Market Square Heroes
Encyclopedia
"Market Square Heroes" is the debut single of neo-progressive rock
band Marillion
, released in 1982 with "Three Boats Down From The Candy" as the B-side. The 12" single included an additional track, the 17:15 minute long "Grendel", making it an EP
in terms of overall length.
, the "market square hero" is a:
Members of the band have attributed the inspiration behind the main character in the song lyrics to a person they knew in Aylesbury who went by the nickname of 'Brick'. In a 2009 interview, Mark Kelly stated:
style. "Grendel" is a long and complex composition that drew frequent (mostly unfavourable) comparisons with "Supper's Ready
" by Genesis
. As Fish himself admitted later,
Inspired by John Gardner's novel Grendel
, the lyric looks at the Beowulf
myth from the perspective of the monster. Marillion have never played the track live after 1983. In spite (or possibly because) of this, it developed into a cult favourite among die-hard fans; it is not uncommon to hear someone in the audience yell "Grendel!" at Marillion's or Fish's concerts even in the late 2000s.Mick Pointers Marillion did however play Grendel at the Greyhound pub in Wargrave Berks during a private gig for his wife Nathalie Pointer's birthday on the 5th March 2011 the small village pub was chosen as the venue as it is run by his friend Phil Linstead (known as Smeagal the merchant to some prog fans)
with "Supper's Ready" on it. Hitchcock was also contracted to produce Marillion's upcoming debut album, but was heavily injured in a car accident when he drove home in a state of physical exhaustion after finishing work on the single. EMI used this occasion to convince the band to replace him with Nick Tauber
, a more "modern" producer best known for his work with Toyah
.
, who went on to create all Marillion artwork until 1988 and most of Fish's solo artwork after that. The cover introduced two distinctive visual elements that would identify the band in the years to come: the figure of the "Jester" and the logo, designed by Jo Mirowski.
" with "I am your battle priest".
A limited edition (2,500 copies) picture disk of the 12" for "Market Square Heroes" was available through an offer made by The Web, Marillion's fan club.
magazine's Singles of the Year 1982.
, which appeared in early 1983. Re-recorded versions of "Market Square Heroes" and "Three Boats Down From the Candy" would form the B-side to the 1984 single "Punch and Judy
". These re-recorded versions would later be included on the 1988 compilation album B'Sides Themselves
, along with "Grendel"; "Market Square Heroes" is also on the 1997 compilation The Best of Both Worlds
.
The original single versions of "Market Square Heroes" and "Three Boats..." would eventually become available on CD in 1997, when EMI released them on the bonus CD of the remastered Script For A Jester's Tear album. A CD replica of the single was also part of a collectors box-set released in July 2000 which contained Marillion's first twelve singles, and the subsequent facsimile of the collectors box-set, The Singles '82-'88
.
Real to Reel
, although a live version of "Three Boats...", recorded at the 1982 Reading Festival, was included on the "Reading Rock" festival album.
All three tracks also appear on the albums Early Stages
(2008) and Recital of the Script
(2009), and "Market Square Heroes" is on Live From Loreley
(2009).
On 26 August 2007, Fish performed "Market Square Heroes" at the Hobble on the Cobbles festival in the market square of Aylesbury
, the original "setting" of the song in the town where Marillion was formed. The other members of the band (except singer Steve Hogarth
) joined Fish on stage for this song. This surprise one-off reunion was the first occasion the 1984-88 lineup has shared one stage since the split in 1988.
Neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock, developed in the UK and popular in the 1980s, although it lives on today....
band Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
, released in 1982 with "Three Boats Down From The Candy" as the B-side. The 12" single included an additional track, the 17:15 minute long "Grendel", making it an 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...
in terms of overall length.
Themes
The A-side is an anthemic rock song whose lyric vaguely describes the rise of civil unrest under some charismatic leader in the face of increasing unemployment; the original title was "UB 2,000,001". According to Marillion's singer and lyricist FishFish (singer)
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
, the "market square hero" is a:
"would-be revolutionary with all the necessary charisma and presence of a leader without direction or goals, just a sense of frustration and anger". The track was the band's:
"first attempt at deliberately writing a hit record and a 'simple' rock song to juxtapose against our meandering but dynamic 'epics'."
Members of the band have attributed the inspiration behind the main character in the song lyrics to a person they knew in Aylesbury who went by the nickname of 'Brick'. In a 2009 interview, Mark Kelly stated:
"I don't know whether Brick was a leftie, a militant or a skinhead but he was the inspiration for the character singing, "I'm a Market Square Hero"Fish made reference to this theme and name-checked Brick before he performed the song with his former Marillion bandmates in Aylesbury at the 'Hobble on the Cobbles' concert in 2007. Brick passed away on 2 May 2011.
B-sides
Musically, "Three Boats..." (the first song co-written by keyboardist Mark Kelly) and "Grendel" are more typical of the progressive rockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
style. "Grendel" is a long and complex composition that drew frequent (mostly unfavourable) comparisons with "Supper's Ready
Supper's Ready
"Supper's Ready" is a song by the band Genesis. A recorded version appeared on their 1972 album Foxtrot, and the band performed the song regularly on stage for several years following this...
" by Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. As Fish himself admitted later,
"We were concerned about the similarity to the lengthy composition by Genesis called "Supper's Ready" which also meandered and burst into sections, the end one in particular, which would add conviction to the many critics opinions that Marillion were more than influenced by Genesis."
Inspired by John Gardner's novel Grendel
Grendel (novel)
Grendel is a 1971 parallel novel by American author John Gardner. It is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendel. The novel deals with finding meaning in the world, the power of literature and myth, and the nature of good and evil.Grendel...
, the lyric looks at the Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
myth from the perspective of the monster. Marillion have never played the track live after 1983. In spite (or possibly because) of this, it developed into a cult favourite among die-hard fans; it is not uncommon to hear someone in the audience yell "Grendel!" at Marillion's or Fish's concerts even in the late 2000s.Mick Pointers Marillion did however play Grendel at the Greyhound pub in Wargrave Berks during a private gig for his wife Nathalie Pointer's birthday on the 5th March 2011 the small village pub was chosen as the venue as it is run by his friend Phil Linstead (known as Smeagal the merchant to some prog fans)
Production
The record was produced by David Hitchcock, who had incidentally also produced the Genesis album FoxtrotFoxtrot (album)
Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis and the second from the band line-up which included Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett.-History:...
with "Supper's Ready" on it. Hitchcock was also contracted to produce Marillion's upcoming debut album, but was heavily injured in a car accident when he drove home in a state of physical exhaustion after finishing work on the single. EMI used this occasion to convince the band to replace him with Nick Tauber
Nick Tauber
Nick Tauber is a British record producer best known for his work with Thin Lizzy, Toyah and Marillion in the 1970s and 1980s.Nick Tauber continues to manage, produce, and consult with acts/artists/and producers. In the late 1990s, Tauber was involved with British pop/punk act Kowloon, guiding them...
, a more "modern" producer best known for his work with Toyah
Toyah (band)
Toyah is the name of the band fronted by Toyah Willcox between 1977 and 1983. The only other consistent band member throughout this period was Joel Bogen, Willcox's principal co-writer and guitarist.-Background :...
.
Cover art
The cover art was designed by Mark WilkinsonMark Wilkinson
Mark Wilkinson is best known for his detailed cover art that he created for a number of British bands, most prominently the progressive rock band, Marillion...
, who went on to create all Marillion artwork until 1988 and most of Fish's solo artwork after that. The cover introduced two distinctive visual elements that would identify the band in the years to come: the figure of the "Jester" and the logo, designed by Jo Mirowski.
Variations
The radio edit replaces the line "I am your antichristAntichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
" with "I am your battle priest".
A limited edition (2,500 copies) picture disk of the 12" for "Market Square Heroes" was available through an offer made by The Web, Marillion's fan club.
Reception
The single did not enter the upper reaches of the UK singles charts, peaking at no. 60; however, sales remained stable for some time due to people backtracking on the strength of later, more successful releases. The song came fourth in Kerrang!Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine's Singles of the Year 1982.
Subsequent releases
None of the tracks on this release were included on Marillion's debut album Script For A Jester's TearScript for a Jester's Tear
Script for a Jester's Tear is the first album by the neo-progressive rock band Marillion, released in 1983. It reached number seven on the UK album chart and stayed on the chart for 31 weeks, the second longest chart residency of a Marillion album....
, which appeared in early 1983. Re-recorded versions of "Market Square Heroes" and "Three Boats Down From the Candy" would form the B-side to the 1984 single "Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy (song)
"Punch and Judy" is the first single from Marillion's second studio album Fugazi. The lyrics of the song are about a marriage gone bad.The single reached no. 29 on the UK singles charts in February 1984...
". These re-recorded versions would later be included on the 1988 compilation album B'Sides Themselves
B'Sides Themselves
B'Sides Themselves is a compilation of single B-sides by the rock band Marillion released on CD only in January 1988. This was the first time that those B-sides were made available in the then still relatively new Compact Disc format...
, along with "Grendel"; "Market Square Heroes" is also on the 1997 compilation The Best of Both Worlds
The Best of Both Worlds (Marillion album)
The Best of Both Worlds compilation album from the band Marillion. The songs come from both the Fish era and Steve Hogarth era of the band. This was put together by Lucy Jordache who was working for EMI at the time. This release came after the band were dropped from the EMI roster, and it was a...
.
The original single versions of "Market Square Heroes" and "Three Boats..." would eventually become available on CD in 1997, when EMI released them on the bonus CD of the remastered Script For A Jester's Tear album. A CD replica of the single was also part of a collectors box-set released in July 2000 which contained Marillion's first twelve singles, and the subsequent facsimile of the collectors box-set, The Singles '82-'88
The Singles '82-'88
The Singles '82-'88 is a three-CD box set containing the first twelve singles by Marillion, all from the period with Fish, released by EMI Records on 16 October 2009. It is a re-release of the 2000 box set of the same title, which contained 12 individually packaged CD "replica" singles in mini-slip...
.
Live versions
The first time that a version of "Market Square Heroes" would become available on an album was on the 1984 live albumLive album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Real to Reel
Real to Reel (Marillion album)
Real to Reel is Marillion's first live album, recorded at the Spectrum, Montreal, Canada, and De Montfort Hall, Leicester, England. In addition to two songs each from the first two albums, Script for a Jester's Tear and Fugazi, the original standard version contained two tracks not previously...
, although a live version of "Three Boats...", recorded at the 1982 Reading Festival, was included on the "Reading Rock" festival album.
All three tracks also appear on the albums Early Stages
Early Stages
Early Stages is a box set containing six separate live albums by Marillion with their former singer Fish, recorded at various venues in the UK between 1982 and 1987 and released to retail by EMI on 17 November 2008...
(2008) and Recital of the Script
Recital of the Script
Recital of the Script is a live album by Marillion, recorded at a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon , London on 18 April 1983. The recording was made on the final date of the tour promoting their 1983 debut album Script for a Jester's Tear...
(2009), and "Market Square Heroes" is on Live From Loreley
Live From Loreley
Live from Loreley is a live album by Marillion, recorded at a concert at the Freilichtbuhne Loreley, St. Goarshausen, Germany on 18 July 1987. The recording, made during the first leg of the 1987 Clutching at Straws tour, documents the band at the peak of their commercial success in the mid/late...
(2009).
On 26 August 2007, Fish performed "Market Square Heroes" at the Hobble on the Cobbles festival in the market square of Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
, the original "setting" of the song in the town where Marillion was formed. The other members of the band (except singer Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
) joined Fish on stage for this song. This surprise one-off reunion was the first occasion the 1984-88 lineup has shared one stage since the split in 1988.
Personnel
- FishFish (singer)Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
– vocals - Steve RotherySteve RotherySteve Rothery is the guitarist of the English rock band Marillion. He was born in Brampton, South Yorkshire, England. From the age of six he lived in Whitby, North Yorkshire.-Biography:...
- guitars - Mark Kelly - keyboards
- Pete TrewavasPete TrewavasPete Trewavas is an English musician. He joined Marillion in 1982, taking over the role of bassist, from Diz Minnett, while acting occasionally as a backing vocalist and acoustic guitarist.Although he was born in Middlesbrough, Trewavas spent much of his childhood in the Buckinghamshire town of...
- bass - Mick PointerMick PointerMick Pointer , originally from Brill in Buckinghamshire, England, was the original drummer and founding member of the progressive rock band, Marillion...
- drums
External links
- Original music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Audience video recording of 2007 reunion performance