John Power
Encyclopedia
John Timothy Power is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Liverpool
, England
. Power achieved commercial success as the bass guitarist and secondary vocalist for The La's
from 1986 to 1991, and later as the frontman of Cast
during the Britpop
movement of the mid-1990s.
Following the split of Cast in 2001, John Power embarked on a solo career. Power has since reunited with The La's
in 2005 and Cast
in 2010.
For the remainder of The La's' history, the band's line-up would change frequently with a constant duo of Lee Mavers (guitar, vocals) and John Power (bass, backing vocals) and various other guitarists and drummers. Power played on the band's early singles "Way Out" (1987) and "There She Goes" (1988) and was part of the recording of the band's debut album The La's released in 1990.
Whilst in The La's, John Power emerged as a songwriter himself and two Power-written songs "Alright" and "Follow Me Down" were performed live by the band during 1991. Following increased tension between Power and Lee Mavers, John Power left The La's in December 1991 and he went on to form Cast
the following year.
In was then announced in 2005, that The La's were to reform for a series of headline and festival appearances in the UK, Ireland and Japan. Following these gigs and with no sign of new La's material, Power returned to his solo career.
and wrote songs
, after four album
s and a string of hit singles, Cast split in 2002.
After undertaking a solo "Cast Acoustic Show" tour in June 2010, Cast have announced they are to reform to work on new material and tour in November/December 2010.
produced solo
album, Happening for Love
in June 2003. Power would later comment on the album that "“after the demise of Cast, I was still writing Cast-like tracks, but without the verve I had when I believed in it. "
Since the La's reformation, Power has gone on to release 2 further solo albums, more in the acoustic folk vein on his own Tanuki Tanuki label, Willow She Weeps
in October 2006 and Stormbreaker in January 2008. From 2006 to 2009, Power performed live with The John Power Band featuring backing musicians Jay Lewis (bass, slide guitar) and Steve Pilgrim (drums). Oli Hughes replaced Pilgrim as drummer after he left to play with Paul Weller.
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...
, England
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...
. Power achieved commercial success as the bass guitarist and secondary vocalist for 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...
from 1986 to 1991, and later as the frontman of Cast
Cast (band)
Cast are an English rock band from Liverpool, formed in 1992 by John Power and Peter Wilkinson after Power left The La's and Wilkinson's former band Shack had split...
during the Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
movement of the mid-1990s.
Following the split of Cast in 2001, John Power embarked on a solo career. Power has since reunited with 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...
in 2005 and Cast
Cast (band)
Cast are an English rock band from Liverpool, formed in 1992 by John Power and Peter Wilkinson after Power left The La's and Wilkinson's former band Shack had split...
in 2010.
The La's
Having previously struggled to find a permanent bass players since their formation, The La's recruited then 18 year old John Power as bass guitarist in July 1986 after he met Mike Badger at a course for unemployed musicians. Whilst still quite inexperienced on bass guitar, Power was mentored by Lee Mavers (a former bass player himself) and the core trio of Mavers, Badger and Power rehearsed and performed extensively until December 1986 when Badger left the band. The La's fanbase grew rapidly after the arrival of Power and the group recorded some of the demos which helped them gain a record deal the following year.For the remainder of The La's' history, the band's line-up would change frequently with a constant duo of Lee Mavers (guitar, vocals) and John Power (bass, backing vocals) and various other guitarists and drummers. Power played on the band's early singles "Way Out" (1987) and "There She Goes" (1988) and was part of the recording of the band's debut album The La's released in 1990.
Whilst in The La's, John Power emerged as a songwriter himself and two Power-written songs "Alright" and "Follow Me Down" were performed live by the band during 1991. Following increased tension between Power and Lee Mavers, John Power left The La's in December 1991 and he went on to form Cast
Cast (band)
Cast are an English rock band from Liverpool, formed in 1992 by John Power and Peter Wilkinson after Power left The La's and Wilkinson's former band Shack had split...
the following year.
In was then announced in 2005, that The La's were to reform for a series of headline and festival appearances in the UK, Ireland and Japan. Following these gigs and with no sign of new La's material, Power returned to his solo career.
Cast
After leaving The La's in 1991 to form Cast, with whom he sang, played guitarGuitar
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...
and wrote songs
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, after four 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 a string of hit singles, Cast split in 2002.
After undertaking a solo "Cast Acoustic Show" tour in June 2010, Cast have announced they are to reform to work on new material and tour in November/December 2010.
Solo career
Following the split, Power released the John LeckieJohn Leckie
John Leckie is a British music producer, notable for producing many high-profile albums such as The Stone Roses's debut and Radiohead's The Bends...
produced solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album, Happening for Love
Happening For Love
Happening for Love is the debut solo album by former The La's bassist and Cast vocalist John Power.It was released on June 30, 2003.-Track listing:All songs written by John Power.# "Electrify" – 4:07# "Paradise" – 4:04# "Everyday Folk" – 3:25...
in June 2003. Power would later comment on the album that "“after the demise of Cast, I was still writing Cast-like tracks, but without the verve I had when I believed in it. "
Since the La's reformation, Power has gone on to release 2 further solo albums, more in the acoustic folk vein on his own Tanuki Tanuki label, Willow She Weeps
Willow She Weeps
Willow She Weeps is the second solo album by former The La's bassist and Cast vocalist John Power.It was released on October 2, 2006.-Track listing:All songs written by John Power.# "Give It to Me"# "Willow Weep"# "All My Days"# "St Louis"...
in October 2006 and Stormbreaker in January 2008. From 2006 to 2009, Power performed live with The John Power Band featuring backing musicians Jay Lewis (bass, slide guitar) and Steve Pilgrim (drums). Oli Hughes replaced Pilgrim as drummer after he left to play with Paul Weller.
Personal life
Power grew up in Allerton, Liverpool near Penny Lane and attended the Quarry Bank School. Power is a passionate supporter of Liverpool Football Club and has been keenly involved in the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.Albums
- Happening for LoveHappening For LoveHappening for Love is the debut solo album by former The La's bassist and Cast vocalist John Power.It was released on June 30, 2003.-Track listing:All songs written by John Power.# "Electrify" – 4:07# "Paradise" – 4:04# "Everyday Folk" – 3:25...
(2003) - Willow She WeepsWillow She WeepsWillow She Weeps is the second solo album by former The La's bassist and Cast vocalist John Power.It was released on October 2, 2006.-Track listing:All songs written by John Power.# "Give It to Me"# "Willow Weep"# "All My Days"# "St Louis"...
(2006) - Stormbreaker (2008)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart position | 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 ... |
|||
| 2003 | "Beyond the Sun" (with Desert) | 137 | Non-album single |
| 2006 | "Jumpin' Bean"/"Willow Weep" | — | Willow She Weeps |
| 2009 | "Fields of Anfield Road" (with Liverpool Collective) | 14 | Non-album single |