Cosmic Rough Riders
Encyclopedia
The Cosmic Rough Riders are a pop
/rock
band
from Glasgow
, United Kingdom
. They were originally formed in 1998 by Daniel Wylie and Stephen Fleming, and later they were joined by Mark Brown and James Clifford. To date they have recorded
five album
s, and had four singles
in the UK Top 40.
located in Glasgow
's Castlemilk
housing scheme. The latter album earned rave reviews from established British
publications such as Q
, NME
, and Mojo
, and mimicked the debut by selling out its first pressing of 3,000. Both albums were distributed by Shell Shock Distribution, and both also earned a place in Virgin's Encyclopaedia of the Greatest Albums of All Time.
Cosmic Rough Riders signed a one album license deal with Poptones Records, the newly-formed label of ex-Creation Records
boss Alan McGee
, who released the band's third album, Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine
in November 2000, actually a compilation
of songs from Panorama and Deliverance.
Single releases in 2001 earned them increasing numbers of fans
in the press
. Their single "Revolution (In the Summertime?)
" was released and went into the UK Singles Chart, scoring them their first Top 40 hit
and debut on BBC Television
's Top of the Pops
. This was immediately followed into the chart
by "The Pain Inside", giving them back-to-back Top 40 hit single success.
By the end of 2001, the album Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine had achieved silver
status (sales of 60,000) in the UK
and it was named by Q magazine
as one of the 50 best albums of the year.
In March 2002, founder member of Cosmic Rough Riders, Stephen Fleming added lead vocals to his duties when original singer
, Daniel Wylie, left to pursue a solo
career. The release in September 2002 of the rarities and b-sides
album, Pure Escapism, was the closing of one chapter in the band's story.
June 2003 saw the release of "Because You". It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 34 - becoming the band's third successive Top 40 hit and their highest entry yet.
The self-written and self-produced album, Too Close to See Far was released by Measured Records
in July 2003. The entire album was play-listed by BBC Radio 2
and on its release, entered the UK's official independent chart at number 7. A second single from the album was released in September 2003, and "Justify the Rain" entered the UK Singles Chart, giving the band four Top 40 hits in a row. 2003 ended with Cosmic Rough Riders being the recipients of the best newcomer award at the Tartan Clef Awards ceremony, an event that raised over £100,000 for the charity
, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. The band were presented with their award by Scotland's First Minister
, Jack McConnell
.
During 2005 the band wrote and recorded a new album, The Stars Look Different from Down Here, in southern Spain
. The album was released in May 2006.
music festival
s including Carling Weekend, Glasgow Green
and T In The Park
. The band have played at the Norwegian
festival Quart
; plus two Japanese festivals, Summersonic and Fuji Rock. They have appeared as guests of several other touring artists, including the Black Crowes
, Ocean Colour Scene
, Stereophonics
, Paul Weller, Robert Plant
, Lenny Kravitz
, and were twice invited to appear as special guests of U2
when they performed in Scotland
. When they made a special appearance at Glasgow Barrowlands as part of a show paying tribute to the Scottish
singer-songwriter
Frankie Miller
, they were joined onstage by Joe Walsh
(The Eagles). He played guitar on the track "When I'm Away From You", recorded by Cosmic Rough Riders, and released on a Frankie Miller tribute album
.
Pop 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...
/rock
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
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...
from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 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...
. They were originally formed in 1998 by Daniel Wylie and Stephen Fleming, and later they were joined by Mark Brown and James Clifford. To date they have recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
five 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...
s, and had four 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...
in the UK Top 40.
Recording history
They self-released the albums Deliverance (1999) and Panorama (2000), both having been recorded in a community funded recording studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
located in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
's Castlemilk
Castlemilk
Castlemilk is a district of Glasgow, Scotland. It lies to the south of the city adjacent to Rutherglen, Croftfoot, Simshill and the separate village of Carmunnock...
housing scheme. The latter album earned rave reviews from established British
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...
publications such as Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, 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...
, and Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, and mimicked the debut by selling out its first pressing of 3,000. Both albums were distributed by Shell Shock Distribution, and both also earned a place in Virgin's Encyclopaedia of the Greatest Albums of All Time.
Cosmic Rough Riders signed a one album license deal with Poptones Records, the newly-formed label of ex-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...
, who released the band's third album, Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine
Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine
Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine is a collection of songs by Cosmic Rough Riders, featuring tracks from their first two self-financed albums as well as three new tracks. The album was put together by Alan McGee's Poptones label as a starting point for mainstream listeners...
in November 2000, actually a compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of songs from Panorama and Deliverance.
Single releases in 2001 earned them increasing numbers of fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
in the press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
. Their single "Revolution (In the Summertime?)
Revolution (In the Summertime?)
"Revolution " is a song by the Scottish rock band Cosmic Rough Riders. Released in 2001, it was one of two Top 40 hits for the band that year, along with "The Pain Inside".-Track listing:# "Revolution "# "Move Along"...
" was released and went into the UK Singles Chart, scoring them their first Top 40 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
and debut on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. This was immediately followed into the chart
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....
by "The Pain Inside", giving them back-to-back Top 40 hit single success.
By the end of 2001, the album Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine had achieved silver
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,...
status (sales of 60,000) 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...
and it was named by Q magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
as one of the 50 best albums of the year.
In March 2002, founder member of Cosmic Rough Riders, Stephen Fleming added lead vocals to his duties when original singer
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...
, Daniel Wylie, left to pursue a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. The release in September 2002 of the rarities and b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
album, Pure Escapism, was the closing of one chapter in the band's story.
June 2003 saw the release of "Because You". It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 34 - becoming the band's third successive Top 40 hit and their highest entry yet.
The self-written and self-produced album, Too Close to See Far was released by Measured Records
Measured Records
Measured Records is an independent record label which forms part of the hub that is the Measured Group. Also included are No Half Measures Ltd. and Measured Music ....
in July 2003. The entire album was play-listed by BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and on its release, entered the UK's official independent chart at number 7. A second single from the album was released in September 2003, and "Justify the Rain" entered the UK Singles Chart, giving the band four Top 40 hits in a row. 2003 ended with Cosmic Rough Riders being the recipients of the best newcomer award at the Tartan Clef Awards ceremony, an event that raised over £100,000 for the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. The band were presented with their award by Scotland's First Minister
First Minister
A First Minister is the leader of a government cabinet.-Canada:In Canada, "First Ministers" is a collective term that refers to all Canadian first ministers of the Crown, otherwise known as heads of government, including the Prime Minister of Canada and the provincial and territorial premiers...
, Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
.
During 2005 the band wrote and recorded a new album, The Stars Look Different from Down Here, in southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The album was released in May 2006.
Touring history
The Cosmic Rough Riders have performed at major UKUnited 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...
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
s including Carling Weekend, Glasgow Green
Glasgow Green
Glasgow Green is a park situated in the east end of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde. It is the oldest park in the city dating back to the 15th century.In 1450, King James II granted the land to Bishop William Turnbull and the people of Glasgow...
and T In The Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
. The band have played at the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
festival Quart
Quart
The quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...
; plus two Japanese festivals, Summersonic and Fuji Rock. They have appeared as guests of several other touring artists, including the Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
, Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, Paul Weller, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, and were twice invited to appear as special guests of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
when they performed in Scotland
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...
. When they made a special appearance at Glasgow Barrowlands as part of a show paying tribute to the Scottish
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...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Frankie Miller
Frankie Miller
Frankie Miller is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter, who had his biggest success in the 1970s. Miller was raised at Colvend Street, Glasgow with his parents, Cathy and Frank, and elder sisters Letty and Anne. Miller attended Sacred Heart Primary school. He was an altar boy in Sacred Heart Chapel...
, they were joined onstage by Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
(The Eagles). He played guitar on the track "When I'm Away From You", recorded by Cosmic Rough Riders, and released on a Frankie Miller tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
.
Albums
- Deliverance (1999)
- Panorama (2000)
- Enjoy the Melodic SunshineEnjoy the Melodic SunshineEnjoy the Melodic Sunshine is a collection of songs by Cosmic Rough Riders, featuring tracks from their first two self-financed albums as well as three new tracks. The album was put together by Alan McGee's Poptones label as a starting point for mainstream listeners...
(2000) - Pure Escapism (2002) (Japanese Edition)
- Too Close to See Far (2003)
- The Stars Look Different From Down Here (2006)
Singles
- "Melanie" (February 2001) UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#111 - "Baby, You're So Free" (April 2001) UK #76
- "Revolution (In the Summertime?)Revolution (In the Summertime?)"Revolution " is a song by the Scottish rock band Cosmic Rough Riders. Released in 2001, it was one of two Top 40 hits for the band that year, along with "The Pain Inside".-Track listing:# "Revolution "# "Move Along"...
" (July 2001) UK #35 - "The Pain Inside" (September 2001) UK #36
- "Because You" (June 2003) UK #34
- "Justify the Rain" (September 2003) UK #39
- "In Time" (May 2006)
- "When You Come Around" (July 2006)