Inspiral Carpets
Encyclopedia
Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock
band from Oldham
in Greater Manchester
, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate. Their sound is based around psychedelic
keyboards and guitars.
(whose Ashton-under-Lyne
studio the band had been using for rehearsals). The band released two albums worth of demos in the 1980s, Waiting for Ours and Songs of Shallow Intensity, including songs that would later be re-recorded.
They came to prominence, alongside bands like The Stone Roses
and Happy Mondays
, in the 'Madchester
' scene of the late 1980s. After a flexi-disc featuring Garage Full Of Flowers given free with Manchester
's Debris
magazine in 1987, followed by the Cow cassette, their first release proper, the 1988 Planecrash EP
on the Playtime label received much airplay from Radio 1
DJ John Peel
, who asked the band to record a session for his show. At the time of their initial success, the band earned some notoriety for their squiggly-eyed cow 'Cool as Fuck
' T-shirts; a student at Oxford Polytechnic was prosecuted on obscenity charges for wearing one. They reworked their single "Find Out Why" as the theme tune to the 8:15 from Manchester
.
As their popularity grew, Playtime's distributor Red Rhino Records
went bust, leading the band to form their own label, Cow Records in March 1989, the labels' first release being the Trainsurfing EP. In the same year, Holt and Swift departed to form The Rainkings
, with the band recruiting Too Much Texas
singer Tom Hingley and Martin "Bungle" Walsh of The Next Step to replace them. After a handful of singles on their own label, the last of which, "Move", came close to the UK top 40, they signed a deal with Mute Records
, and immediately had their first top 40 chart success in the UK with "This Is How It Feels", which is a song about unemployment
and touches on themes of domestic violence. The single reached #14 in the singles chart, and debut album Life reached #2 in the album chart, both in 1990.
The following year's The Beast Inside was less well-received by critics, but still achieved a top 5 album chart placing. The "Caravan" and "Please be Cruel" singles only reached #30 and #50 respectively, and an attempt to crack the American market largely failed. The band did, however, gain a strong following in Portugal, Germany, and Argentina, with the band's 1992 album Revenge of the Goldfish becoming their most successful in those countries. The album peaked at number 17 in the UK, and spawned four UK hit singles. The next album, Devil Hopping (1994) reached number 10 in the album chart, with "Saturn 5" and "I Want You" giving them top 20 hits, from that LP. (The latter's single version featured Mark E. Smith
). Next single "Uniform" stalled at #51 and in 1995, after the release of a Singles collection, the band were dropped by Mute, and split up soon after.
, along with Jerry Kelly of The Lotus Eaters (the band later featured Steve and Paul Hanley of The Fall), while Boon formed The Clint Boon Experience
, releasing a string of singles on his own Artful label. Gill also formed a new band, Hustler who eventually changed their name to 'Proud Mary' naming themselves after a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival
. Proud Mary signed to Noel Gallagher's Big Brother label some years later, while Walsh moved into production, largely working on techno-dance music. Two of the band's roadies enjoyed musical success themselves; Van driver Mark Collins joined The Charlatans in 1991, while guitar technician Noel Gallagher
joined Oasis
.
only compilation of their b-sides and rarities. They played a tour in 2008 under the banner "Return Of The Cow", announcing that their own Cow Records label was to be revived.
Guitarist Graham Lambert states in an interview on the Cool As
box set that the band had tried numerous bass players before settling on Martyn Walsh, who was their thirteenth bass player.
* "Commercial Reign" did not appear on the UK release of Life. This is How it Feels was released in 1991 in the US.
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 Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate. Their sound is based around psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
keyboards and guitars.
1983-1995
Schoolfriends Lambert and Holt recruited drummer Craig Gill, and formed Inspiral Carpets in 1983, originally as a garage punk band. After various other members had come and gone, by 1987 the line-up included bassist David Swift and organist Clint BoonClint Boon
Clint Boon is an English musician and DJ. Boon originally rose to notability as the keyboards player with Inspiral Carpets.-Career:...
(whose Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
studio the band had been using for rehearsals). The band released two albums worth of demos in the 1980s, Waiting for Ours and Songs of Shallow Intensity, including songs that would later be re-recorded.
They came to prominence, alongside bands like The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
, in the 'Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
' scene of the late 1980s. After a flexi-disc featuring Garage Full Of Flowers given free with Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's Debris
Debris
Debris is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc. The singular form of debris is debris...
magazine in 1987, followed by the Cow cassette, their first release proper, the 1988 Planecrash 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...
on the Playtime label received much airplay from Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, who asked the band to record a session for his show. At the time of their initial success, the band earned some notoriety for their squiggly-eyed cow 'Cool as Fuck
Cool as Fuck
Cool as Fuck is a 1990 4 track EP by the Manchester baggy group Inspiral Carpets. It is also a slogan featured on a series of the band's tee-shirts, that were reputed to have sold more copies than their albums, combined....
' T-shirts; a student at Oxford Polytechnic was prosecuted on obscenity charges for wearing one. They reworked their single "Find Out Why" as the theme tune to the 8:15 from Manchester
8:15 from Manchester
8:15 from Manchester is a Saturday morning children's magazine show broadcast on BBC1 when Going Live! was between series.Broadcasting from Manchester, it was presented by Ross King and Charlotte Hindle. The first edition was broadcast on 21 April 1990. It was produced by Martyn Day...
.
As their popularity grew, Playtime's distributor Red Rhino Records
Red Rhino Records
Red Rhino Records, also known as Red Rhino, was a British record label which was developed by the independent record shop and wholesaler of the same name, all formed and run by "Tony K"...
went bust, leading the band to form their own label, Cow Records in March 1989, the labels' first release being the Trainsurfing EP. In the same year, Holt and Swift departed to form The Rainkings
The Rainkings
The Rainkings were an English indie rock band, formed in 1989 by former members of Inspiral Carpets and The Bodines. Stephen Holt had been the original singer in Inspiral Carpets, performing on their first few releases, including the Planecrash EP, but left, along with Dave Swift in 1989, forming...
, with the band recruiting Too Much Texas
Too Much Texas
Too Much Texas were a band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in the mid-eighties, and soon relocating to Oldham, Greater Manchester. They released one single on Ugly Man Records, which had previously released the original version of Black's hit single Wonderful Life and which was later home of I...
singer Tom Hingley and Martin "Bungle" Walsh of The Next Step to replace them. After a handful of singles on their own label, the last of which, "Move", came close to the UK top 40, they signed a deal with Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
, and immediately had their first top 40 chart success in the UK with "This Is How It Feels", which is a song about unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and touches on themes of domestic violence. The single reached #14 in the singles chart, and debut album Life reached #2 in the album chart, both in 1990.
The following year's The Beast Inside was less well-received by critics, but still achieved a top 5 album chart placing. The "Caravan" and "Please be Cruel" singles only reached #30 and #50 respectively, and an attempt to crack the American market largely failed. The band did, however, gain a strong following in Portugal, Germany, and Argentina, with the band's 1992 album Revenge of the Goldfish becoming their most successful in those countries. The album peaked at number 17 in the UK, and spawned four UK hit singles. The next album, Devil Hopping (1994) reached number 10 in the album chart, with "Saturn 5" and "I Want You" giving them top 20 hits, from that LP. (The latter's single version featured Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
). Next single "Uniform" stalled at #51 and in 1995, after the release of a Singles collection, the band were dropped by Mute, and split up soon after.
Post-split activities (1995-2003)
Hingley formed a new band, The LoversTom Hingley and the Lovers
The Lovers are a British punk rock band formed by singer Tom Hingley and brothers Steve Hanley and Paul Hanley - both former members of The Fall - with guitarist Jason Brown and keyboardist Kelly Wood....
, along with Jerry Kelly of The Lotus Eaters (the band later featured Steve and Paul Hanley of The Fall), while Boon formed The Clint Boon Experience
The Clint Boon Experience
The Clint Boon Experience, also known as CBX, are an English alternative rock band formed by Clint Boon after Inspiral Carpets disbanded in the mid 1990s...
, releasing a string of singles on his own Artful label. Gill also formed a new band, Hustler who eventually changed their name to 'Proud Mary' naming themselves after a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
. Proud Mary signed to Noel Gallagher's Big Brother label some years later, while Walsh moved into production, largely working on techno-dance music. Two of the band's roadies enjoyed musical success themselves; Van driver Mark Collins joined The Charlatans in 1991, while guitar technician Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
joined 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...
.
Reformation (2003-2011)
They re-formed in 2003, releasing a new single "Come Back Tomorrow" (recorded in 1995), a couple of sold-out tours and a number of new compilation records, most notably the Cool As box set. They have toured sporadically since, reuniting yet again in 2007 to tour in support of an iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
only compilation of their b-sides and rarities. They played a tour in 2008 under the banner "Return Of The Cow", announcing that their own Cow Records label was to be revived.
Hingley departs and Holt returns (2011)
In February 2011, Tom Hingley announced on Twitter that the Inspirals had split up. Clint Boon responded "Inspiral Carpets have not split up. It appears that one member has chosen to leave". In August 2011 they announced a reunion with original singer Stephen Holt. Their website states "Inspirals will be recording their first material in 15 years coupled with worldwide live concerts".Early line-up
- Stephen Holt - vocals
- Graham Lambert - guitars
- Dave Swift - bass
- Clint BoonClint BoonClint Boon is an English musician and DJ. Boon originally rose to notability as the keyboards player with Inspiral Carpets.-Career:...
- keyboards, vocals - Craig Gill - drums
Height of success
- Tom HingleyTom HingleyTom Hingley is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of the English rock band Inspiral Carpets.-Life:...
- vocals (born Thomas Hingley, on 9 July 1965, in OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
) - Graham Lambert - guitar - (born Graham Paul Lambert, on 10 July 1964, in ChaddertonChaddertonChadderton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire...
, OldhamMetropolitan Borough of OldhamThe Metropolitan Borough of Oldham is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 219,600, and spans . The borough is named after its largest town, Oldham, but also includes the outlying towns of Chadderton, Failsworth, Royton and Shaw and Crompton, the village of...
) - Martyn Walsh - bass - (born Martyn John Walsh, on 3 July 1968, in RusholmeRusholme-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) - Clint BoonClint BoonClint Boon is an English musician and DJ. Boon originally rose to notability as the keyboards player with Inspiral Carpets.-Career:...
- Farfisa organ, vocals (born Clinton David Boon, on 28 June 1959, in OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
) - Craig Gill - drums - (born Craig Douglas Gill on 5 December 1971, in Salford)
Guitarist Graham Lambert states in an interview on the Cool As
Cool As
Cool As Is an album by British band Inspiral Carpets. It was released in 2003 as a three disc set with the first cd featuring all the band's singles including new song Come Back Tomorrow, and the second disc features early rare songs and b-sides...
box set that the band had tried numerous bass players before settling on Martyn Walsh, who was their thirteenth bass player.
Studio albums
- dung 4 (1989) Cow (cassette)
- LifeLife (Inspiral Carpets album)Life is the debut studio album by the English indie rock band Inspiral Carpets. It was released April 23, 1990 on Cow Records, through Mute Records, during the period dubbed Madchester by the British media...
(1990) Mute (UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe 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...
#2) - The Beast InsideThe Beast InsideThe Beast Inside is the second studio album from British indie band Inspiral Carpets, it was released in 1991 on Mute Records.- LP: Cow Records / DUNG 14 :# "Caravan" # "Please Be Cruel" # "Born Yesterday"...
(1991) Mute (UK Albums Chart #5) - Revenge of the GoldfishRevenge of the GoldfishRevenge Of The Goldfish is the third studio album from British indie band Inspiral Carpets. It was released 5 October 1992 on Cow Records through Mute Records.- LP: Cow Records / DUNG 19 :# "Generations" # "Saviour"...
(1992) Mute (UK Albums Chart #17) - Devil HoppingDevil HoppingDevil Hopping is the fourth studio album from British indie band Inspiral Carpets, released in 1994 via Mute Records. The single version of "I Want You" features vocals by Mark E...
(1994) Mute (UK Albums Chart #10)
Compilation albums
- The SinglesThe Singles (Inspiral Carpets album)Inspiral Carpets The Singles Is a compilation of singles by English band Inspiral Carpets, released 18 September 1995 on Mute Records.- LP: Mute Records / MOOTEL 3 :# "Dragging Me Down" # "This Is How It Feels" # "Saturn 5"...
(1995) Mute (UK Albums Chart #17) - Radio 1 SessionsRadio 1 Sessions (Inspiral Carpets)Radio 1 Sessions is a compilation of live recordings by British band Inspiral Carpets, for various shows on BBC Radio 1. It was released on Strange Fruit Records in May 1999...
(1996) Strange Fruit (UK Album Chart N/A) - Cool AsCool AsCool As Is an album by British band Inspiral Carpets. It was released in 2003 as a three disc set with the first cd featuring all the band's singles including new song Come Back Tomorrow, and the second disc features early rare songs and b-sides...
(2003) Mute (UK Albums Chart #65) - Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Inspiral Carpets album)Inspiral Carpets Greatest Hits is a compilation album by British band Inspiral Carpets. It was released by Mute Records in the latter part of 2003 and is essentially the first CD from the Cool As box set issued earlier that same year.-Track listing:...
(2003) Mute (UK Album Chart N/A) - Keep the Circle (2007) (iTunes only download)
Videos
- 21.7.90 (1990) BMG/Cow (VHS)
- Inspiral Carpets The Singles (1995) Mute (VHS)
- Live at Brixton Academy (2003) Mute (DVD)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
US Modern Rock | |||
| 1988 | "Planecrash EP" | N/A | N/A | N/A* |
| 1989 | "Trainsurfing EP" | N/A | N/A | |
| "Joe" | N/A | N/A | ||
| "Find Out Why" | 90 | N/A | ||
| "Move" | 49 | N/A | Life* | |
| 1990 | "Commercial Reign" | N/A | 27 | |
| 1990* | "This Is How It Feels This Is How It Feels "This Is How It Feels" was a 1990 single by the Inspiral Carpets. It was their first single in the Top 40, where it reached number 14 in the UK.... " |
14 | 22 | |
| 1990 | "She Comes in the Fall" | 27 | N/A | |
| "Island Head EP" | 21 | N/A | N/A | |
| 1991 | "Caravan" | 30 | 15 | Beast Inside |
| "Please be Cruel" | 50 | N/A | ||
| 1992 | "Dragging Me Down" | 12 | N/A | Revenge of the Goldfish |
| "Two Worlds Collide" | 32 | 8 | ||
| "Generations" | 28 | N/A | ||
| "Bitches Brew" | 36 | N/A | ||
| 1993 | "How it Should Be" | 49 | N/A | N/A |
| 1994 | "Saturn 5" | 20 | N/A | Devil Hopping |
| "I Want You" | 18 | N/A | ||
| "Uniform" | 51 | N/A | ||
| 1995 | "Joe" | 37 | N/A | The Singles |
| 2003 | "Come Back Tomorrow" | 43 | N/A | Cool As |
* "Commercial Reign" did not appear on the UK release of Life. This is How it Feels was released in 1991 in the US.
External links
- Inspiral Carpets - official site
- BBC interview with Tom Hingley