Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
Encyclopedia
Ellis, Beggs & Howard were an English
rock band
operating between 1987 and 1990.
(keyboards
and programming), Nick Beggs
(bass guitar
and Chapman stick
), and Austin Howard (vocals
). They were augmented by Paul Harvey
on guitar
, Robbie France
on drums
and Harry Sutcliffe on keyboards
and programming. They experimented with several other guitarists, including Marty Williamson, Keith Airey and Sabu Bugaban.
EBH started in late 1987 by playing a few low-key gigs
in London. They featured in the NME
sponsored shows at The Greyhound in Fulham
, and a performance at the nightclub
, Heaven
, and later in bigger arena
s.
Initially, the press
were sceptical about the merits of the band, simply because of Beggs' previous link with Kajagoogoo
.. However EBH found success in Continental Europe
. Their first single
, "Big Bubbles, No Troubles" (produced
by Ralph Ruppert
and Lux), was a hit
in 1988, receiving several awards in many countries, although it reached number 41 in the UK Singles Chart
.
After they appeared on the Night Network
television program
me, the press was inundated with critical mail, often accusing them of miming.
After the failure of their first album
, Homelands, in the United Kingdom
, and despite its success elsewhere in Europe, tensions in the band became overwhelming. Nevertheless, from 1989 they recorded the basic tracks of what was to have been their second album with the Fleetwood Mac
Mobile, at the Eazee Hire rehearsal complex in London. The album was not released by a label at the time, although Beggs made it available several years later as a home-grown CD
release entitled The Lost Years Vol. 1. The album is notable for contributions from Warren Cuccurullo
and Robert Fripp
.
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...
rock 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...
operating between 1987 and 1990.
Career
Ellis, Beggs & Howard (EBH) were made up of Simon EllisSimon Ellis
Simon Ellis is a musical director who has worked with Britney Spears, S Club 7 and East 17.-External links:**...
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A 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...
and programming), Nick Beggs
Nick Beggs
Nick Beggs is a British musician, noted for playing the bass guitar and the Chapman Stick; he is a member of Kajagoogoo and formerly Iona and Ellis, Beggs, & Howard.-Personal life:...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Chapman stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
), and Austin Howard (vocals
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...
). They were augmented by Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey (artist)
Paul Harvey is a British musician and Stuckist artist, whose work was used to promote their 2004 show at the Liverpool Biennial. His paintings draw on pop art and the work of Alphonse Mucha, and often depict celebrities, including Madonna....
on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Robbie France
Robbie France
Robbie France is an English drummer, producer, arranger, journalist, music educator, and broadcaster.-Early life and career: Australia:...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and Harry Sutcliffe on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A 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...
and programming. They experimented with several other guitarists, including Marty Williamson, Keith Airey and Sabu Bugaban.
EBH started in late 1987 by playing a few low-key gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in London. They featured in the 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...
sponsored shows at The Greyhound in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, and a performance at the nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Heaven
Heaven (nightclub)
Heaven is a Superclub in London, England which appeals predominantly to the gay market. It is located underneath Charing Cross railway station in Central London, just off Trafalgar Square.-Early history:...
, and later in bigger arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s.
Initially, 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...
were sceptical about the merits of the band, simply because of Beggs' previous link with Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
.. However EBH found success in Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. Their first single
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...
, "Big Bubbles, No Troubles" (produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Ralph Ruppert
Ralph Ruppert
Ralph Ruppert , a German Record Producer relocated from Frankfurt, Germany to London in August 1985. He signed an exclusive Producers contract with CBS Records to produce the Berlin/Liverpool duo Picnic At The Whitehouse, a studio project formed by Berlin based keyboardist Ilfo' Debusmann...
and Lux), was a 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...
in 1988, receiving several awards in many countries, although it reached number 41 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 ...
.
After they appeared on the Night Network
Night Network
Night Network, Night Time and Night Shift were names given to the overnight schedule of the ITV network in the United Kingdom. The first ITV company began 24 hour broadcasting in 1986, with all of the companies broadcasting through the night by 1988...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me, the press was inundated with critical mail, often accusing them of miming.
After the failure of their first 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...
, Homelands, 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...
, and despite its success elsewhere in Europe, tensions in the band became overwhelming. Nevertheless, from 1989 they recorded the basic tracks of what was to have been their second album with the Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
Mobile, at the Eazee Hire rehearsal complex in London. The album was not released by a label at the time, although Beggs made it available several years later as a home-grown CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
release entitled The Lost Years Vol. 1. The album is notable for contributions from Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...
and Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
.