Shed Seven
Encyclopedia
Shed Seven are an English
indie rock
band from York
and were one of the groups which contributed to the Britpop
music scene that evolved during the 1990s, yet never received the degree of mainstream success achieved by bands such as Oasis
and Blur
. They formed in 1990
and originally comprised Rick Witter
(vocals), Joe Johnson (guitar
and keyboards
, later replaced by Paul Banks), Tom Gladwin (bass
) and Alan Leach (drums
).
They belonged to the post-Smiths
wave of UK musicians such as The Sundays
and Marion
, with a sound relying heavily on complex guitar arpeggio
s often in a minor key, and wailing vocals. At the height of their popularity between 1994 and 1999 they had fifteen Top 40 singles and four Top 20 albums in the UK. The band officially broke up in 2003, but reformed for a greatest hits tour in July 2007. The band has continued to play shows around the UK periodically but has not released a new studio album.
, bassist Tom Gladwin, Magnus Thompson and John Leach, brother of Alan Leach. Both Witter and Banks had also previously played together in a band named ENAM, performing to German exchange students in Banks's front room. The band's name derived from a railway shed during a return trip to York; as they approached York railway station
, they noticed a small shed on the sidings labelled "Shed 7". Prior to signing a six-album deal with Polydor Records
in October 1993, guitarist Joe Johnson left the line-up and was replaced by Paul Banks. The band twice entered the local Fibbers/Evening Press Battle Of The Bands competition, twice failing to win, whilst in September 1993, still unsigned, they were voted the third best live act at London's Inner City Festival. The initial press attention enjoyed by the band came as a result of the positive reviews of their live shows, coupled with complimentary comparisons to The Smiths
. In March 1994, an article by Dave Simpson of Melody Maker
, charting the aspirations of "the UK's brightest hopes", stated that; "...Shed Seven's beautifully posed, epic music is different. Not so much New Wave Of New Wave as post-Smiths, they're taking the insular bedsit angst of Morrissey's early music and subverting it with a brash and insensitive sexual narcissism
."
Their debut single, the double A-side "Mark"/"Casino Girl"—labelled by NME
as "spirited 'Barbarism Begins At Home' skirl"
—was released on 7 March 1994 to considerable acclaim from some sections of the music press, but failed to make the UK Top 40. The follow-up single, "Dolphin", a song co-written with former member Johnson during Banks' two year absence from the band's line-up, was released on 13 June 1994 peaking at number 28 with first week sales reaching 15,000, leading to Shed Seven's first Top of the Pops
appearance on 23 June 1994. Despite their third single release, "Speakeasy", entering the UK charts at number 24 and giving them their biggest hit to date, the first negative press reviews began to emerge. Writing for the UK music magazine NME in August 1994, John Mulvey believed that it represented "[f]our clumsy blokes trying to come over all sensuous, fragile and complex."—"Speakeasy" was later to be re-written as an advertising jingle in 1999, for the mobile phone company The Link
, with Witter later admitting regret at his re-recording and re-wording of the original. As a result, the song was omitted from Shed Seven setlists for a number of years, only making its live comeback as a stripped-down acoustic version on their "farewell" tour in December 2003.
In September 1994, the band released their debut album, Change Giver
, entering the UK album chart at number 16 and giving the group their first Gold disc. Despite it spending just two weeks in the chart, the "critically underrated debut album", which NME declared "an attempted stab in the face of their critics", gave the band three UK Top 40 singles. As well as enjoying popularity in both the UK and Australia
, Shed Seven also found an audience in Thailand
, where they managed to beat Take That
to the Christmas
number 1 spot with their fourth single release, "Ocean Pie
". The following April, "Where Have You Been Tonight?", the first record to emerge from the band's collaboration with their new producer, Chris Sheldon
, was issued as their fifth single, peaking at number 23 and continuing the band's chart-placing run. Although the single was "rush released" with the intention of it being followed by a swiftly recorded second album, the band failed to capitalise on the song's success as it became Shed Seven's one and only release throughout 1995.
(1994), A Maximum High
(1996) and Let It Ride (1998) - along with a greatest hits compilation, Going For Gold
(1999). The release of the latter was forced upon the band by their record company, Polydor, after Let It Ride failed to match the album sales of its predecessor, which sold 250,000 copies in Britain alone. Despite the band's reservations about issuing such a compilation so soon in their career, the album went on to sell 130,000 copies and featured brand new material in "Disco Down" and "High Hopes", both intended to be issued as singles. "Disco Down" went on to become the last Banks-era hit for the band, peaking at number 13, whilst "High Hopes" was sidelined by Polydor in favour of a proposed re-release of the previous single, "Going For Gold". However, the band refused to comply, leading to Shed Seven and Polydor Records parting company in late 1999;
interview about his post-Shed Seven band, The Rising, Paul commented on his departure from the group; "I've never really felt part of a band until now. [Shed Seven] wasn't really about that. I wanted to work with people who I respected who would respect me back. That was something that was definitely lacking. Now I feel like I'm in my favourite band." Banks was eventually replaced by original guitarist Joe Johnson, while part-time keyboardist Fraser Smith was also added to the permanent line-up. The band signed a new contract with Artful Records, and in 2001 went on to release their fourth studio album, Truth Be Told
, which spawned two further singles in "Cry For Help" and "Step Inside Your Love". Despite finding themselves a new deal, the band were continually dissatisfied with the lack of promotional support from their label, and frustrated by apparent mismanagement and delayed releases. This was highlighted by Artful's decision to change the band's "Step Inside Your Love" single release from a 2 CD chart-eligible format to a non-eligible 4-track EP, ending their chances of a fifteenth consecutive chart hit. The band were further hindered by BBC Radio 1
's refusal to playlist them in their post-Polydor days despite DJ Chris Moyles
being a long-time supporter of the band. As a result, Shed Seven quit Artful Records in 2002.
, and soon returned to the charts in the form of their seventeenth single, "Why Can't I Be You?", released on 5 May and peaking at number 23. This proved to be their first and last single release for the label, as the band lost patience with Taste's refusal to release their fully recorded would-be fifth studio LP, slated for release in September 2003. With Taste demanding another big hit before they were willing to release a new Shed Seven album, the ready and complete LP was held back indefinitely. As a consequence, the band announced their imminent split via a statement issued through the official Shed Seven website on 23 November 2003, explaining that their then-current UK tour—which took place between November and December 2003—would become the group's "farewell tour":
The final tour was a sell-out success, with the last gig played on 20 December 2003 at the Barbican Centre, in their hometown of York. One further album release did, however, come of their time at Taste: their only official live album, Where Have You Been Tonight? Live
. Recorded at various destinations on tour in December 2002, the album was released in May 2003, six months before the band's farewell tour began. Despite gaining a loyal and ever-growing following of fans—sometimes referred to as "Shed Heads"—the band failed to receive universal positive press attention in the UK; NME never featured Shed Seven on its cover, whilst the now defunct Melody Maker did so once.
, which in large part featured album tracks and B-sides, surfaced in 2004. In 2005, after many requests from fans, the band eventually released an official post-split album, One Hand Clapping. The 'new' material, which would have comprised the band's fifth studio album, featured unreleased demos of songs that were submitted to, and refused by, Taste Media in 2003. The album was initially released in a strictly limited run of 1,000 copies, although a Japanese version of the album, complete with four extra acoustic tracks, enhanced sleeve notes and complete lyrics, surfaced in June 2006.
began a solo career with Rick Witter & The Dukes
in 2005. The band played several low-key gigs in Scotland
as well as two sold-out shows in York shortly before Christmas of the same year, before embarking on a month-long tour in April and May 2006. Their debut album, The Year Of The Rat, was released on 16 April 2007. Alan Leach returned to York, where he teaches drums and runs "speedquizzing" in two of the city's bars, whilst Tom Gladwin went on to join the Leeds
-based pop/dance outfit The Clients with former members of The Dandys
. In 2007, Tom formed a new band, People In Airports, with singer-songwriter
and guitarist Paul Downes. After leaving Shed Seven, Paul Banks went on to form The Rising, a York-based band composed of Banks, David McKellar (formerly of The 88's), Rob "Maxi" Maxfield (formerly of Audioweb
) and Stuart Fletcher (formerly of The Seahorses
and currently with Rick Witter & The Dukes). Banks became a film-maker, starting his own production company in 2002 he has produced & directed films for the likes of Richard Ashcroft , Faithless and The Script. Joe Johnson teaches guitar in his hometown, and joined a new York-based band named the Black Sours. Fraser Smith is now a London-based record producer and songwriter, currently signed to Notting Hill Music, and has produced and mixed records for acts such as Ian Brown
, Hayley Hutchinson and The Yards.
in Aberdeen
on 27 November and culminating at London's
Shepherd's Bush Empire on 14 December. The reformed line-up featured all of the band's original members, including both Joe Johnson and Paul Banks, who appeared together for the very first time; keyboardist and songwriter
Fraser Smith, however, took no part in the reunion. It was the first time Banks had appeared on stage with the band since his departure in 1999. The band's accompanying official announcement stated that: "These plans do not affect the individual members’ projects which will continue as before. This includes Rick, who recently released a debut album with his new band The Dukes". Yet, despite this vow, both Witter and Banks' respective bands - The Dukes and Albion - suffered due to the renewed commitment to their old band's new outing. Banks parted company with the Alistair Griffin
-fronted outfit the following month, whilst Witter completed one further UK tour with The Dukes
prior to Shed Seven's Reunion Tour warm-up show in Hull
on 25 November.
By mid-July, several major venues had completely sold out and a further six concerts were announced, including two extra dates in London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. The revised tour finished on 22 December 2007 at Glasgow's Carling Academy
. Paul Banks commented: "None of us could have predicted the overwhelming response to the Shed Seven Reunion Tour. This has now turned into the biggest tour that the band has ever undertaken." Although Shed Seven did not undertake a further tour of their own, 2008 saw the band return to two of the UK's
biggest festivals; T in the Park
in Balado
, Scotland
, and V
in both Chelmsford
and Staffordshire
.
Shed Seven undertook a tour of Scotland and England in late 2009, and played V Festival
, T In The Park
and Greenbelt
in 2010 amongst other gigs. This included two dates at the recently reopened Fibbers venue in September.
The band announced a further Christmas tour for 2011 - celebrating the 15 years since the release of A Maximum High
. The tour, entitled 'The Maximum Hits Tour' will primarily focus on their output during the A Maximum High era, and will include a brass section on tour for the first time. The tour announcement proved so successful that numerous dates were added after the initial announcement.
In late 2011 Shed Seven began a Facebook competition with the prize being a support slot at one of their gigs. The band with the most 'likes' would win the support slot. Despite a landslide victory the noise-core outfit Cementimental were controversially removed from the competition.
" package, Live at the BBC is an alternate take on the band’s career, and comprises some of the their biggest hits alongside lesser-known album tracks and B-sides. All of the tracks included were recorded live between 1994 and 1997 at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios, or for Radio 1's
Live In Concert broadcasts. Released on 15 October 2007, the tracklist was hand-picked by the band, with sleevenotes written by Paul Banks and artwork featuring rare photos from the recording of the sessions at the BBC's studios.
A further EP was released on the 7th November 2011. The CD, released in conjunction with the 2011 tour, featured four re-worked tracks from their A Maximum High
album released 15 years previously. The four songs were re-recorded and reworked with an orchestral feel over the course of a weekend in September. The CD was limited to 777 hand numbered copies available exclusively from their official website, though digital versions are freely available from the major online retailers. The CD, released on the Blue Apple Music label, sold out within 2 hours.
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...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and were one of the groups which contributed to the 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...
music scene that evolved during the 1990s, yet never received the degree of mainstream success achieved by bands such as Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
. They formed in 1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
and originally comprised Rick Witter
Rick Witter
Rick Witter is a singer, songwriter and frontman of the York-based Britpop band, Shed Seven.He was educated at Huntington School, York.-Professional career:...
(vocals), Joe Johnson (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...
and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, later replaced by Paul Banks), Tom Gladwin (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Alan Leach (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
).
They belonged to the post-Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
wave of UK musicians such as The Sundays
The Sundays
The Sundays were an English alternative rock band. The band formed in the late 1980s and released three albums in the 1990s.-Career:The band's beginnings came with the meeting of Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin at university. Wheeler had played gigs with 'Cruel Shoes' an early...
and 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...
, with a sound relying heavily on complex guitar arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
s often in a minor key, and wailing vocals. At the height of their popularity between 1994 and 1999 they had fifteen Top 40 singles and four Top 20 albums in the UK. The band officially broke up in 2003, but reformed for a greatest hits tour in July 2007. The band has continued to play shows around the UK periodically but has not released a new studio album.
The early years
Shed Seven formed in 1990 from the ashes of Brockley Haven, a band featuring frontman Rick Witter, guitarist and songwriter Paul BanksPaul Banks (Shed Seven)
Paul Banks is a musician, songwriter and lead guitarist with the rock band, Shed Seven.-Professional career:...
, bassist Tom Gladwin, Magnus Thompson and John Leach, brother of Alan Leach. Both Witter and Banks had also previously played together in a band named ENAM, performing to German exchange students in Banks's front room. The band's name derived from a railway shed during a return trip to York; as they approached York railway station
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
, they noticed a small shed on the sidings labelled "Shed 7". Prior to signing a six-album deal with Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
in October 1993, guitarist Joe Johnson left the line-up and was replaced by Paul Banks. The band twice entered the local Fibbers/Evening Press Battle Of The Bands competition, twice failing to win, whilst in September 1993, still unsigned, they were voted the third best live act at London's Inner City Festival. The initial press attention enjoyed by the band came as a result of the positive reviews of their live shows, coupled with complimentary comparisons to The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. In March 1994, an article by Dave Simpson of Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, charting the aspirations of "the UK's brightest hopes", stated that; "...Shed Seven's beautifully posed, epic music is different. Not so much New Wave Of New Wave as post-Smiths, they're taking the insular bedsit angst of Morrissey's early music and subverting it with a brash and insensitive sexual narcissism
Narcissism
Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
."
Their debut single, the double A-side "Mark"/"Casino Girl"—labelled by 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...
as "spirited 'Barbarism Begins At Home' skirl"
—was released on 7 March 1994 to considerable acclaim from some sections of the music press, but failed to make the UK Top 40. The follow-up single, "Dolphin", a song co-written with former member Johnson during Banks' two year absence from the band's line-up, was released on 13 June 1994 peaking at number 28 with first week sales reaching 15,000, leading to Shed Seven's first Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
appearance on 23 June 1994. Despite their third single release, "Speakeasy", entering the UK charts at number 24 and giving them their biggest hit to date, the first negative press reviews began to emerge. Writing for the UK music magazine NME in August 1994, John Mulvey believed that it represented "[f]our clumsy blokes trying to come over all sensuous, fragile and complex."—"Speakeasy" was later to be re-written as an advertising jingle in 1999, for the mobile phone company The Link
The Link (retailer)
The Link was an internet-based mobile phone and communications retailer in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Dixons Retail , the UK's largest consumer electronics retail group, and traded online through a dedicated retail website, which in addition to mobile phones also offered satellite...
, with Witter later admitting regret at his re-recording and re-wording of the original. As a result, the song was omitted from Shed Seven setlists for a number of years, only making its live comeback as a stripped-down acoustic version on their "farewell" tour in December 2003.
In September 1994, the band released their debut album, Change Giver
Change Giver
Change Giver is the debut album by British rock band Shed Seven, released via Polydor Records on September 5, 1994. It was produced by Jessica Corcoran and was issued during the formative year of the britpop movement—a scene which dominated British alternative music in the mid-1990s.The album was...
, entering the UK album chart at number 16 and giving the group their first Gold disc. Despite it spending just two weeks in the chart, the "critically underrated debut album", which NME declared "an attempted stab in the face of their critics", gave the band three UK Top 40 singles. As well as enjoying popularity in both the UK and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Shed Seven also found an audience in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where they managed to beat Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
to the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
number 1 spot with their fourth single release, "Ocean Pie
Ocean pie
"Ocean Pie" is the fourth single release from britpop band Shed Seven's debut album, Change Giver. The single was released in October 1994 and peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart.-Tracklisting:CD and 12" Vinyl#"Ocean Pie" – 4:39...
". The following April, "Where Have You Been Tonight?", the first record to emerge from the band's collaboration with their new producer, Chris Sheldon
Chris Sheldon
Chris Sheldon is a record producer, particularly of rock music, based in London, UK. He has produced or mixed records for the Foo Fighters, Garbage, Feeder, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize and Pixies amongst others...
, was issued as their fifth single, peaking at number 23 and continuing the band's chart-placing run. Although the single was "rush released" with the intention of it being followed by a swiftly recorded second album, the band failed to capitalise on the song's success as it became Shed Seven's one and only release throughout 1995.
Peak of success
With five UK Top 40 entries in 1996, Shed Seven had more hit singles than any other act that year, the high point coming with the release of their seventh single, "Going For Gold", which entered the UK chart at number 8 on 17 March and remains their biggest chart hit to date. A sold-out thirteen-date Autumn tour followed, including their debut at the York Barbican Centre. The definitive band line-up released 3 studio albums - Change GiverChange Giver
Change Giver is the debut album by British rock band Shed Seven, released via Polydor Records on September 5, 1994. It was produced by Jessica Corcoran and was issued during the formative year of the britpop movement—a scene which dominated British alternative music in the mid-1990s.The album was...
(1994), A Maximum High
A Maximum High
A Maximum High is the second studio album by the British rock band Shed Seven, released in April, 1996 via Polydor Records. The album was written by all four band members at the time of release; Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin and Alan Leach....
(1996) and Let It Ride (1998) - along with a greatest hits compilation, Going For Gold
Going for Gold (album)
Going For Gold is a singles compilation album by the British rock band, Shed Seven, released in May 1999 via Polydor Records. The album features sleevenotes written by Mark Sutherland, the former editor of Melody Maker, who refers to the LP as the band's "Best Of Album", whereas the album artwork...
(1999). The release of the latter was forced upon the band by their record company, Polydor, after Let It Ride failed to match the album sales of its predecessor, which sold 250,000 copies in Britain alone. Despite the band's reservations about issuing such a compilation so soon in their career, the album went on to sell 130,000 copies and featured brand new material in "Disco Down" and "High Hopes", both intended to be issued as singles. "Disco Down" went on to become the last Banks-era hit for the band, peaking at number 13, whilst "High Hopes" was sidelined by Polydor in favour of a proposed re-release of the previous single, "Going For Gold". However, the band refused to comply, leading to Shed Seven and Polydor Records parting company in late 1999;
The Greatest Hits wasn't our idea - we felt it was a few years too early - but agreed to do it on the understanding that we would release two new singles from the album. 'Disco Down' did really well and we were all prepared to follow it up with 'High Hopes', the video script was approved and it was ready to go to radio, when some higher authority decided it would be a better idea to re-release 'Going For Gold' instead. We put our foot down and said 'no way, we are not going to rip off our fans with old material'. In fact, most people at the label thought it was an awful idea.
Shed Seven mark II
In December of the same year, Paul Banks left the band by mutual discontent, with Rick Witter citing "musical differences" for the split. During an NMENME
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...
interview about his post-Shed Seven band, The Rising, Paul commented on his departure from the group; "I've never really felt part of a band until now. [Shed Seven] wasn't really about that. I wanted to work with people who I respected who would respect me back. That was something that was definitely lacking. Now I feel like I'm in my favourite band." Banks was eventually replaced by original guitarist Joe Johnson, while part-time keyboardist Fraser Smith was also added to the permanent line-up. The band signed a new contract with Artful Records, and in 2001 went on to release their fourth studio album, Truth Be Told
Truth Be Told (Shed Seven album)
Truth Be Told is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Shed Seven, released via Artful Records in May, 2001. Initial copies of the album featured a limited edition bonus disc with additional CD-ROM material along with an exclusive bonus track....
, which spawned two further singles in "Cry For Help" and "Step Inside Your Love". Despite finding themselves a new deal, the band were continually dissatisfied with the lack of promotional support from their label, and frustrated by apparent mismanagement and delayed releases. This was highlighted by Artful's decision to change the band's "Step Inside Your Love" single release from a 2 CD chart-eligible format to a non-eligible 4-track EP, ending their chances of a fifteenth consecutive chart hit. The band were further hindered by 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...
's refusal to playlist them in their post-Polydor days despite DJ Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
being a long-time supporter of the band. As a result, Shed Seven quit Artful Records in 2002.
Beginning of the end
In 2003, Shed Seven found a new home at Taste MediaTaste Media
Taste Media is a record label and production company that has released records for bands such as Muse and Shed Seven. The company was formed by Safta Jaffery and Dennis Smith, who owned the Sawmills recording studio in Cornwall.-History:Taste Media recorded three of Muse's albums, Showbiz, Origin...
, and soon returned to the charts in the form of their seventeenth single, "Why Can't I Be You?", released on 5 May and peaking at number 23. This proved to be their first and last single release for the label, as the band lost patience with Taste's refusal to release their fully recorded would-be fifth studio LP, slated for release in September 2003. With Taste demanding another big hit before they were willing to release a new Shed Seven album, the ready and complete LP was held back indefinitely. As a consequence, the band announced their imminent split via a statement issued through the official Shed Seven website on 23 November 2003, explaining that their then-current UK tour—which took place between November and December 2003—would become the group's "farewell tour":
Although we feel that certain aspects of the music industry have put a strain on the recording side of things in recent years, the one thing that has remained consistent throughout has been the band’s love of performing live and the ability to please the fans by giving 100% every time. This is exactly what we plan to do at these last remaining shows, making a special effort to play what people want to hear. It will be a celebration, a retrospective, a Shed Seven tour to remember.
The final tour was a sell-out success, with the last gig played on 20 December 2003 at the Barbican Centre, in their hometown of York. One further album release did, however, come of their time at Taste: their only official live album, Where Have You Been Tonight? Live
Where Have You Been Tonight? Live
Where Have You Been Tonight? Live is a live album by the British band Shed Seven, released in 2003 on Taste Media Records. The music on the disc is taken from shows across the December 2002 UK tour...
. Recorded at various destinations on tour in December 2002, the album was released in May 2003, six months before the band's farewell tour began. Despite gaining a loyal and ever-growing following of fans—sometimes referred to as "Shed Heads"—the band failed to receive universal positive press attention in the UK; NME never featured Shed Seven on its cover, whilst the now defunct Melody Maker did so once.
Album releases
An alternative hits album, The CollectionThe Collection (Shed Seven album)
The Collection is a compilation album by the British band Shed Seven, released in 2004.-Track listing:#"Disco Down"#"Wired For Sound"#"Bottom Upwards"#"Song Seven"#"Sleep Easy"...
, which in large part featured album tracks and B-sides, surfaced in 2004. In 2005, after many requests from fans, the band eventually released an official post-split album, One Hand Clapping. The 'new' material, which would have comprised the band's fifth studio album, featured unreleased demos of songs that were submitted to, and refused by, Taste Media in 2003. The album was initially released in a strictly limited run of 1,000 copies, although a Japanese version of the album, complete with four extra acoustic tracks, enhanced sleeve notes and complete lyrics, surfaced in June 2006.
Band members
Former lead singer Rick WitterRick Witter
Rick Witter is a singer, songwriter and frontman of the York-based Britpop band, Shed Seven.He was educated at Huntington School, York.-Professional career:...
began a solo career with Rick Witter & The Dukes
Rick Witter & The Dukes
Rick Witter & The Dukes are a British alternative rock band from York, England.-Band members:* Rick Witter * Rob Wilson * Stuart Fletcher * Matt Lunn -History:...
in 2005. The band played several low-key gigs in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as well as two sold-out shows in York shortly before Christmas of the same year, before embarking on a month-long tour in April and May 2006. Their debut album, The Year Of The Rat, was released on 16 April 2007. Alan Leach returned to York, where he teaches drums and runs "speedquizzing" in two of the city's bars, whilst Tom Gladwin went on to join the Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
-based pop/dance outfit The Clients with former members of The Dandys
The Dandys
The Dandys were a British indie-pop act that formed in 1996, releasing their only album, Symphonic Screams in 1998. The album featured the singles "I Wanna Be Like You", "Dirty Weekend", "You Make Me Want To Scream" and "English Country Garden"....
. In 2007, Tom formed a new band, People In Airports, with 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...
and guitarist Paul Downes. After leaving Shed Seven, Paul Banks went on to form The Rising, a York-based band composed of Banks, David McKellar (formerly of The 88's), Rob "Maxi" Maxfield (formerly of Audioweb
Audioweb
Audioweb were a rock/reggae/electronica band based in Manchester, England. They formed in 1991, originally as The Sugar Merchants.-Personnel:*Martin "Sugar" Merchant *Sean McCann *Robin File *Robert "Maxi" Maxfield -Career:...
) and Stuart Fletcher (formerly of The Seahorses
The Seahorses
The Seahorses were an English rock band, formed in 1996 by guitarist John Squire, following his departure from The Stone Roses.The band released one album in 1997 and began work on a follow up, before splitting up due to musical differences during recording sessions in January 1999.-History:Formed...
and currently with Rick Witter & The Dukes). Banks became a film-maker, starting his own production company in 2002 he has produced & directed films for the likes of Richard Ashcroft , Faithless and The Script. Joe Johnson teaches guitar in his hometown, and joined a new York-based band named the Black Sours. Fraser Smith is now a London-based record producer and songwriter, currently signed to Notting Hill Music, and has produced and mixed records for acts such as Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
, Hayley Hutchinson and The Yards.
Reunion tours
On 7 July 2007, after widespread rumours, the band announced a greatest hits reunion tour of 14 UK venues for November and December 2007, starting at the Music HallThe Music Hall (Aberdeen)
The Music Hall is a concert hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, formerly the city's Assembly Rooms, located on Union Street in the city centre. It was designed by architect Archibald Simpson, costing £11,500 when it was originally constructed in 1822, opened to the public as a concert hall in 1859, and was...
in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
on 27 November and culminating at London's
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...
Shepherd's Bush Empire on 14 December. The reformed line-up featured all of the band's original members, including both Joe Johnson and Paul Banks, who appeared together for the very first time; keyboardist and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Fraser Smith, however, took no part in the reunion. It was the first time Banks had appeared on stage with the band since his departure in 1999. The band's accompanying official announcement stated that: "These plans do not affect the individual members’ projects which will continue as before. This includes Rick, who recently released a debut album with his new band The Dukes". Yet, despite this vow, both Witter and Banks' respective bands - The Dukes and Albion - suffered due to the renewed commitment to their old band's new outing. Banks parted company with the Alistair Griffin
Alistair Griffin
Alistair Richard Griffin is an English singer/songwriter and musician. Already an established songwriter, he first became famous as a solo artist through his appearances on the BBC television show Fame Academy 2 in 2003, where he was "spotted" and championed by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees...
-fronted outfit the following month, whilst Witter completed one further UK tour with The Dukes
Rick Witter & The Dukes
Rick Witter & The Dukes are a British alternative rock band from York, England.-Band members:* Rick Witter * Rob Wilson * Stuart Fletcher * Matt Lunn -History:...
prior to Shed Seven's Reunion Tour warm-up show in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
on 25 November.
By mid-July, several major venues had completely sold out and a further six concerts were announced, including two extra dates in London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. The revised tour finished on 22 December 2007 at Glasgow's Carling Academy
Carling Academy Glasgow
The O2 Academy Glasgow is a music venue on Eglinton Street in the Gorbals area of Glasgow. It holds 2,500 people....
. Paul Banks commented: "None of us could have predicted the overwhelming response to the Shed Seven Reunion Tour. This has now turned into the biggest tour that the band has ever undertaken." Although Shed Seven did not undertake a further tour of their own, 2008 saw the band return to two of the UK's
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...
biggest festivals; T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
in Balado
Balado
Balado is a park and former airfield within the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland. It is now the venue of the annual T in the Park music festival.Poultry sheds of Balado Poultry Farm now occupy the old concrete runways of the airfield...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and V
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
in both Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
and Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
Shed Seven undertook a tour of Scotland and England in late 2009, and played V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
, T In The Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
and Greenbelt
Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
in 2010 amongst other gigs. This included two dates at the recently reopened Fibbers venue in September.
The band announced a further Christmas tour for 2011 - celebrating the 15 years since the release of A Maximum High
A Maximum High
A Maximum High is the second studio album by the British rock band Shed Seven, released in April, 1996 via Polydor Records. The album was written by all four band members at the time of release; Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin and Alan Leach....
. The tour, entitled 'The Maximum Hits Tour' will primarily focus on their output during the A Maximum High era, and will include a brass section on tour for the first time. The tour announcement proved so successful that numerous dates were added after the initial announcement.
In late 2011 Shed Seven began a Facebook competition with the prize being a support slot at one of their gigs. The band with the most 'likes' would win the support slot. Despite a landslide victory the noise-core outfit Cementimental were controversially removed from the competition.
Album and EP releases
In September 2007, Universal Music and Polydor Records announced the release of a double CD album featuring the best of Shed Seven's BBC recordings. Unlike a "Greatest hitsGreatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
" package, Live at the BBC is an alternate take on the band’s career, and comprises some of the their biggest hits alongside lesser-known album tracks and B-sides. All of the tracks included were recorded live between 1994 and 1997 at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios, or for Radio 1's
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...
Live In Concert broadcasts. Released on 15 October 2007, the tracklist was hand-picked by the band, with sleevenotes written by Paul Banks and artwork featuring rare photos from the recording of the sessions at the BBC's studios.
A further EP was released on the 7th November 2011. The CD, released in conjunction with the 2011 tour, featured four re-worked tracks from their A Maximum High
A Maximum High
A Maximum High is the second studio album by the British rock band Shed Seven, released in April, 1996 via Polydor Records. The album was written by all four band members at the time of release; Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin and Alan Leach....
album released 15 years previously. The four songs were re-recorded and reworked with an orchestral feel over the course of a weekend in September. The CD was limited to 777 hand numbered copies available exclusively from their official website, though digital versions are freely available from the major online retailers. The CD, released on the Blue Apple Music label, sold out within 2 hours.
Discography
- Change GiverChange GiverChange Giver is the debut album by British rock band Shed Seven, released via Polydor Records on September 5, 1994. It was produced by Jessica Corcoran and was issued during the formative year of the britpop movement—a scene which dominated British alternative music in the mid-1990s.The album was...
(1994) - A Maximum HighA Maximum HighA Maximum High is the second studio album by the British rock band Shed Seven, released in April, 1996 via Polydor Records. The album was written by all four band members at the time of release; Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin and Alan Leach....
(1996) - Let It Ride (1998)
- Truth Be ToldTruth Be Told (Shed Seven album)Truth Be Told is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Shed Seven, released via Artful Records in May, 2001. Initial copies of the album featured a limited edition bonus disc with additional CD-ROM material along with an exclusive bonus track....
(2001)
External links
- Shed Seven Official Website
- Shed Seven Official Facebook page
- Shed Seven Official Twitter account
- [ Shed Seven at AMG]
- Shed Seven on BBC video & audio
Media
- "Britpop - Where are they now?" BBC News, August 2005 Audio clip (Realplayer)
- Concert review and recorded interview, BBC Manchester, December 2002 (Realplayer)