Shack (band)
Encyclopedia
Shack are an English
band
formed in Liverpool
in 1987. Originally Shack consisted of Mick Head
(vocals
/guitar
), his brother
John Head
(guitar), Justin Smith (bass
) and Mick Hurst.
, and released two albums, Pacific Street in March 1984 and ...From Across The Kitchen Table in March 1985. However, though critically acclaimed, the albums only reached Numbers 85 and 94 in the UK Albums Chart
. That band ended around 1986 and returned from London to their home town of Liverpool. Sadly, bassist and founder member, Chris "Biffa" McCaffrey died of a brain tumour
in 1989.
Ian Broudie
's solo project, The Lightning Seeds and British soul
band Distant Cousins. Shack's first album Zilch was released in 1988, but was neither critically nor commercially successful. The album was later re-released on the Red Flag Recording Company label in 2007.
The follow-up, Waterpistol
, was recorded in 1991 at London
's Star Street Studio. Shortly after the recording
of Waterpistol was complete, the studio
burnt down and most of the tapes were destroyed. The only remaining DAT
of the album was in the possession of producer Chris Allison
. At the time, Allison was in Los Angeles, and when he returned, it transpired that he had left the copy in his hire car. It was only found weeks later after a frenzied search. However, by this point, Ghetto had folded so the record
was without a distributor. Shack split, with Wilkinson joining fellow Liverpudlian John Power (formerly of The La's
) to form the successful Britpop
band Cast
. The Head brothers accompanied Love
for a few touring dates in 1992. They then went on to form The Strands
, which found them further critical acclaim with their record The Magical World of The Strands on its release in 1996.
Waterpistol was finally released in 1995 on the German independent record label
, Marina. NME
described Mick Head as "a lost genius and among the most gifted British songwriters of his generation". The album was later re-released on the Red Flag Recording Company label in 2007.
(1999). Parry was replaced by Guy Rigby on bass
for ... Here's Tom With the Weather (2003). Wilkinson rejoined in 2005, replacing the departed Rigby.
The band signed to Noel Gallagher
's 'Sour Mash' record label
. In May 2006 they released the album ...The Corner of Miles and Gil, which is named after two of the Head brothers' heroes, Miles Davis
and Gil Evans
.
In October 2007 the band released their greatest hits
compilation album
, Time Machine, including two new tracks. They toured briefly in England
in October and November with Martyn Campbell on bass, including a set at the Liverpool Academy
on 26 October 2007, which was filmed and recorded for a possible live album
and/or DVD
.
In February 2008 the band re-formed the Pale Fountains for two critically acclaimed live shows in Liverpool and London. The members of the reformed band being Michael Head, John Head, Martyn Campbell, Andy Diagram
, Thomas 'Jock' Whelan & Iain Templeton.
Since 2008 John Head has pursued a solo career playing live shows with his band The Streams. Michael Head has also played a handful of solo shows and as his solo project Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band.
Shack played together again in June 2010 at a charity event in Winsford.
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...
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...
formed in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1987. Originally Shack consisted of Mick Head
Mick Head
Michael Head often called Mick Head, is an English musician. He is most famous as the lead singer and songwriter for Shack and The Strands, both of which also feature his younger brother John...
(vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
/guitar
Guitar
The 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...
), his brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
John Head
John Head
John Head is an English musician from Kensington, Liverpool. He is the younger brother of Mick Head and has performed with in Shack and The Strands as lead guitarist. He has also performed with Love.-External links:* and from BBC Liverpool08...
(guitar), Justin Smith (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Mick Hurst.
The Pale Fountains
Before founding Shack, Michael and John Head were in the cult 1980s band The Pale FountainsThe Pale Fountains
The Pale Fountains were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1980, and composed of Mick Head , Chris McCaffery , Thomas Whelan and former Dislocation Dance trumpeter Andy Diagram .-Career:...
, and released two albums, Pacific Street in March 1984 and ...From Across The Kitchen Table in March 1985. However, though critically acclaimed, the albums only reached Numbers 85 and 94 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...
. That band ended around 1986 and returned from London to their home town of Liverpool. Sadly, bassist and founder member, Chris "Biffa" McCaffrey died of a brain tumour
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
in 1989.
1987–1996: Zilch, Waterpistol and hiatus
The Head brothers soon re-emerged as Shack, signing to the Ghetto Recording Company, home of record producerRecord 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...
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie is a British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer from Liverpool, England. After emerging from the post punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to form the short-lived groups Original Mirrors and Care in the early 1980s as well...
's solo project, The Lightning Seeds and British soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
band Distant Cousins. Shack's first album Zilch was released in 1988, but was neither critically nor commercially successful. The album was later re-released on the Red Flag Recording Company label in 2007.
The follow-up, Waterpistol
Waterpistol (album)
Waterpistol is the second studio album by English alternative rock band Shack. The album was recorded in 1991, but its release was delayed due to a studio fire which destroyed the master tapes. During the period between the album's recording and release, the band broke up and frontman Mick Head...
, was recorded in 1991 at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Star Street Studio. Shortly after the recording
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...
of Waterpistol was complete, the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
burnt down and most of the tapes were destroyed. The only remaining DAT
DAT
DAT or Dat may refer to:Biology:* Direct agglutination test, any test that uses whole organisms as a means of looking for serum antibody* Direct antiglobulin test, one of two Coombs tests...
of the album was in the possession of producer Chris Allison
Chris Allison
Chris Allison is a British record producer and founder/head of Sonic360 Records.He is primarily known for his work with The Wedding Present; however, he has also produced for Coldplay, The Beta Band and Plastilina Mosh....
. At the time, Allison was in Los Angeles, and when he returned, it transpired that he had left the copy in his hire car. It was only found weeks later after a frenzied search. However, by this point, Ghetto had folded so the record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
was without a distributor. Shack split, with Wilkinson joining fellow Liverpudlian John Power (formerly of The La's
The La's
The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after...
) to form the successful Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
band Cast
Cast (band)
Cast are an English rock band from Liverpool, formed in 1992 by John Power and Peter Wilkinson after Power left The La's and Wilkinson's former band Shack had split...
. The Head brothers accompanied Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
for a few touring dates in 1992. They then went on to form The Strands
The Strands
The Strands were an offshoot of the Liverpool based band Shack. The band consisted of Mick Head and John Head , Iain Templeton and Michelle Brown . They released one album, titled The Magical World of The Strands in 1997.-External links:* and from BBC Liverpool08...
, which found them further critical acclaim with their record The Magical World of The Strands on its release in 1996.
Waterpistol was finally released in 1995 on the German 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:...
, Marina. 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...
described Mick Head as "a lost genius and among the most gifted British songwriters of his generation". The album was later re-released on the Red Flag Recording Company label in 2007.
1998–present: Reformation and new albums
The Head brothers, along with Iain Templeton (who drummed on The Magical World of the Strands) and bassist Ren Parry reformed Shack in 1998, releasing HMS FableHMS Fable
H.M.S. Fable is the third album by Liverpudlian band Shack, released in June 1999 via London Records. It was the band's first album following their reformation after the interest generated by their previous much-delayed album Waterpistol and the album by offshoot band The Strands. H.M.S...
(1999). Parry was replaced by Guy Rigby on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
for ... Here's Tom With the Weather (2003). Wilkinson rejoined in 2005, replacing the departed Rigby.
The band signed to Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
's 'Sour Mash' record 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,...
. In May 2006 they released the album ...The Corner of Miles and Gil, which is named after two of the Head brothers' heroes, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
and Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
.
In October 2007 the band released their greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Time Machine, including two new tracks. They toured briefly in 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...
in October and November with Martyn Campbell on bass, including a set at the Liverpool Academy
Liverpool Academy
Liverpool Academy may refer to:* Liverpool Academy of Arts* North Liverpool Academy* The past name of Guild Live, the University of Liverpool entertainment venue* Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy* Carling Academy Liverpool...
on 26 October 2007, which was filmed and recorded for a possible live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
and/or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
In February 2008 the band re-formed the Pale Fountains for two critically acclaimed live shows in Liverpool and London. The members of the reformed band being Michael Head, John Head, Martyn Campbell, Andy Diagram
Andy Diagram
Andy Diagram is a British musician and trumpet player. He has worked with the instrument in a variety bands and contexts ranging from pop and rock to experimental jazz, art rock and dance music...
, Thomas 'Jock' Whelan & Iain Templeton.
Since 2008 John Head has pursued a solo career playing live shows with his band The Streams. Michael Head has also played a handful of solo shows and as his solo project Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band.
Shack played together again in June 2010 at a charity event in Winsford.
Current members
- Michael HeadMick HeadMichael Head often called Mick Head, is an English musician. He is most famous as the lead singer and songwriter for Shack and The Strands, both of which also feature his younger brother John...
– vocals, guitar (1987–1992, 1998–present) - John HeadJohn HeadJohn Head is an English musician from Kensington, Liverpool. He is the younger brother of Mick Head and has performed with in Shack and The Strands as lead guitarist. He has also performed with Love.-External links:* and from BBC Liverpool08...
– guitar (1987–1992, 1998–present) - Iain Templeton – drums (1990–1992, 1998–present)
- Martyn CampbellMartyn CampbellMartyn Campbell is an English bass guitarist from Liverpool, England. He is best known for his work with Rain, The Lightning Seeds, Richard Ashcroft, Wah! and Terry Hall...
– bass (2007–present)
Past members
- Justin Smith – bass (1987–c.1990)
- Michael Hurst – drums (1987–c.1990)
- Peter WilkinsonPeter Wilkinson (musician)Peter Wilkinson in an English musician.-Biography:He is best known as the bass player with Cast, whom he co-founded with frontman John Power in 1992 and was a member of until the band disbanded in 2002, and Shack...
– bass (c.1990–1992, 2005–2006) - Alan Wills – drums (c.1990–1992)
- Ren Parry – bass (c.1998–c.2003)
- Guy Rigby – bass (c.2003–2005)
- Johnnie Baxter
- Dave Butcher
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart position |
|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
||
| 1988 | Zilch
|
– |
| 1995 | Waterpistol Waterpistol (album) Waterpistol is the second studio album by English alternative rock band Shack. The album was recorded in 1991, but its release was delayed due to a studio fire which destroyed the master tapes. During the period between the album's recording and release, the band broke up and frontman Mick Head... |
– |
| 1999 | H.M.S. Fable
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.... |
25 |
| 2003 | ... Here's Tom With the Weather
|
55 |
| 2006 | ...The Corner of Miles and Gil
|
55 |
Compilation albums
- The Fable Sessions (2003)
- Time Machine: The Best of Shack (2007)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
|||
| 1988 | "Emergency" | – | Zilch |
| "High Rise Low Life" | – | ||
| 1990 | "I Know You Well" | – | Non-album singles |
| 1991 | "Al's Vacation" | – | |
| 1999 | "Comedy" | 44 | H.M.S. Fable |
| "Natalie's Party" | 63 | ||
| 2000 | "Oscar" | 67 | Non-album single |
| 2003 | "Byrds Turn to Stone" | 63 | ...Here's Tom with the Weather |
| 2006 | "Tie Me Down" | 114 | ...The Corner of Miles and Gil |
| "Cup of Tea" | 126 |