Icicle Works
Encyclopedia
The Icicle Works were an English
alternative rock
band
of the 1980s. Named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction
author Frederik Pohl
, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool
's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia
' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen
and The Teardrop Explodes
to stardom.
(who had been in a couple of local rock bands including Elanor and Blind Owl) answered an advertisement for a musical collaborator placed by 20 year old Ian McNabb
. The two got together and started writing. They quickly added drummer Chris Sharrock
(who had previously drummed for the Cherry Boys), and began playing live shows as "The Icicle Works".
In 1981, the band recorded a six-song independently released cassette entitled Ascending. In 1982, they released the independent single "Nirvana", which made it to #15 on the UK's indie charts. The following year, the Icicle Works were signed to the Beggars Banquet
label, who issued the single "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)
" on their subsidiary label Situation Two
.
Later that year, The Icicle Works' released their biggest UK hit, 1983's "Love is a Wonderful Colour", which was a UK Top 15 single. Their debut eponymous album (1984) followed shortly thereafter, reached number 24 on the UK charts and entered the U.S. top 40. Also appearing on the U.S. top 40 singles charts at around the same time (and hitting the Canadian top twenty) was "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)", a retitled and slightly remixed version of the band's Situation Two release of 1983.
, The Doors
, and the Ramones
, amongst others.
In September 1984 the band issued the UK-only single "Hollow Horse", which flopped (though it later became a live favourite in the band's sets). A series of follow-up singles similarly missed the charts, including the Motown-flavoured "All The Daughters" and the folk-rock inspired "Seven Horses". Added to the live line-up around this time was keyboardist Chris "Tugsie" Turrill; Turrill was not an official member of the band, and did not play on any of their recordings. Prior to Turrill's arrival, both McNabb and Layhe had previously doubled up on instruments playing guitar, keyboard and percussion at live gigs. Layhe was often seen playing the octobans and McNabb occasionally played an open tuned guitar with his right hand and a keyboard with his left.
The band's second LP, The Small Price Of A Bicycle came out in mid-1985 to mild reviews. The album was a UK-only release—their US label, Arista Records
, dismissed the album as 'punk-rock demos' and declined to release it.
Beginning in 1986, though the band was still officially a trio, keyboardist Dave Green became an auxiliary member of The Icicle Works, replacing Turrill. Green both played at live shows and contributed to the band's recordings.
In early 1986, Beggars' Banquet compiled all the 12" mixes of the band's singles onto a UK-only LP entitled Seven Singles Deep, which hit #52 on the British album charts.
In July 1986, The Icicle Works had a top 75 chart hit with the almost punk-sounding "Understanding Jane", which peaked at #52. The pop-oriented follow-up single "Who Do You Want For Your Love" peaked at #54, and January 1987's "Evangeline" peaked at #53. All three songs found their way on to the 1987 album If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song, produced by Ian Broudie
. The album was released in both Britain and North America and hit #28 on the UK charts.
Later in 1987, The Icicle Works issued the single "High Time". It just missed the British top 75 (peaking at #76) but in 1988 it hit #13 on the newly created US Modern Rock charts.
The band's fourth studio album, Blind, was produced by McNabb and issued in 1988. The album featured 13 tracks in the UK and Canada, but the US version of the album featured a different track listing, slightly edited versions of a few songs, and a different cover. Still, both versions of the album contained "High Time" and the minor British hit "Little Girl Lost", which peaked at #59.
Accordingly, shortly after Blind was issued, drummer Chris Sharrock
departed to The La's
. Sharrock would later be a member of The Lightning Seeds, World Party
, and would also drum for Robbie Williams
, Del Amitri
, Eurythmics
, Oasis
and most recently joined Beady Eye
. Layhe also departed at this time and Beggars Banquet dropped the group from their roster.
McNabb continued to perform under the name The Icicle Works for a while. Dave Green was promoted to official membership status, although he would leave the band within a year. Zak Starkey
was added on drums for a time, and various keyboardists, bassists, and guitarists passed through before the band released their final album Permanent Damage (1990), recorded for Epic/Sony. By that time, the band's lineup was McNabb, bassist Roy Corkill, former 10cc
and Jethro Tull
drummer Paul Burgess, keyboardist Dave Baldwin, and backing vocalist Mark Revell.
This 'second-generation' version of The Icicle Works quietly broke up after Permanent Damage failed to chart, and Epic dropped the band.
McNabb's solo career officially began in 1991 with the release of the single Great Dreams of Heaven.
In 1992, a compilation called The Best of The Icicle Works was released, containing the best of their work from the Beggars Banquet years. Two years later, a live recording of a 1987 concert was issued.
and ex-Dodgy
drummer Matthew Priest, both of McNabb's long-time solo touring band. Original drummer Chris Sharrock had been invited to play with the revived group, but declined to participate.
The Icicle Works later appeared at GuilFest
2007 and played a nine-date UK tour in December 2007. However, certain shows on this tour were heavily criticized by fans on the Message Boards at www.ianmcnabb.com for their allegedly disorganised nature, especially with regards to McNabb's performance. Perhaps by way of an apology, McNabb and company played two free shows as 'The Icicle Works' in Liverpool in January 2008.
McNabb continued to play gigs as a solo artist throughout 2009 and 2010, but the McNabb/Corkhill/Naiff/Priest line-up played a series of 30th Anniversary gigs as The Icicle Works in 2011.
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...
alternative rock
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
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
of the 1980s. Named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Frederik Pohl
Frederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia
Neo-psychedelia
Neo-psychedelia is music that emulates or is heavily influenced by the psychedelic music of the 1960s. It began to be revived among British post-punk bands of the later 1970s and early 1980s and was taken up by groups including bands of the Paisley Underground and Madchester scenes, as well as...
' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
and The Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward" the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s, the group also launched the career of group frontman...
to stardom.
1980–1984: Formation and early years
The band was founded in Liverpool in 1980 when bassist Chris LayheChris Layhe
Chris Layhe is an English musician, and founding member of Liverpool alternative rock band, The Icicle Works.Signed to Beggar's Banquet, The Icicle Works had a handful of chart hits and toured the US and mainland Europe before the departure of original members Layhe and drummer Chris Sharrock in...
(who had been in a couple of local rock bands including Elanor and Blind Owl) answered an advertisement for a musical collaborator placed by 20 year old Ian McNabb
Ian McNabb
Robert Ian McNabb is a British singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool, England. He is known both for his work as leader and songwriter-in-chief of The Icicle Works in the 1980s, and his critically acclaimed solo career throughout from the early 1990s to date...
. The two got together and started writing. They quickly added drummer Chris Sharrock
Chris Sharrock
Chris Sharrock is an English drummer from Bebington, Merseyside, England who has a long history of being an official member of many noted British bands, including The Icicle Works, The La's, The Wild Swans, World Party, The Lightning Seeds, The Robbie Williams Band, Oasis, and Beady...
(who had previously drummed for the Cherry Boys), and began playing live shows as "The Icicle Works".
In 1981, the band recorded a six-song independently released cassette entitled Ascending. In 1982, they released the independent single "Nirvana", which made it to #15 on the UK's indie charts. The following year, the Icicle Works were signed to the Beggars Banquet
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
label, who issued the single "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)
Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)
"Birds Fly " was a hit single in 1984 written by Ian McNabb, produced by Hugh Jones and performed by The Icicle Works...
" on their subsidiary label Situation Two
Situation Two
Situation Two, aka Situation 2, was a record label created in 1981 by Peter Kent as an offshoot of the larger Beggars Banquet label. At the time, Beggars Banquet records were distributed by WEA Records; so, to appeal to the indie audience and to get releases into the indie charts, the Situation Two...
.
Later that year, The Icicle Works' released their biggest UK hit, 1983's "Love is a Wonderful Colour", which was a UK Top 15 single. Their debut eponymous album (1984) followed shortly thereafter, reached number 24 on the UK charts and entered the U.S. top 40. Also appearing on the U.S. top 40 singles charts at around the same time (and hitting the Canadian top twenty) was "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)", a retitled and slightly remixed version of the band's Situation Two release of 1983.
1985–1988: Touring years
After the release of their self-titled debut album the Icicle Works struggled to match their initial commercial success. However, they continued to receive critical acclaim as a live band and secured a loyal fan base both in the UK and abroad. Some have attributed the lack of commercial success to The Icicle Works' change in sound over the years, from an initial 'new wave' feel to a more straight-ahead (but then-unfashionable) rock sound inspired by Neil YoungNeil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, and the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, amongst others.
In September 1984 the band issued the UK-only single "Hollow Horse", which flopped (though it later became a live favourite in the band's sets). A series of follow-up singles similarly missed the charts, including the Motown-flavoured "All The Daughters" and the folk-rock inspired "Seven Horses". Added to the live line-up around this time was keyboardist Chris "Tugsie" Turrill; Turrill was not an official member of the band, and did not play on any of their recordings. Prior to Turrill's arrival, both McNabb and Layhe had previously doubled up on instruments playing guitar, keyboard and percussion at live gigs. Layhe was often seen playing the octobans and McNabb occasionally played an open tuned guitar with his right hand and a keyboard with his left.
The band's second LP, The Small Price Of A Bicycle came out in mid-1985 to mild reviews. The album was a UK-only release—their US label, Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, dismissed the album as 'punk-rock demos' and declined to release it.
Beginning in 1986, though the band was still officially a trio, keyboardist Dave Green became an auxiliary member of The Icicle Works, replacing Turrill. Green both played at live shows and contributed to the band's recordings.
In early 1986, Beggars' Banquet compiled all the 12" mixes of the band's singles onto a UK-only LP entitled Seven Singles Deep, which hit #52 on the British album charts.
In July 1986, The Icicle Works had a top 75 chart hit with the almost punk-sounding "Understanding Jane", which peaked at #52. The pop-oriented follow-up single "Who Do You Want For Your Love" peaked at #54, and January 1987's "Evangeline" peaked at #53. All three songs found their way on to the 1987 album If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song, produced by Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie is a British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer from Liverpool, England. After emerging from the post punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to form the short-lived groups Original Mirrors and Care in the early 1980s as well...
. The album was released in both Britain and North America and hit #28 on the UK charts.
Later in 1987, The Icicle Works issued the single "High Time". It just missed the British top 75 (peaking at #76) but in 1988 it hit #13 on the newly created US Modern Rock charts.
The band's fourth studio album, Blind, was produced by McNabb and issued in 1988. The album featured 13 tracks in the UK and Canada, but the US version of the album featured a different track listing, slightly edited versions of a few songs, and a different cover. Still, both versions of the album contained "High Time" and the minor British hit "Little Girl Lost", which peaked at #59.
1989–1991: New line-up and split
By the late 1980s, tensions within the group were increasing, allegedly due to McNabb's controlling ways. By 1988, in addition to writing virtually all of The Icicle Works' material (as well as singing and playing guitar) McNabb was also producing the group's records.Accordingly, shortly after Blind was issued, drummer Chris Sharrock
Chris Sharrock
Chris Sharrock is an English drummer from Bebington, Merseyside, England who has a long history of being an official member of many noted British bands, including The Icicle Works, The La's, The Wild Swans, World Party, The Lightning Seeds, The Robbie Williams Band, Oasis, and Beady...
departed to The La's
The La's
The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after...
. Sharrock would later be a member of The Lightning Seeds, World Party
World Party
World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
, and would also drum for Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, Del Amitri
Del Amitri
Del Amitri were a Scottish pop-rock guitar band, formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1983. The band grew out of Justin Currie's Jordanhill College School band and came together after teenager Currie placed an advertisement in the window of a music store asking for people who could play to contact him...
, Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and most recently joined Beady Eye
Beady Eye
Beady Eye are an English rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of vocalist Liam Gallagher, guitarist Gem Archer and guitarist Andy Bell, all former members of Oasis, rounded by drummer and percussionist Chris Sharrock who substituted for Oasis during their last tour in 2008/2009, before Oasis...
. Layhe also departed at this time and Beggars Banquet dropped the group from their roster.
McNabb continued to perform under the name The Icicle Works for a while. Dave Green was promoted to official membership status, although he would leave the band within a year. Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third...
was added on drums for a time, and various keyboardists, bassists, and guitarists passed through before the band released their final album Permanent Damage (1990), recorded for Epic/Sony. By that time, the band's lineup was McNabb, bassist Roy Corkill, former 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
and Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
drummer Paul Burgess, keyboardist Dave Baldwin, and backing vocalist Mark Revell.
This 'second-generation' version of The Icicle Works quietly broke up after Permanent Damage failed to chart, and Epic dropped the band.
McNabb's solo career officially began in 1991 with the release of the single Great Dreams of Heaven.
In 1992, a compilation called The Best of The Icicle Works was released, containing the best of their work from the Beggars Banquet years. Two years later, a live recording of a 1987 concert was issued.
2006–present: Revival
After having been a solo act for 15 years, in 2006 McNabb unexpectedly reactivated The Icicle Works name for a series of six UK concerts in October of that year. This version of the band consisted of McNabb, former 'second-generation' Icicle Works bassist Roy Corkill, and two new members: keyboard player Richard NaiffRichard Naiff
Richard Naiff is a pianist and flautist from London, England who has performed with the bands Soulsec, The Catacoustics, The Waterboys and The Icicle Works. Naiff is a classically trained musician, having joined the Guildhall School of Music at age ten...
and ex-Dodgy
Dodgy
Dodgy are an English power pop rock trio, that rose to prominence during the Britpop era of the 1990s, who are best known for their hits "Staying Out for the Summer", "If You're Thinking of Me", and "Good Enough"...
drummer Matthew Priest, both of McNabb's long-time solo touring band. Original drummer Chris Sharrock had been invited to play with the revived group, but declined to participate.
The Icicle Works later appeared at GuilFest
GuilFest
GuilFest, formerly the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues is a music festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford, England each July. The festival, like the larger Glastonbury Festival, features a range of genres including rock, folk, blues, and in recent years pop...
2007 and played a nine-date UK tour in December 2007. However, certain shows on this tour were heavily criticized by fans on the Message Boards at www.ianmcnabb.com for their allegedly disorganised nature, especially with regards to McNabb's performance. Perhaps by way of an apology, McNabb and company played two free shows as 'The Icicle Works' in Liverpool in January 2008.
McNabb continued to play gigs as a solo artist throughout 2009 and 2010, but the McNabb/Corkhill/Naiff/Priest line-up played a series of 30th Anniversary gigs as The Icicle Works in 2011.
Band members
- Ian McNabbIan McNabbRobert Ian McNabb is a British singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool, England. He is known both for his work as leader and songwriter-in-chief of The Icicle Works in the 1980s, and his critically acclaimed solo career throughout from the early 1990s to date...
– vocals, guitar, keyboards (1980–1990, 2006–present) - Chris Layhe – backing vocals, bass (1980–1988)
- Chris SharrockChris SharrockChris Sharrock is an English drummer from Bebington, Merseyside, England who has a long history of being an official member of many noted British bands, including The Icicle Works, The La's, The Wild Swans, World Party, The Lightning Seeds, The Robbie Williams Band, Oasis, and Beady...
– drums (1981–1988) - Roy Corkhill – bass (1988–1990, 2006–present)
- Zak StarkeyZak StarkeyZak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third...
– drums (1988) - Dave Green – keyboards (1988)
- Dave Baldwin – keyboards (1989–1990)
- Ged Lynch – drums (1989)
- Mark Revell – backing vocals (1990)
- Paul BurgessPaul BurgessPaul Burgess is an English rock drummer, notable for his association with a wide range of British rock and folk-rock bands...
– drums (1990) - Richard NaiffRichard NaiffRichard Naiff is a pianist and flautist from London, England who has performed with the bands Soulsec, The Catacoustics, The Waterboys and The Icicle Works. Naiff is a classically trained musician, having joined the Guildhall School of Music at age ten...
– keyboards (2006–present) - Matthew Priest – drums (2006–present)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
U.S. 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... |
||
| 1984 | The Icicle Works
|
24 | 40 |
| 1985 | The Small Price of a Bicycle
|
55 | – |
| 1987 | If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy, Sing His Song
|
28 | – |
| 1988 | Blind
|
40 | – |
| 1990 | Permanent Damage
|
– | – |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
U.S. 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... |
||
| 1985 | Seven Singles Deep
|
52 | – |
| 1992 | The Best of The Icicle Works
|
60 | – |
| 1994 | BBC Live in Concert
|
– | – |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
UK Indie UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
U.S. 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... |
U.S. Mod Rock Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
||||
| 1982 | "Nirvana" | – | 15 | – | – | Non-album single | A re-recorded version of this track can be heard on The Icicle Works. This version has never been issued on any LP or CD. |
| 1983 | "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) "Birds Fly " was a hit single in 1984 written by Ian McNabb, produced by Hugh Jones and performed by The Icicle Works... " |
90 | 2 | - | – | The Icicle Works | Original single release on Situation 2 label. Track later included on the UK version of The Icicle Works. |
| "Love is a Wonderful Colour" | 15 | – | – | – | |||
| 1984 | "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)"/"In the Cauldron of Love" | 53 | – | – | – | Double A-side. Both tracks included on the UK version of The Icicle Works. | |
| "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" | – | – | 37 | – | Retitled and remixed for the US, thus a distinctly different track than above. Track included on the US version of The Icicle Works. | ||
| "Hollow Horse" | 91 | – | – | – | The Small Price of a Bicycle | ||
| 1985 | "All the Daughters (Of Her Father's House)" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Seven Horses" | 80 | – | – | – | |||
| "It Makes No Difference" | – | – | – | – | Non-album single | Promo-only release, as "Melting Bear". Later issued as an Icicle Works B-side. | |
| "When It All Comes Down" | – | – | – | – | Non album single | 12" version later included on Seven Singles Deep. 7" version unavailable on any Icicle Works album. | |
| 1986 | "Rapids" | – | – | – | – | The Small Price of a Bicycle | Promo-only release. |
| "Understanding Jane" | 52 | – | – | – | If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy, Sing His Song | ||
| "Who Do You Want for Your Love?" | 54 | – | – | – | |||
| "Up Here in the North of England" | – | – | – | – | 12" single only. | ||
| 1987 | "Evangeline" | 53 | – | – | – | ||
| "Travelling Chest" | – | – | – | – | European release only. | ||
| "High Time" | 76 | – | – | 13 | Blind | ||
| 1988 | "The Kiss Off" | 76 | – | – | – | Also released as the lead track from the Numb EP. | |
| "Little Girl Lost" | 59 | – | – | – | |||
| "Here Comes Trouble" | 94 | – | – | – | |||
| 1990 | "Motorcycle Rider" | 73 | – | – | – | Permanent Damage | |
| "Melanie Still Hurts" | 82 | – | – | – | |||
| "I Still Want You" | 99 | – | – | – | |||
| 1992 | "Understanding Jane" ('92 version) | – | – | – | – | The Best of The Icicle Works |
Sources
- Whitburn, Joel (1987). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums. New York: Billboard Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-8230-7513-3
- Whitburn, Joel (1987). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (3rd ed.). New York: Billboard Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-8230-7520-6
- Official Discography at the Ian McNabb web page: http://www.ianmcnabb.com/discogw.htm
- Barwood, Tony. Liner notes to "The Icicle Works" (2006 reissue).