Man From Delmonte
Encyclopedia
Man from Delmonte was an independent band from Manchester
, England
, formed in the mid-1980s.
), Sheila Seal (bass
), Martin Vincent (guitar
), and Howard Goody (drum
s).
The band members had little in common with most Manchester bands. Goody was a graduate of Winchester School of Art. Vincent had been an art critic
and painter
. Sheila Seal, a Glaswegian
, was a classically trained musician
who had run an art gallery
. And Mike West, who wrote the songs, was the Australia
n-born son of the successful author
, Morris West
.
The band played many gig
s at the Boardwalk
club, in Manchester
, where they recorded their Big Noise live album
in 1989. However, they attained little commercial or critical success.
They took their name from a series of 1980s television advertisements for Del Monte fruit juices, featuring the "Man From Del Monte". In these, the man would visit villages to sample their fruit juices, to see if they were good enough to be included in his company's drinks. The tagline
, shouted jubilantly by a villager on approval was, "The man from Del Monte, he say 'Yes!'"'.
At one point they were managed by the journalist Jon Ronson
.
After they split up in 1990, some members continued as Surfurbia. West moved to New Orleans to pursue a solo career in the early 1990s. After Hurricane Katrina
hit New Orleans in 2005, West and his family relocated to Lawrence, Kansas
. He continues to tour internationally, and record albums with Katie Euliss as Truckstop Honeymoon. Vincent was involved in the development of Manchester's contemporary art scene, setting up exhibition and commissioning agency the Annual Programme, and the International 3 gallery, which took its name from two venues in Manchester that the Man from Delmonte had performed at. He continues to perform with his band, Die Kunst.
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...
, 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...
, formed in the mid-1980s.
History
Band members included Mike West (vocals and acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
), Sheila Seal (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Martin Vincent (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...
), and Howard Goody (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s).
The band members had little in common with most Manchester bands. Goody was a graduate of Winchester School of Art. Vincent had been an art critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. Sheila Seal, a Glaswegian
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...
, was a classically trained musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who had run an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
. And Mike West, who wrote the songs, was the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-born son of the successful author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, Morris West
Morris West
Morris Langlo West AO was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels The Devil's Advocate , The Shoes of the Fisherman , and The Clowns of God . His books were published in 27 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide...
.
The band played many gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
s at the Boardwalk
Boardwalk (music club)
The Boardwalk nightclub was located on Little Peter Street in Manchester, England. This medium sized club and rehearsal studios, owned by Colin Sinclair, was a popular live music venue in the late 1980s and early 1990s where bands such as Oasis and Northside made their live debuts.Along with other...
club, in 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...
, where they recorded their Big Noise live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
in 1989. However, they attained little commercial or critical success.
They took their name from a series of 1980s television advertisements for Del Monte fruit juices, featuring the "Man From Del Monte". In these, the man would visit villages to sample their fruit juices, to see if they were good enough to be included in his company's drinks. The tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
, shouted jubilantly by a villager on approval was, "The man from Del Monte, he say 'Yes!'"'.
At one point they were managed by the journalist Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson is a Welsh journalist, documentary filmmaker, radio presenter and nonfiction author, whose works include The Men Who Stare At Goats. His journalism and columns have appeared in British publications including The Guardian newspaper, City Life and Time Out magazine...
.
After they split up in 1990, some members continued as Surfurbia. West moved to New Orleans to pursue a solo career in the early 1990s. After Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
hit New Orleans in 2005, West and his family relocated to Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
. He continues to tour internationally, and record albums with Katie Euliss as Truckstop Honeymoon. Vincent was involved in the development of Manchester's contemporary art scene, setting up exhibition and commissioning agency the Annual Programme, and the International 3 gallery, which took its name from two venues in Manchester that the Man from Delmonte had performed at. He continues to perform with his band, Die Kunst.
Singles
- "Drive, Drive, Drive" (1987) Ugly Man RecordsUgly Man RecordsUgly Man Records was started as a Manchester-based independent record label, but it is now based in Leeds. The label released debut singles for many Manchester bands, including Elbow, the Man From Delmonte and I Am Kloot. Ugly Man Records was set up in Bootle, Merseyside in 1986 with the release of...
- "Water In My Eyes" (1987) Ugly Man Records
- "Will Nobody Save Louise" (1988) Ugly Man Records (#13)
- Monday Morning After EP (1989) Bop CassettesBop CassettesBop Cassettes is a defunct, Manchester-based, independent record label. It released records for many Manchester bands in the late 1980s, including the Man From Delmonte, Toss the Feathers, Half Man Half Biscuit, Space Heads, Mr Spin....
- "Big Noise" (1989) Bop Cassettes/(2000) Vinyl Japan (#20)
- "My Love Is Like A Gift You Can't Return" (1989) Bop Cassettes (#13)
Albums
- Catholic Boys on Mobilettes (1989) Bop Cassettes
- Big Noise (1989), Bop Cassettes
- The Good Things in Life (1999) Vinyl Japan