jul | "Lost Cat" | 41 | — | — | — | ||
| Oct | "Bleed" (re-issue) | 46 | — | — | — | ||
| 1997 | Feb | "You've Got A Lot To Answer For" | 35 | — | — | — | |
| Oct | "I Am the Mob I Am the Mob "I Am the Mob" is a song by Welsh rock band Catatonia from their album International Velvet. It became the band's second top 40 hit, peaking at No.40... " |
40 | — | — | — | International Velvet | |
| 1998 | Jan | "Mulder and Scully" | 3 | — | 17 | — | |
| May | "Road Rage" | 5 | 40 | 29 | — | ||
| Jul | "Strange Glue" | 11 | — | — | — | ||
| Oct | "Game On" | 33 | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | Apr | "Dead From the Waist Down" | 7 | — | — | 44 | Equally Cursed and Blessed |
| Jul | "Londinium" | 20 | — | — | — | ||
| Oct | "Karaoke Queen Karaoke Queen "Karaoke Queen" is a song by Welsh rock group Catatonia. Taken from the album, Equally Cursed and Blessed, and inspired by the talent-tv show Stars In Their Eyes.... " |
36 | — | — | — | ||
| 2000 | Mar | "Storm the Palace Storm The Palace Storm The Palace is an EP released only in Japan as a tour souvenir and promotional CD by the band Catatonia. The EP contained 7 tracks, studio and live, most of them having been previously released as B-sides on singles.-Track listing:... " (EP) |
— | — | — | — | |
| 2001 | Sep | "Stone by Stone" | 19 | — | — | — | Paper Scissors Stone |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||
- 1 - The A-side being "Blow the Millennium, Blow".
Miscellaneous / Promos
- "TouristTourist EPTourist is an EP release by the band Catatonia that was released in Japan to promote their upcoming album Way Beyond Blue. The first two tracks are from the main album, but all of the other tracks are B-sides; studio and live tracks.The final track "Cut You Inside" a demo, has not been released as...
" (Japan EP) - 1996 - "A's & B's Of CatatoniaA's & B's Of CatatoniaA's & B's Of Catatonia is a promotional EP CD released only in America by the band, Catatonia. As its title suggests, it contains A-Sides, "I Am The Mob" and "Bleed" and the rest of the tracks, B-Sides....
" (Promo EP) - 1998
External links
- Karaoke Queen A Spanish page with band biography, discography, media, polls and other info.
- New Bonhomie A Catatonia site with news, biography, lyrics, discography and other info.
- News report on the breakup of the band