Martin Stephenson and the Daintees
Encyclopedia
Martin Stephenson & the Daintees are a British
rock
/folk
/pop
band
combining elements of "rockabilly
, show tune
s, rootsy pop, straight-ahead rock and punk". The band is fronted by songwriter
/guitarist
Martin Stephenson.
with Kitchenware Records
and released their first single
in 1982. Like other Kitchenware acts the group had their origins in the North East England
. The band enjoyed a high critical profile and some minor commercial success. Their best-selling and most acclaimed album
is Boat to Bolivia released in 1986. In June 1989, the British
music magazine, NME
, reported that Stephenson took part in that year's Glastonbury Festival
. They recorded
three further albums — Gladsome, Humour & Blue in 1988, Salutation Road, produced by Pete Anderson
, in 1990 and The Boy's Heart in 1992 — but sales fell short of expectations and the band were dropped by their label
.
After parting company with Kitchenware, Stephenson disbanded the group in 1992, but continued to record both solo
and as part of a group. The Daintees reformed in 2000.
. In January 1990, he married
Angela Cape who appeared on the cover
of the album Boat to Bolivia, though they later divorced. Stephenson has two daughters.
Stephenson's work has increasingly drawn on folk music
and traditional musical roots, and his performances have often taken in low-key live events and venues for recording. He has recorded albums in a Scottish church and a disused lighthouse.
and U.S.
labels
, including Kitchenware
, London
, Capitol USA
, Floating World Records, Fresh Ear Records, Ramseur, and most recently, his Barbaraville label with Voiceprint
.
In addition there have been a number of unofficial, but sanctioned releases, through Stephenson's fan community. These comprise old b-sides
or live recordings.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
/folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
combining elements of "rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, show tune
Show tune
A show tune is a popular song originally written as part of the score of a "show" , especially if the piece in question has become a "standard", more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context...
s, rootsy pop, straight-ahead rock and punk". The band is fronted by songwriter
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...
/guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Martin Stephenson.
Career
The band were signed to a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub...
and released their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1982. Like other Kitchenware acts the group had their origins in the North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. The band enjoyed a high critical profile and some minor commercial success. Their best-selling and most acclaimed 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...
is Boat to Bolivia released in 1986. In June 1989, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music magazine, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, reported that Stephenson took part in that year's Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. They recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
three further albums — Gladsome, Humour & Blue in 1988, Salutation Road, produced by Pete Anderson
Pete Anderson
Pete Anderson is an American guitarist and music producer.Anderson is most known for his guitar work with, and critically acclaimed production of, country music star Dwight Yoakam from 1984 through 2002...
, in 1990 and The Boy's Heart in 1992 — but sales fell short of expectations and the band were dropped by their label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
After parting company with Kitchenware, Stephenson disbanded the group in 1992, but continued to record both solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
and as part of a group. The Daintees reformed in 2000.
Martin Stephenson
Martin George Stephenson was born on 27 July 1961 to Alfred and Francis Stephenson in DurhamDurham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. In January 1990, he married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
Angela Cape who appeared on the cover
Record sleeve
A record sleeve is the outer covering of a vinyl recording. The sleeve is technically the paper covering that is closest in contact to the surface of the recording, as in "dust sleeve", "liner" and "album liner". The term has come to be synonymous with "record jacket" and "album jacket", which is...
of the album Boat to Bolivia, though they later divorced. Stephenson has two daughters.
Stephenson's work has increasingly drawn on folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and traditional musical roots, and his performances have often taken in low-key live events and venues for recording. He has recorded albums in a Scottish church and a disused lighthouse.
Discography
Stephenson's albums have been released on various UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, including Kitchenware
Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub...
, London
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
, Capitol USA
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, Floating World Records, Fresh Ear Records, Ramseur, and most recently, his Barbaraville label with Voiceprint
Voiceprint Records
Voiceprint Records is a company and record label based in England, founded in 1990 by Rob Ayling. They specialise in re-releasing old material, especially progressive rock, but also have new releases, all under the Voiceprint and other imprints....
.
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees albums
- Boat To Bolivia (1986)
- Gladsome, Humour & Blue (1988) # 39 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...
- Salutation Road
- The Boy's Heart
- There Comes A Time - The Best Of...
- Live In The 21st Century
- Western Eagle
With others or solo albums
- High Bells Ring Thin
- Yogi In My House
- Sweet Misdemeanour
- Beyond The Leap Beyond The Law
- When It's Gone, It's Gone
- Red Man's In Town
- Songs For The Floating World
- The Lilac Tree
- The Church & The Minidisc
- The Disciples Of Merle & Doc
- The Incredible Shrinking Band
- Collective Force
- Down To The Wood
- The Well of Harmony
- The Haint of the Budded Rose
- Airdrie
- Live at Lincoln Cathedral
- Wheel Of Fortune
- Hell's Half Acre
- High 7 Moon 5
- Hamilton Square (with Helen McCookerybookHelen McCookerybookHelen McCookerybook was the bass guitar player and lead singer with Brighton-based punk rock band The Chefs during the late 1970s and early 1980s. She later formed Helen and The Horns , before continuing her career as a solo artist, writer and lecturer...
)
In addition there have been a number of unofficial, but sanctioned releases, through Stephenson's fan community. These comprise old b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
or live recordings.
External links
- Martin Stephenson and the Daintees at Voiceprint RecordsVoiceprint RecordsVoiceprint Records is a company and record label based in England, founded in 1990 by Rob Ayling. They specialise in re-releasing old material, especially progressive rock, but also have new releases, all under the Voiceprint and other imprints....