Red Box
Encyclopedia
Red Box are a British
pop
group first active from the early 1980s to the early 1990s, founded by Simon Toulson-Clarke
and Julian Close. They scored two UK Top Ten
hits with the singles
"Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" in 1985 and "For America" in 1986, both of which were included on their debut album The Circle & the Square
.
Red Box returned briefly in 1990 with the single "Train" and second album Motive and again in 2010 with third album Plenty
released in October 2010. The group is now led by singer-songwriter
Simon Toulson-Clarke with a third line-up of supporting players.
and Deep Purple
as well as some self-penned material. Other early influences are cited as being Marc Bolan
, David Bowie
, Cream
, Pink Floyd
, Cat Stevens
and particularly Buffy Sainte-Marie
. On leaving school he moved to Middlesbrough
and formed another band in the vein of New York Dolls
.
In the late '70s he travelled south to study at the Polytechnic of Central London
where he formed a band with Bristolian Julian Close. Initially the band performed under the name Harlequins and comprised Toulson-Clarke (vocals/guitar) and Close (saxophone) together with Paddy Talbot (keyboards), Rob Legge (bass) and Martin Nickson (drums).
The band later took the name Red Box—after some deliberation—from a box left behind by the rock group Slade
following a performance at college (and in which they had since been storing microphones). The name was favoured for its political (Red) connotations—Toulson-Clarke describes the band members as 'Student Activists'
. He was also attracted to the notion of square (Box) being an old North American Indian term for 'white man' (circle being the term for 'man' before Europeans were encountered), a concept which would be explored further on the debut The Circle & the Square
album in the song "Heart of the Sun", a line from which gave the album its title.
Whilst still students the band slowly built a faithful following, regularly selling-out shows at the Marquee and Moonlight Club and released their debut single "Chenko" on the Cherry Red
label in 1983
. The record was a quick hit with radio and brought them to the attention of Seymour Stein, who signed the band to Sire in 1984. Soon after this, the band slimmed down to a duo, took on a more synth pop direction and resigned direct to WEA
, who released their second single "Saskatchewan
" (a cover of the Buffy Sainte-Marie
song), under the Sire imprint.
the duo enjoyed their first UK hit single, "Lean on Me (Ah-li-ayo)", a song which reached and stayed at number three in the UK Top 40 for over a month. It also reached number 1 in five countries and the top 5 in a further 12 giving worldwide exposure to the band. It was promoted with an unusual video
(nominated for Best Video at the Brit Awards
1985) in which a British Sign Language
(BSL) interpreter provided a translation of the song's lyrics, which led to a feature on BBC Two
's Newsweek programme.
In 1986 the band released their debut album The Circle & the Square
, an expansive and eclectic collection of songs, presenting a 'culture clash' of influences both musically and thematically, mixing traditional musical styles—brass ensembles
, choral music and chants—with modern Rock
and Synth Pop. Among the many vocalists drafted in to create the multi-tracked backing vocals (or "Box Vox") is actor Anthony Head
who played Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Prime Minister in Little Britain
.
The album received praise for its "evocative lyrics" and "global political intelligence" and is notable for introducing 'ethnic rhythms' and elements of World Music
into the '80s
pop milieu alongside established artists such as Paul Simon
(Graceland
, 1986
) and Kate Bush
(The Sensual World
, 1989
). It includes a re-worked version of the 1984 Buffy Sainte-Marie
cover "Saskatchewan
", as well as "Chenko", which was given a more sombre, stately treatment bringing chants to the fore and featuring Alexander Balanescu
on violin. Toulson-Clarke and Close, however, found themselves at odds with their record company regarding what it perceived as a lack of mainstream
appeal in their choice of material, despite the success of "Lean on Me" in the UK and Europe.
Toulson-Clarke responded to WEA
's request for something to appeal to American radio with the sardonic "For America", which lambasted what he saw as the style-over-content approach of the American media, as well as alluding to American military involvement in Grenada
and Nicaragua
. The song was not a hit in the USA, though it did worldwide outsell 'Lean On Me', reaching number one in six countries and the top ten in several others including the UK, where it spent twelve weeks in the chart including two at number nine.
Two more tracks were released as singles - "Heart of the Sun" and a second re-working of "Chenko" - but both failed to make a significant impact on the charts. Due to increasingly strained working relations between the band and the record company, Close left to work in A & R and Toulson-Clarke took time out from writing and recording in order to travel.
Both "Lean on Me" and "For America" remain staples of UK radio.
—who had been given charge of the subsidiary company EastWest. He began work on a new album in collaboration with musician and arranger Alastair Gavin, as well as David Motion (who had produced The Circle & the Square
), under the proviso that the 'tribal' elements which contributed so strongly to the sound of the earlier record be toned down.
Motive is less tribal than its predecessor, with several tracks built around piano, brass provided by The Kick Horns and full orchestral arrangements. It also displays a more personal style of writing from Toulson-Clarke (the song "Moving" is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Roy Wyles—father of Red Box drummer Chris Wyles—who died during recording), combined with the cultural and political allusions of the previous record.
The opening track and first single "Train" most obviously carries over the sound of The Circle & the Square
. It is an ambitious up-tempo track, beginning with the sound of a locomotive
gradually picking up speed (and subsequently shunting to a halt at the song's end) and includes samples from the Voix Bulgares, "O Fortuna
" (also known as the theme to the Old Spice
advertisements) and T.Rex. The hook
is provided by singer Jenny Tsao's eccentric vocal refrain during the chorus, lending a distinct feel of the Orient
.
"Train" was selected as the first single and released in the autumn of 1990, garnering interest from radio and television. The video
was aired on the ITV Chart Show, and the band performed on the re-vamped Juke Box Jury
hosted by Jools Holland
, with the panel proclaiming the song a hit.
However, a progressively deteriorating relationship between band and label undermined any efforts to promote the single or album. Despite the positive reception for "Train", and for reasons which remain unclear, the song was recalled from retailers. No further singles were issued and the album was eventually released without further publicity. By 'heartfelt agreement on both sides’ band and label parted and the band went into a hiatus.
and Motive received only a limited release on CD. Though the first album was widely released on LP
and cassette
in 1986, a CD issue was limited to Germany
, with a reissue
in Japan
in 1998. Due to the scarcity of both albums on CD format, rare copies were offered for sale at vastly inflated prices.
In light of continued interest in the Red Box back catalogue, a petition was created to show support for the reissue of both albums on CD. None of the tracks from either The Circle & the Square
or Motive are available for download
from legitimate online sources, except for the original Cherry Red release of "Chenko", which appears on the Ambition—the History of Cherry Red Records Vol. 1 & 2 and Pillows & Prayers Vol. 1 & 2 (Cherry Red 1982–1984) compilations, however, a new recording of "Lean on Me" by Toulson-Clarke and Close was made available through iTunes
in September 2007.
The Circle & the Square was re-released on CD by Cherry Red records on 20 October 2008. It features all 12 tracks from the original album, along with the Cherry Red versions of "Chenko" and "Valley", and 4 additional bonus tracks. 2nd Album ‘Motive’ has recently been reissued in the UK in March 2011. The Album includes 12 tracks in total. 2 of which are bonus tracks, the 'Train' single b-side 'Hello, He Lied' as well as 'Train' [Fantasy Island version].
is the long-awaited third album from Red Box which was released on Cherry Red Records on 11 October 2010.
The notion of a new album and subsequent reformation of Red Box was first conceived in 2000. While working for East West, Toulson-Clarke signed a band to the label from the USA called The Vulgar Boatmen
, releasing an album Opposite Sex in 1996.
Interviewed in 2009 he explained: “A bond of friendship producing heartfelt and honest music reminded me of our early days. I missed it, and I suppose the small notion of Red Box ‘riding again’ planted itself then. I suppose Plenty really began in the woods outside Gainsville, Florida. ”
Red Box continue to promote Plenty with live performances, especially in Poland where the songs "The Sign" and "Hurricane" have achieved number one status on the Trójka Radio charts - (5 weeks and 4 weeks respectively). The touring band consists of:
, of an old B-side, under the Solid Gold Easy Amex name. This record charted at Number 75 on Independent Radio
's Network Chart (also used by Number One Magazine) but missed the Gallup
UK Singles Chart
as used by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
.
for several years, eventually becoming Head of A & R. He went on to run the Silent Records label, and more recently Tube Recordings. He received an acknowledgement in the Motive sleeve notes as "Sniffy".
Nowadays, Julian runs Tube Management, an entertainment company incorporating a record label, music publishing and management.
has since balanced various roles as a sound engineer, producer and songwriter for other artists and has worked as a music consultant for East West Records' A & R department. In 1992 he collaborated with Miguel Bosé
and Ross Cullum on six songs for Bosé’s successful first East West album Under the Sign of Cain (Bano El Signo de Cain). He also contributed to two songs on the 2007 Miguel Bosé album Papito
, sharing co-writing honours with Michael Stipe
on the track "Lo Que Hay Es lo Que Vas".
* Network chart
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...
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...
group first active from the early 1980s to the early 1990s, founded by Simon Toulson-Clarke
Simon Toulson-Clarke
Simon Toulson-Clarke is the lead singer and a founder member of the 1980s/1990s pop group Red Box. In the late 1970s he studied in London at the Polytechnic of Central London where he formed the band along with Julian Close, Paddy Talbot, Rob Legge and Martin Nickson.He released an album in 1997...
and Julian Close. They scored two UK Top Ten
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 ...
hits with the 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...
"Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" in 1985 and "For America" in 1986, both of which were included on their debut album The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
.
Red Box returned briefly in 1990 with the single "Train" and second album Motive and again in 2010 with third album Plenty
Plenty (album)
Plenty is the third album from Red Box, and was released on 11 October 2010.- The Plenty Sessions :The album was also released as a "Limited Edition" which included an exclusive six track bonus CD...
released in October 2010. The group is now led by singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Simon Toulson-Clarke with a third line-up of supporting players.
Early years and formation (1978–1984)
Simon Toulson-Clarke formed his first band at age thirteen with school friend Paddy Talbot, playing covers of Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
as well as some self-penned material. Other early influences are cited as being Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
and particularly Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
. On leaving school he moved to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
and formed another band in the vein of New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
.
In the late '70s he travelled south to study at the Polytechnic of Central London
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
where he formed a band with Bristolian Julian Close. Initially the band performed under the name Harlequins and comprised Toulson-Clarke (vocals/guitar) and Close (saxophone) together with Paddy Talbot (keyboards), Rob Legge (bass) and Martin Nickson (drums).
The band later took the name Red Box—after some deliberation—from a box left behind by the rock group Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
following a performance at college (and in which they had since been storing microphones). The name was favoured for its political (Red) connotations—Toulson-Clarke describes the band members as 'Student Activists'
Student activism
Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding...
. He was also attracted to the notion of square (Box) being an old North American Indian term for 'white man' (circle being the term for 'man' before Europeans were encountered), a concept which would be explored further on the debut The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
album in the song "Heart of the Sun", a line from which gave the album its title.
Whilst still students the band slowly built a faithful following, regularly selling-out shows at the Marquee and Moonlight Club and released their debut single "Chenko" on the Cherry Red
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
label in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
. The record was a quick hit with radio and brought them to the attention of Seymour Stein, who signed the band to Sire in 1984. Soon after this, the band slimmed down to a duo, took on a more synth pop direction and resigned direct to WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
, who released their second single "Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
" (a cover of the Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
song), under the Sire imprint.
The Circle & the Square (1985-1987)
In August 19851985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
the duo enjoyed their first UK hit single, "Lean on Me (Ah-li-ayo)", a song which reached and stayed at number three in the UK Top 40 for over a month. It also reached number 1 in five countries and the top 5 in a further 12 giving worldwide exposure to the band. It was promoted with an unusual 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...
(nominated for Best Video at the Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
1985) in which a British Sign Language
British Sign Language
British Sign Language is the sign language used in the United Kingdom , and is the first or preferred language of some deaf people in the UK; there are 125,000 deaf adults in the UK who use BSL plus an estimated 20,000 children. The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands,...
(BSL) interpreter provided a translation of the song's lyrics, which led to a feature on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's Newsweek programme.
In 1986 the band released their debut album The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
, an expansive and eclectic collection of songs, presenting a 'culture clash' of influences both musically and thematically, mixing traditional musical styles—brass ensembles
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
, choral music and chants—with modern 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...
and Synth Pop. Among the many vocalists drafted in to create the multi-tracked backing vocals (or "Box Vox") is actor Anthony Head
Anthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
who played Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Prime Minister in Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
.
The album received praise for its "evocative lyrics" and "global political intelligence" and is notable for introducing 'ethnic rhythms' and elements of World Music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
into the '80s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
pop milieu alongside established artists such as Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
(Graceland
Graceland (album)
Graceland was Paul Simon's highest charting album in the U.S. in over a decade, reaching #3 in the national Billboard charts, receiving a certification of 5× Platinum by the RIAA and eventually selling over 14 million copies, making it Simon's most commercially successful album...
, 1986
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
) and Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
(The Sensual World
The Sensual World
-Personnel:*Haydn Bendall: engineer*Andrew Boland: engineer*Stoyanka Boneva: vocals*Kate Bush: piano, keyboards, vocals, background vocals, producer*Paddy Bush: mandolin, background vocals, valiha, whip, tupan*Clare Connors: violin...
, 1989
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
). It includes a re-worked version of the 1984 Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
cover "Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
", as well as "Chenko", which was given a more sombre, stately treatment bringing chants to the fore and featuring Alexander Balanescu
Alexander Balanescu
Alexander Bălănescu is a violinist and founder of the Balanescu Quartet.He emigrated with his family to Israel in 1969....
on violin. Toulson-Clarke and Close, however, found themselves at odds with their record company regarding what it perceived as a lack of mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
appeal in their choice of material, despite the success of "Lean on Me" in the UK and Europe.
Toulson-Clarke responded to WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
's request for something to appeal to American radio with the sardonic "For America", which lambasted what he saw as the style-over-content approach of the American media, as well as alluding to American military involvement in Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. The song was not a hit in the USA, though it did worldwide outsell 'Lean On Me', reaching number one in six countries and the top ten in several others including the UK, where it spent twelve weeks in the chart including two at number nine.
Two more tracks were released as singles - "Heart of the Sun" and a second re-working of "Chenko" - but both failed to make a significant impact on the charts. Due to increasingly strained working relations between the band and the record company, Close left to work in A & R and Toulson-Clarke took time out from writing and recording in order to travel.
Both "Lean on Me" and "For America" remain staples of UK radio.
Motive (1990)
Toulson-Clarke was persuaded back to recording by Max Hole—a former contact at WEAWarner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
—who had been given charge of the subsidiary company EastWest. He began work on a new album in collaboration with musician and arranger Alastair Gavin, as well as David Motion (who had produced The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
), under the proviso that the 'tribal' elements which contributed so strongly to the sound of the earlier record be toned down.
Motive is less tribal than its predecessor, with several tracks built around piano, brass provided by The Kick Horns and full orchestral arrangements. It also displays a more personal style of writing from Toulson-Clarke (the song "Moving" is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Roy Wyles—father of Red Box drummer Chris Wyles—who died during recording), combined with the cultural and political allusions of the previous record.
The opening track and first single "Train" most obviously carries over the sound of The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
. It is an ambitious up-tempo track, beginning with the sound of a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
gradually picking up speed (and subsequently shunting to a halt at the song's end) and includes samples from the Voix Bulgares, "O Fortuna
O Fortuna
"O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem written early in the thirteenth century, part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana. It is a complaint about fate, and Fortuna, a goddess in Roman mythology and personification of luck....
" (also known as the theme to the Old Spice
Old Spice
Old Spice is a prominent American brand of male grooming products. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble, which acquired the brand in 1990 from the Shulton Company.-History:...
advertisements) and T.Rex. The hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
is provided by singer Jenny Tsao's eccentric vocal refrain during the chorus, lending a distinct feel of the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
.
"Train" was selected as the first single and released in the autumn of 1990, garnering interest from radio and television. 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...
was aired on the ITV Chart Show, and the band performed on the re-vamped Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury was a musical panel show which originally ran on BBC Television from 1 June 1959 until December 1967. The programme was based on the American show Jukebox Jury, itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series....
hosted by Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
, with the panel proclaiming the song a hit.
However, a progressively deteriorating relationship between band and label undermined any efforts to promote the single or album. Despite the positive reception for "Train", and for reasons which remain unclear, the song was recalled from retailers. No further singles were issued and the album was eventually released without further publicity. By 'heartfelt agreement on both sides’ band and label parted and the band went into a hiatus.
Reissues
Both The Circle & the SquareThe Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
and Motive received only a limited release on CD. Though the first album was widely released on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
in 1986, a CD issue was limited to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, with a reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1998. Due to the scarcity of both albums on CD format, rare copies were offered for sale at vastly inflated prices.
In light of continued interest in the Red Box back catalogue, a petition was created to show support for the reissue of both albums on CD. None of the tracks from either The Circle & the Square
The Circle & The Square
The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :...
or Motive are available for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
from legitimate online sources, except for the original Cherry Red release of "Chenko", which appears on the Ambition—the History of Cherry Red Records Vol. 1 & 2 and Pillows & Prayers Vol. 1 & 2 (Cherry Red 1982–1984) compilations, however, a new recording of "Lean on Me" by Toulson-Clarke and Close was made available through iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in September 2007.
The Circle & the Square was re-released on CD by Cherry Red records on 20 October 2008. It features all 12 tracks from the original album, along with the Cherry Red versions of "Chenko" and "Valley", and 4 additional bonus tracks. 2nd Album ‘Motive’ has recently been reissued in the UK in March 2011. The Album includes 12 tracks in total. 2 of which are bonus tracks, the 'Train' single b-side 'Hello, He Lied' as well as 'Train' [Fantasy Island version].
Plenty (2010-)
PlentyPlenty (album)
Plenty is the third album from Red Box, and was released on 11 October 2010.- The Plenty Sessions :The album was also released as a "Limited Edition" which included an exclusive six track bonus CD...
is the long-awaited third album from Red Box which was released on Cherry Red Records on 11 October 2010.
The notion of a new album and subsequent reformation of Red Box was first conceived in 2000. While working for East West, Toulson-Clarke signed a band to the label from the USA called The Vulgar Boatmen
The Vulgar Boatmen
The Vulgar Boatmen are an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida in the early 1980s by a group of students at the University of Florida, including John Eder and Walter Salas-Humara. In its original configuration the group issued several cassette-only releases, including Women and Boatmen...
, releasing an album Opposite Sex in 1996.
Interviewed in 2009 he explained: “A bond of friendship producing heartfelt and honest music reminded me of our early days. I missed it, and I suppose the small notion of Red Box ‘riding again’ planted itself then. I suppose Plenty really began in the woods outside Gainsville, Florida. ”
Red Box continue to promote Plenty with live performances, especially in Poland where the songs "The Sign" and "Hurricane" have achieved number one status on the Trójka Radio charts - (5 weeks and 4 weeks respectively). The touring band consists of:
- Derek Adams - 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 - Paul Bond - 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...
- Trish Buckley - backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Dave Jenkins - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Simon Toulson-Clarke - lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and 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... - Ty Unwin - keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
Enjoy
In 1990 Red Box scored a club hit with "Enjoy" which was essentially a remix, by Paul OakenfoldPaul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
, of an old B-side, under the Solid Gold Easy Amex name. This record charted at Number 75 on Independent Radio
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
's Network Chart (also used by Number One Magazine) but missed the Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
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 ...
as used by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
British Hit Singles & Albums was a music reference book published in the United Kingdom by HiT Entertainment's "Guinness World Records". It listed all the singles and albums featured in the Top 75 Charts in UK, as compiled by the editors of British Hit Singles & Albums...
.
Julian Close
Julian Close left the band in 1987 and worked behind the scenes at EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
for several years, eventually becoming Head of A & R. He went on to run the Silent Records label, and more recently Tube Recordings. He received an acknowledgement in the Motive sleeve notes as "Sniffy".
Nowadays, Julian runs Tube Management, an entertainment company incorporating a record label, music publishing and management.
Simon Toulson-Clarke
Simon Toulson-ClarkeSimon Toulson-Clarke
Simon Toulson-Clarke is the lead singer and a founder member of the 1980s/1990s pop group Red Box. In the late 1970s he studied in London at the Polytechnic of Central London where he formed the band along with Julian Close, Paddy Talbot, Rob Legge and Martin Nickson.He released an album in 1997...
has since balanced various roles as a sound engineer, producer and songwriter for other artists and has worked as a music consultant for East West Records' A & R department. In 1992 he collaborated with Miguel Bosé
Miguel Bosé
Miguel Dominguín Bosé is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish/Italian musician and actor.-Early life:Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of the famous Italian actress Lucia Bosé and the legendary bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguín. He is also a cousin of Carmen...
and Ross Cullum on six songs for Bosé’s successful first East West album Under the Sign of Cain (Bano El Signo de Cain). He also contributed to two songs on the 2007 Miguel Bosé album Papito
Papito (album)
Papito is an album released by Spanish pop singer Miguel Bosé to celebrate his 30 years in the Music industry. The album includes 14 tracks of previously known hit songs by the artist, in reworked versions in collaboration with many artists including Juanes, Shakira, Amaia Montero, Ricky Martin,...
, sharing co-writing honours with Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
on the track "Lo Que Hay Es lo Que Vas".
- SPASPA (band)SPA are a British band comprising Simon Toulson-Clarke, Phill Brown and Alastair Gavin. Toulson-Clarke and Gavin had previously worked together on the Red Box album Motive.SPA was an acronym of the names of its members - Simon, Phill and Alastair....
- In 1997 he collaborated with Phill Brown (who had produced the Cherry Red version of "Chenko") and Alastair Gavin—using the acronymAcronym and initialismAcronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
SPASPA (band)SPA are a British band comprising Simon Toulson-Clarke, Phill Brown and Alastair Gavin. Toulson-Clarke and Gavin had previously worked together on the Red Box album Motive.SPA was an acronym of the names of its members - Simon, Phill and Alastair....
—on a concept album in tribute to American Comedian Bill HicksBill HicksWilliam Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
.
- Plenty
- In 2000 the song "Might As Well Go Home" by Plenty was featured on the soundtrack to the film Saving GraceSaving Grace (2000 film)Track Listing# "Introduction" – 1:02# "Grace's Theme" – 2:42# "Take a Picture" – 5:55# "Make Me Smile " – 4:07# "Spirit in the Sky" – 3:56...
starring Brenda BlethynBrenda BlethynBrenda Anne Blethyn, OBE is an English actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations, two SAG Award nominations, two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
and Craig FergusonCraig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Title and tracklisting | UK 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... |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Circle & the Square The Circle & The Square The Circle & the Square is the debut album from Red Box and was released in 1986. This album contained the group's two UK top ten hits, "Lean on Me" and "For America".- WEA LP: WX79 :- WEA CD: WX79CD :... |
#73 | WEA Warner Music Group Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies... |
| 1990 | Motive |
- | EastWest East West Records East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:... |
| 2010 | Plenty Plenty (album) Plenty is the third album from Red Box, and was released on 11 October 2010.- The Plenty Sessions :The album was also released as a "Limited Edition" which included an exclusive six track bonus CD... |
- | Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens... |
Singles
| Year | Title | 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 ... |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Chenko" b/w Valley |
- | Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens... CHERRY 73 |
| 1984 | "Saskatchewan" b/w Speeches |
- | Sire Records Sire Records Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a... W 9157 |
| 1985 | "Lean on Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)" b/w Stinging Bee |
#3 | Sire Records Sire Records Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a... W 8926 |
| 1986 | "For America" b/w R n' A (R n' A is built around the chant from Chenko recorded in reverse) |
#10 | Sire Records Sire Records Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a... YZ 84 |
| 1987 | "Heart of the Sun" b/w Enjoy (Solid Gold Easy Amex) |
#71 | Sire Records Sire Records Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a... YZ 100 |
| 1987 | "Chenko (Tenka-Io)" b/w Speeches |
- | Sire Records Sire Records Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a... YX 125 |
| 1990 | "Enjoy" (Paul Oakenfold Future mix) (edit) (as Solid Gold Easy Amex Featuring Red Box) b/w Enjoy (Original Golden Lay) |
#75* | EastWest East West Records East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:... YZ 466 |
| 1990 | "Train" b/w Hello' He Lied |
- | EastWest East West Records East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:... YZ 531 |
| 2007 | "Lean on Me" (Digital single) |
- | Silent Songs |
| 2010 | "Hurricane"/"Brighter Blue" (Digital single) |
- | Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens... |
| 2011 | "The Sign" (Digital single) |
- | Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens... |
* Network chart
The Network Chart Show
The Network Chart Show was a radio programme launched across Independent Local Radio in the UK on 30 September 1984.-Background:The main presenter was David Jensen , however Pat Sharp would often provide holiday cover in its later years: in its earlier years Timmy Mallett and Alan Freeman also...