Sad Café (band)
Encyclopedia
Sad Café were an English
rock
band
, which formed in Manchester
in 1976, as a result of the unification of the rock bands Mandala and Gyro. Sad Café are best known for their song "Every Day Hurts" which reached Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
in 1979.
The group founding members were Paul Young
(vocals), Ian Wilson (guitar), Vic Emerson (keyboards, left 1984), Ashley Mulford (lead guitar, left 1981), John Stimpson (bass, left 1980), and Tony Cresswell (drums, left 1978).
Other members included: Lenni (saxophone), Jeff Seopardi (drum programming), Phil Lanzon (keyboards), Steve Piggot (keyboards), Paul Burgess (drums). Only Paul Young and Ian Wilson stayed the full course, although there was a tribute concert
after Young's death (Young died on 15 July 2000, at the age of 53) that clearly featured Sad Café minus him. Eric Stewart
produced
two Sad Café albums.
Paul Young
later joined Mike + The Mechanics in 1985.
"Strange Little Girl" by Sad Café retells the story of the film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
that featured Jodie Foster
and was based on a book of the same name.
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...
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...
, which formed in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1976, as a result of the unification of the rock bands Mandala and Gyro. Sad Café are best known for their song "Every Day Hurts" which reached Number 3 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 ...
in 1979.
The group founding members were Paul Young
Paul Young (Sad Café)
Paul Young was an English singer and percussionist who worked with several successful bands. He initially came to prominence as the lead singer of chart band Sad Café, and later enjoyed further chart success sharing lead vocal duties with Paul Carrack in Mike + The Mechanics.-Career:Young was born...
(vocals), Ian Wilson (guitar), Vic Emerson (keyboards, left 1984), Ashley Mulford (lead guitar, left 1981), John Stimpson (bass, left 1980), and Tony Cresswell (drums, left 1978).
Other members included: Lenni (saxophone), Jeff Seopardi (drum programming), Phil Lanzon (keyboards), Steve Piggot (keyboards), Paul Burgess (drums). Only Paul Young and Ian Wilson stayed the full course, although there was a tribute concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
after Young's death (Young died on 15 July 2000, at the age of 53) that clearly featured Sad Café minus him. Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995....
produced
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...
two Sad Café albums.
Paul Young
Paul Young (Sad Café)
Paul Young was an English singer and percussionist who worked with several successful bands. He initially came to prominence as the lead singer of chart band Sad Café, and later enjoyed further chart success sharing lead vocal duties with Paul Carrack in Mike + The Mechanics.-Career:Young was born...
later joined Mike + The Mechanics in 1985.
"Strange Little Girl" by Sad Café retells the story of the film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is a 1976 Canadian-French film directed by Nicolas Gessner and starring Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen. It was written by Laird Koenig, based on Koenig's 1974 novel of the same title; Koenig also wrote a stage play based on his book...
that featured Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
and was based on a book of the same name.
Members
(Founding members listed in bold.)- Paul Young - Lead vocals (1976-1990)
- Ian Wilson - guitars (1976-1990)
- Vic Emerson - keyboards (1976-1984)
- Ashley Mulford - lead guitars (1976-1981, 1986-1989)
- John Stimpson - bass guitars (1976-1980; managed the band after 1980)
- Tony Cresswell - drums (1976-1978)
- Dave Irving - drums (1978-1984)
- Lenni - saxophone (1979-1984; had performed as a session musician prior to 1979)
- Des Tong - bass guitars (1980-1990)
- Michael Byron-Hehir - lead guitars (1981-1985, 1986, 1989-1990)
- Jeff Seopardi - drums (1985-1986)
- Steve Piggot - keyboards (1985)
- Phil Lanzon - keyboards (1986)
- Paul Burgess - drums (1986-1990)
- Alistair Gordon - keyboards, vocals (1989-1990)
Singles
- Jan.79 # 71 "Run Home Girl" (US)
- Sep.79 # 3 "Every Day Hurts" (UK)
- Jan.80 # 32 "Strange Little Girl" (UK)
- Mar.80 # 14 "My Oh My" (UK)
- Jun.80 # 62 "Nothing left Toulouse" (UK)
- Sep.80 # 41 "La-Di-Da" (UK)
- Dez.80 # 40 "I'm in love again" (UK)
- Aug.81 # 78 "La-Di-Da" (US)
Albums
- Fanx TaraFanx TaraFanx Tara is the first studio album by the English band Sad Café. It was produced and engineered by John Punter and recorded at Strawberry Studio's North, the Manor and Indigo Studios, and released by RCA Records in September 1977.-Track listing:...
(1977, # 56 UK) - Misplaced Ideals (1978, # 50 UK)
- Misplaced Ideals (1979, US version of the two first LPs, # 94 US)
- Façades (1979, # 8 UK, # 146 US)
- Sad Café (1980, # 46 UK, # 160 US)
- Live (1981, # 37 UK)
- Olé (1981, # 72 UK)
- Politics of Existing (1985)
- Whatever it Takes (1989)
See also
- List of bands from Manchester
- List of bands from England
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- Swan Song RecordsSwan Song RecordsSwan Song Records was a record label launched by the English rock band Led Zeppelin on 10 May 1974. It was overseen by Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and was a vehicle for the band to promote its own products as well as sign artists who found it difficult to win contracts with other major labels...