Puressence
Encyclopedia
Puressence are a British
rock
band
from Failsworth
, Greater Manchester
, England
, formed in May 1992.
's In The City
festival. James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch The Stone Roses
play at Spike Island. Matthews watched The Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield
play bass and Matthews bought himself a bass guitar
. The rest of the members followed suit and bought the necessary equipment to complete a band, although they had little to no musical experience or training.
Through much practice their music developed and they decided on the name Puressence, a name instantly identified by most Mancunians for the paper letters 'P'-'U'-'R'-'E'-'S'-'S'-'E'-'N'-'C'-'E', which were plastered around Manchester city centre, on derelict buildings, and on bridges (the most notable being the railway bridge opposite the Haçienda
). Manchester independent record label
2 Damn Loud released two singles
and there was a further single with Rough Trade
Singles Club.
The big breakthrough came a couple of years later, when the band signed to Island Records
.
In August 2003, after more than ten years with Puressence, guitarist and founder member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen, who is originally from the Isle of Man
. He has played in other bands and left Manchester band Dry Riser to join Puressence.
In 2004, the band played at The Witchwood
in Ashton-under-Lyne
.
In 2006, the band released a single titled "Palisades" on new Manchester label Reaction, followed by an album, Don't Forget To Remember, in September 2007.
On 10 and 11 September 2008 Puressence played their first shows in the US
. The first was at the Mercury Lounge
in New York City
. The next night they played the Apple Store in SoHo
. The opening song at the Mercury Lounge was "I Suppose". They passed out free CD singles of "Don't Know Any Better" to many fans around the United States.
In October 2010 the band's website announced details of a new album, Solid State Recital, which is due for release on 21 April 2011.
Toby Chalmers of Island Records offered them a recording contract
. Support slots to Marion
introduced them to new supporters.
The album also produced three more singles, "India", "Traffic Jam In Memory Lane" and "Casting Lazy Shadows." (The album only contained ten tracks, of which they had released five as singles.)
, bassist for the Stone Roses and Primal Scream
, appeared as record producer
on "Standing In Your Shadow."
"This Feeling" proved to be a hit for the band, when it reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart
, helping the band appear on television program
mes such as TFI Friday
and Soccer AM
. BBC Radio 1
DJ
Simon Mayo
made this his single of the week and it received airplay
on numerous radio station
s around the UK. The second single "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" fell just short of the Top 40. But the third single "All I Want" scraped in at #39, its second CD was joined as a double A-side with "Never Be The Same Again".
The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart
at #36.
Planet Helpless, due to the ongoing problems with the record company, released only one single. "Walking Dead" gave the band its third Top 40 hit. The video
included Mani
and Bez (Happy Mondays
).
2008. The album was then chosen by US iTunes
to launch their new homepage feature, 'Editors Choice' in February 2008. Within a week the album entered US iTunes' Top 40. Puressence played a Manchester Academy show to celebrate English Rugby and Soccer team wins on October 13, 2007.
The album was also a success in Greece; remaining in the Top 10 for several weeks. Originally appearing as a soft release in 2007, it was announced that Don't Forget to Remember got a wide release on 16 June.
The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at #176.
1 Swathes Of Sea Made Stone
2 Burma
3 When Your Eyes Close
4 Cape Of No Hope (Water's Edge)
5 Majesterial
6 Solid State
7 Raise Me To The Ground
8 In Harm's Way
9 Another World
10 Our Number's Oracle
. Puressence have now set up their own label calling it Caserta Red Records.
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...
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...
from Failsworth
Failsworth
At Failsworth lies north-northwest of London. It shares common boundaries with Manchester and Oldham, on its west and northeast respectively. Failsworth is traversed by the A62 road, from Manchester to Oldham, the heavy rail line of the Oldham Loop and the Rochdale Canal, which crosses the...
, 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
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 May 1992.
Band membership
The band currently consists of:- James Mudriczki: Vocals
- Lowell Killen: GuitarGuitarThe 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...
- Kevin Matthews: Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Tony Szuminski: DrumDrumThe 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 / percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
History
The band played a series of gigs at ManchesterManchester
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 In The City
In The City (festival)
In The City is an annual music industry conference and festival founded by the late Tony Wilson, formerly of Factory Records and Granada Television, and his partner Yvette Livesey....
festival. James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch 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...
play at Spike Island. Matthews watched The Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield
Gary Mounfield
Gary Manny "Mani" Mounfield , is an English rock bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. He has a distinctive playing style that combines a fast moving rock style with a dance rhythm or dub groove...
play bass and Matthews bought himself a bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. The rest of the members followed suit and bought the necessary equipment to complete a band, although they had little to no musical experience or training.
Through much practice their music developed and they decided on the name Puressence, a name instantly identified by most Mancunians for the paper letters 'P'-'U'-'R'-'E'-'S'-'S'-'E'-'N'-'C'-'E', which were plastered around Manchester city centre, on derelict buildings, and on bridges (the most notable being the railway bridge opposite the Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
). Manchester independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
2 Damn Loud released two singles
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...
and there was a further single with Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
Singles Club.
The big breakthrough came a couple of years later, when the band signed to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
In August 2003, after more than ten years with Puressence, guitarist and founder member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen, who is originally from the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. He has played in other bands and left Manchester band Dry Riser to join Puressence.
In 2004, the band played at The Witchwood
The Witchwood
The Witchwood is a public house and live music venue in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England. Located in Ashton-under-Lyne's town centre, The Witchwood has been a hub for live indie and rock music since the 1960s, and features on North West England's pub music circuit.Bands that have...
in 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...
.
In 2006, the band released a single titled "Palisades" on new Manchester label Reaction, followed by an album, Don't Forget To Remember, in September 2007.
On 10 and 11 September 2008 Puressence played their first shows in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The first was at the Mercury Lounge
Mercury Lounge
The Mercury Lounge is a club/music venue, in the Lower East Side section, of New York City. The structure, at 217 East Houston Street, housed the servants to the Astor Mansion, connected to it by an underground labyrinth of tunnels...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The next night they played the Apple Store in SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
. The opening song at the Mercury Lounge was "I Suppose". They passed out free CD singles of "Don't Know Any Better" to many fans around the United States.
In October 2010 the band's website announced details of a new album, Solid State Recital, which is due for release on 21 April 2011.
Early singles (1992-93)
Prior to releasing these albums, Puressence released two singles and an EP. First the double A-side "Siamese" / "Scapa Flow" was released through Rough Trade. Then followed the EPs Petrol Skin and Offshore, both released through 2 Damn Loud Records.- "Siamese" (Rough Trade) June 1992
- "Siamese"
- "Scapa Flow"
- Petrol Skin EP (2 Damn Loud Records) 6 July 1992
- "Telekenesis"
- "Suck The Knife"
- "Polystyrene Snow"
- "Petrol Skin"
- Offshore EP (2 Damn Loud) 19 April 1993
- "Offshore"
- "None Handed (demo)"
- "Mist"
Toby Chalmers of Island Records offered them a recording contract
Recording 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...
. Support slots to Marion
Marion (band)
Marion are an English rock band, originally formed in 1993, in Macclesfield, Cheshire. They became synonymous with the Britpop music scene, appearing on the Britpop Now BBC television special...
introduced them to new supporters.
Puressence (1996)
In May 1995, the band released the "I Suppose" single on Island without chart success. A few months later they returned with the "Fire" single, which again failed to sell. The tracks though did herald Puressence's self-titled debut album.The album also produced three more singles, "India", "Traffic Jam In Memory Lane" and "Casting Lazy Shadows." (The album only contained ten tracks, of which they had released five as singles.)
Only Forever (1998)
The album displayed a shift in Puressence's style. ManiGary Mounfield
Gary Manny "Mani" Mounfield , is an English rock bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. He has a distinctive playing style that combines a fast moving rock style with a dance rhythm or dub groove...
, bassist for the Stone Roses and Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, appeared as record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
on "Standing In Your Shadow."
"This Feeling" proved to be a hit for the band, when it reached number 33 in the 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 ...
, helping the band appear on television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
mes such as TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
and Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
. BBC 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
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
made this his single of the week and it received airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
on numerous radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s around the UK. The second single "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" fell just short of the Top 40. But the third single "All I Want" scraped in at #39, its second CD was joined as a double A-side with "Never Be The Same Again".
The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The 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...
at #36.
Planet Helpless (2002)
Planet Helpless peaked in the UK Albums Chart at #81, it did enjoy success in Greece (#4 in the album charts) and heralded a number of gigs, mainly in Manchester. Puressence chose to sack their manager and leave Island Records in February 2002.Planet Helpless, due to the ongoing problems with the record company, released only one single. "Walking Dead" gave the band its third Top 40 hit. The video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
included Mani
Gary Mounfield
Gary Manny "Mani" Mounfield , is an English rock bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. He has a distinctive playing style that combines a fast moving rock style with a dance rhythm or dub groove...
and Bez (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...
).
Don't Forget To Remember (2007)
Puressence's fourth album, entitled Don't Forget To Remember, was recorded at Revolution studios in Manchester and produced by Andy Macpherson. The album was released on 24 September 2007. Despite failing to chart, the album beat off more high profile releases to be voted 'Best Album By A Manchester Artist' in the Pride Of Manchester AwardsPride Of Manchester Awards
The Pride Of Manchester Awards competition is voted for annually every January in Manchester, England and was devised by the Pride Of Manchester group of entertainment websites. It celebrates the best in the city from the previous 12 months....
2008. The album was then chosen by US iTunes
ITunes
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....
to launch their new homepage feature, 'Editors Choice' in February 2008. Within a week the album entered US iTunes' Top 40. Puressence played a Manchester Academy show to celebrate English Rugby and Soccer team wins on October 13, 2007.
The album was also a success in Greece; remaining in the Top 10 for several weeks. Originally appearing as a soft release in 2007, it was announced that Don't Forget to Remember got a wide release on 16 June.
The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at #176.
Sharpen Up The Knives (2009)
Released in mid-October 2009, Sharpen Up The Knives was a fifteen track album collection of rare recordings and new tracks as well as lyrics handwritten by frontman Mudriczki.Solid State Recital (2011)
Track listing:1 Swathes Of Sea Made Stone
2 Burma
3 When Your Eyes Close
4 Cape Of No Hope (Water's Edge)
5 Majesterial
6 Solid State
7 Raise Me To The Ground
8 In Harm's Way
9 Another World
10 Our Number's Oracle
Line-up and label changes
In August 2003, after more than 12 years with Puressence, guitarist and founding member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen. Puressence decided to leave Island Records and sign with a new Manchester label called Reaction. They played many gigs throughout 2003 in support of the album Planet Helpless. In the summer of 2003 they also played in The Move Festival in Manchester's Old Trafford Cricket ground. They followed this up by supporting Suede, Iggy Pop and Depeche Mode in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Puressence have now set up their own label calling it Caserta Red Records.
Studio albums
| Date | Album | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The 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... |
Greece Albums Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1996 | Puressence Puressence (album) Puressence, released in 1996, is the debut album released by Puressence.Puressence was often compared to Radiohead's "The Bends" and early U2 on its release.-Track listing:All songs songs written by Mudriczki, Szuminski, Matthews and McDonald.... |
- | - |
| August 1998 | Only Forever Only Forever (album) Only Forever, released in 1998 , is the second album released by Puressence. Only Forever displayed a clear shift in Puressence's style, It captured the group in a more positive, lighter, chart-friendly mood... |
36 | - |
| October 2002 | Planet Helpless Planet Helpless (album) Planet Helpless, released in 2002 , is the third album released by Puressence. was the only single released from the album... |
81 | 4 |
| September 2007 | Don't Forget To Remember Don't Forget to Remember (album) Don't Forget to Remember is the fourth album of the British band Puressence which was released on 24 September 2007.-Tracks:#"Moonbeam" - 3:53#"Don't Forget To Remember" - 5:03#"Drop Down To Earth" - 3:11#"Don't Know Any Better" - 3:31... |
176 | 7 |
| October 2009 | Sharpen Up The Knives | - | 4 |
Singles
| Year | Song | 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 ... |
UK Indie singles UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Siamese" / "Scapa Flow" | - | - | - |
| "Petrol Skin EP" | - | - | Petrol Skin EP | |
| 1993 | "Offshore" | - | - | - |
| 1995 | "I Suppose" | 190 | - | Puressence |
| "Fire" | 132 | - | ||
| 1996 | "India" | 109 | - | |
| "Traffic Jam in Memory Lane" | 105 | - | ||
| "Casting Lazy Shadows" | 89 | - | ||
| 1998 | "This Feeling" | 33 | - | Only Forever |
| "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" | 47 | - | ||
| "All I Want" | 39 | - | ||
| "All I Want" / "Never Be the Same Again" | 39 | - | ||
| 2002 | "Walking Dead" | 40 | - | Planet Helpless |
| 2006 | "Palisades" / "Moonbeam" | 106 | 5 | Don't Forget to Remember |
| 2007 | "Drop Down to Earth" | 56 | - | |
| 2008 | "Don't Know Any Better" | 109 | - |
Song appearances
- "Standing In Your Shadow" featured in the end titles of the British crime filmCrime filmCrime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
, FaceFace (1997 film)Face is a British crime drama directed by Antonia Bird and written by Ronan Bennett. It stars Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone and features the acting debut of rock singer Damon Albarn.-Plot Summary:...
. - "Walking Dead" is in the Eidos video game, Hitman: ContractsHitman: ContractsHitman: Contracts is a stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the third entry in the Hitman series, followed by Hitman: Blood Money....
. - "Make Time" was used in the Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Out Of Season. - "Walking Dead" was used for a while by Sky SportsSky SportsSky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
in 2005. It was background music when the football scores were being read at the end of the night after screening live premiership games. - "This Feeling" was also used by Sky Sports for their "Premiership Years" review of the 1998-99 season.