Silver Sun (band)
Encyclopedia
Silver Sun are an English
indie
power pop
band
, who formed in 1995 in Camden
, London
. They are best known for their use of The Beach Boys
-esque backing vocals
.
under that name. They were forced to alter the name soon afterwards, and chose 'Silver' after The Beatles
' original name, 'The Silver Beetles'. The single
"Lava" was their first under the new name. Groups such as Super Furry Animals
also wrote music
in a similar style at the time, although the US
bands Weezer
and Jellyfish
are a closer match.
Their eponymous debut album
was released in 1997, and was characterised by strong vocal
harmonies
and energetic chorus
es. It was also the first album
to be co-produced by Nigel Godrich
, who went on to produce Radiohead
and Paul McCartney
. The song "Golden Skin" was featured on the soundtrack
to the 1990s British
comedy
film
, Shooting Fish
.
The band toured extensively during 1997 and 1998, headlining and supporting Sleeper
, James
, Gene
, Mansun
and Ash
. They also played Glastonbury
, Reading
, Lowlands
and the V Festival
s in 1997.
The band's second album Neo Wave
was released the following year and was produced by Al Clay. It contained their biggest hit "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
", a cover
of the Johnny Mathis
ballad
which the band originally recorded for fun during a B-side
recording
session. The EP release also contained a version of Rush's
"Xanadu" which the band condensed into a four minute pop song, as well as a cover of My Bloody Valentine's "You Made Me Realise
".
In 1999, the band were dropped by Polydor Records
and spent some time out pursuing other projects. Richard Buckton wrote tracks with producer Pete Woodroffe for Spice Girl Mel C
amongst others. Paul Smith took time out to gain a degree in sound technology. Richard Sayce formed the group Malibu with wife George, and James Broad continued writing further Silver Sun material.
The band released a third album, Disappear Here
, in 2005, this time on the Invisible Hands
label
. This album was remarkable in that lead singer Broad was the sole artist to appear on the recordings
, having played all musical instruments and sung all of the vocals. In spite of this, the full original line-up played at the accompanying gigs.
In a more recent rare foray into the mass-media, their song "Last Day" was used on the Hollyoaks
soundtrack
on 24 January 2006, the band having signed a deal with the programme in 1997 allowing them to use material.
Their fourth album, Dad's Weird Dream
, was released in Japan on 11 September 2006. However, the decision was taken to remix
it for the UK
market, where it was released on 4 December 2006. One track, "Fallen" was remixed by Nigel Godrich, working with the band for the first time since their debut, and was available as an iTunes
exclusive EP. Unlike its predecessor, the entire original line-up has participated in the recording, although Sayce is only credited with backing vocals, as the band used programmed drums for the album.
In June, 2009, Broad uploaded "The Pain Don't Come So Easy," which he describes as a "new Silver Sun song," to YouTube
under his user name, "lordmelbury." In December of that year, he released a new track, "Access," as a digital only download on iTunes.
In June, 2011, a promotional video for Broad's online tee shirt company, Old Skool Hooligans, was uploaded to YouTube. It's a cover of Steely Dan
's "Barrytown," and while neither Broad's name nor the Silver Sun moniker appear on the posting, it's clearly done in the Silver Sun style.
Between August and October, 2011, James Broad posted four songs on his SoundCloud page, under the user name "lordmelbury," and these, too, are in the Silver Sun style.
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
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
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...
, who formed in 1995 in Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, 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...
. They are best known for their use of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
-esque backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
.
Career
They were initially called Sun..! and released their first EPGramophone 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...
under that name. They were forced to alter the name soon afterwards, and chose 'Silver' after The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' original name, 'The Silver Beetles'. The single
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...
"Lava" was their first under the new name. Groups such as Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
also wrote music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
in a similar style at the time, although the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bands Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
and Jellyfish
Jellyfish (band)
Jellyfish were a power pop band from San Francisco. It formed after Beatnik Beatch broke up in 1989. The core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Roger Joseph Manning, Jr...
are a closer match.
Their eponymous debut album
Silver Sun (album)
Silver Sun is the debut full album by the British Power pop band Silver Sun. It was released in April 1997 on Polydor Records and was produced by Nigel Godrich....
was released in 1997, and was characterised by strong vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and energetic chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
es. It was also the first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
to be co-produced by Nigel Godrich
Nigel Godrich
Nigel Godrich, , is a recording engineer, record producer and musician. He is best known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead and is sometimes referred to as the "sixth member" of the band...
, who went on to produce Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. The song "Golden Skin" was featured on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the 1990s British
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...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Shooting Fish
Shooting Fish
Shooting Fish is a 1997 British film co-written by Richard Holmes and Stefan Schwartz. Holmes produced and Schwartz directed. It co-starred Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend as two con men with Kate Beckinsale as their unwilling assistant. It was produced by Winchester Films and partly funded by...
.
The band toured extensively during 1997 and 1998, headlining and supporting Sleeper
Sleeper (band)
Sleeper were a British Britpop band in the 1990s fronted by Louise Wener. The band had eight UK Top 40 hit singles and three UK Top 10 albums. Their music was also featured in the soundtrack of Trainspotting.-Career:...
, James
James (band)
James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
, Gene
Gene (band)
Gene were an English alternative rock quartet that rose to prominence in the mid 1990s. Formed in 1993, they were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew comparisons to The Smiths because of their Morrissey-esque lead singer, Martin Rossiter. Gene's music was influenced by The Jam, The...
, Mansun
Mansun
Mansun were an English alternative rock band formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. The band broke up in May 2003....
and Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
. They also played Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Reading
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
, Lowlands
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
and the 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...
s in 1997.
The band's second album Neo Wave
Neo Wave
Neo Wave was the second full studio album from the British power pop band Silver Sun. It was released in the autumn of 1998 to mixed review...
was released the following year and was produced by Al Clay. It contained their biggest hit "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
"Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" is a song performed by singers Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. Words and Music are by Nat Kipner and John McIntyre Vallins. Released as a single in 1978, it reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number nine on the Canadian Singles Chart and...
", a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
which the band originally recorded for fun during a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
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...
session. The EP release also contained a version of Rush's
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
"Xanadu" which the band condensed into a four minute pop song, as well as a cover of My Bloody Valentine's "You Made Me Realise
You Made Me Realise
"You Made Me Realise" is a single and EP by My Bloody Valentine, released in August 1988. It was their first record for Creation Records. The promotional video for "You Made Me Realise" was directed by ex-Jesus and Mary Chain bassist Douglas Hart...
".
In 1999, the band were dropped by 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...
and spent some time out pursuing other projects. Richard Buckton wrote tracks with producer Pete Woodroffe for Spice Girl Mel C
Melanie Chisholm
Melanie Jayne Chisholm is an English singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman professionally known simply as Melanie C . She is best known as one of the five members of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed "Sporty Spice"...
amongst others. Paul Smith took time out to gain a degree in sound technology. Richard Sayce formed the group Malibu with wife George, and James Broad continued writing further Silver Sun material.
The band released a third album, Disappear Here
Disappear Here (Silver Sun album)
Disappear Here was the third full studio album by the British band Silver Sun. The release came seven years after their second album Neo Wave and was their first release on the Invisible Hands label. The album was unusual in that lead vocalist James Broad recorded the album single-handedly,...
, in 2005, this time on the Invisible Hands
Invisible Hands Music
Invisible Hands Music is an independent record label based in London's Camden Town neighbourhood. The label was founded by musician Charles Kennedy. The company name first appeared on cassettes sold at gigs by Kennedy's first band Night World in 1987. The first CD release was Fretwork Southeast, a...
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,...
. This album was remarkable in that lead singer Broad was the sole artist to appear on the recordings
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...
, having played all musical instruments and sung all of the vocals. In spite of this, the full original line-up played at the accompanying gigs.
In a more recent rare foray into the mass-media, their song "Last Day" was used on the Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
on 24 January 2006, the band having signed a deal with the programme in 1997 allowing them to use material.
Their fourth album, Dad's Weird Dream
Dad's Weird Dream
Dad's Weird Dream was the fourth studio album from British band Silver Sun The album was first released in Japan, where the band has steadily built a large fan base...
, was released in Japan on 11 September 2006. However, the decision was taken to remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
it for the UK
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...
market, where it was released on 4 December 2006. One track, "Fallen" was remixed by Nigel Godrich, working with the band for the first time since their debut, and was available as an iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
exclusive EP. Unlike its predecessor, the entire original line-up has participated in the recording, although Sayce is only credited with backing vocals, as the band used programmed drums for the album.
In June, 2009, Broad uploaded "The Pain Don't Come So Easy," which he describes as a "new Silver Sun song," to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
under his user name, "lordmelbury." In December of that year, he released a new track, "Access," as a digital only download on iTunes.
In June, 2011, a promotional video for Broad's online tee shirt company, Old Skool Hooligans, was uploaded to YouTube. It's a cover of Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's "Barrytown," and while neither Broad's name nor the Silver Sun moniker appear on the posting, it's clearly done in the Silver Sun style.
Between August and October, 2011, James Broad posted four songs on his SoundCloud page, under the user name "lordmelbury," and these, too, are in the Silver Sun style.
Studio albums
| Year | Information | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
||
| 1997 | Silver Sun Silver Sun (album) Silver Sun is the debut full album by the British Power pop band Silver Sun. It was released in April 1997 on Polydor Records and was produced by Nigel Godrich....
|
30 |
| 1998 | Neo Wave Neo Wave Neo Wave was the second full studio album from the British power pop band Silver Sun. It was released in the autumn of 1998 to mixed review... |
74 |
| 2005 | Disappear Here Disappear Here (Silver Sun album) Disappear Here was the third full studio album by the British band Silver Sun. The release came seven years after their second album Neo Wave and was their first release on the Invisible Hands label. The album was unusual in that lead vocalist James Broad recorded the album single-handedly,... |
– |
| 2006 | Dad's Weird Dream Dad's Weird Dream Dad's Weird Dream was the fourth studio album from British band Silver Sun The album was first released in Japan, where the band has steadily built a large fan base... |
– |
Compilation albums
| Year | Information | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
||
| 1997 | You Are Here
|
– |
| B Is For Silver Sun
|
– | |
Extended plays
| Year | Information | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
||
| 1996 | Sun..! EP Sun..! EP Sun..! was the debut release from the British band Silver Sun. At the time of release Sun was also the name of the band, though after finding out there was a German band with the same name the band were forced to change their name. -Track listing:...
|
142 |
| 1998 | Too Much, Too Little, Too Late Too Much, Too Little, Too Late EP Too Much, Too Little, Too Late was a 1998 EP and single by the British power pop band Silver Sun. The title track was a cover of the John Vallins song that was US #1 hit for Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams... |
20 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
|||
| 1996 | "Lava" | Silver Sun | 54 |
| 1997 | "Last Day" | 48 | |
| "Golden Skin" | 32 | ||
| "Julia" | 51 | ||
| "Lava" (re-release) | 35 | ||
| 1998 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late Too Much, Too Little, Too Late EP Too Much, Too Little, Too Late was a 1998 EP and single by the British power pop band Silver Sun. The title track was a cover of the John Vallins song that was US #1 hit for Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams... " |
Neo Wave | 20 |
| "I'll See You Around" | 26 | ||
| 2004 | "Bubblegum" | Disappear Here | – |
| 2005 | "Immediate" | – | |
| 2007 | "Fallen" | Dad's Weird Dream | – |
Contributions
- 2006 - Asian Kung-Fu GenerationAsian Kung-fu Generation, typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japanese rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
presents Nano-Mugen Compilation 2006Nano-Mugen Compilation 2006Asian Kung-Fu Generation presents Nano–Mugen Compilation 2006 is a compilation album released by Asian Kung-Fu Generation on July 5, 2006, to advertise their sixth annual Nano-Mugen Festival...
(with "Bubblegum")