The Chesterfields
Encyclopedia
The Chesterfields were an English
indie pop
band from Yeovil
in Somerset
. Hardcore fans tended to refer to them as 'The Chesterf!elds', with an exclamation mark replacing the 'i', following the example of the band's logo.
The band was formed in summer 1984 by Dave Goldsworthy (vocals, guitar), Simon Barber (bass, vocals), and Dominic Manns (drums), joined in 1985 by Brendan Holden (guitar). Early recordings included contributions to the Golden Pathway tapes, that captured the West Country music scene of the time, such as "Stephanie Adores" and "The Boy Who Sold His Suitcase", the latter with a female lead singer, Sarah.
The first "vinyl" release was as one half of a flexi disc; "Nose out of Joint" shared a single side with the Shop Assistants' "Home Again", and was given away free with copies of London's "Legend" Fanzine and future Subway Organisation boss, Martin Whitehead's own Bristol Fanzine.
They signed to The Subway Organization
, releasing three well-received singles, before Holden was replaced by Rodney Allen. Debut LP Kettle was released in July 1987, with a compilation of the early singles, Westward Ho! issued later the same year. Allen left to join The Blue Aeroplanes
, to be replaced temporarily by Andy Strickland of The Loft (band)
/ The Caretaker Race
, before a more permanent replacement was found in the form of Simon Barber's brother Mark.
The band then moved to their own Household label, issuing two more singles and a third album, Crocodile Tears. Manns left and was replaced by future PJ Harvey
drummer Rob Ellis but when Goldsworthy departed in late 1988 the band effectively split. The Barber brothers continued as The Chesterfields for a final single, "Fool Is The Man" in 1989.
The band split for good in the summer of 1989, Simon Barber forming Basinger
, and Mark Barber joined Grape. Goldsworthy fronted several more bands, including Furnt and Diceman. The Chesterfields reformed briefly in the 1990s to tour Japan after their material was re-issued there. Dave Goldsworthy (Davy Chesterfield) was killed by a hit & run driver in Oxford, UK, on 9 November 2004.
The band's continuing fanbase saw much of their back-catalogue re-issued by Vinyl Japan in the 1990s.
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 pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band from Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. Hardcore fans tended to refer to them as 'The Chesterf!elds', with an exclamation mark replacing the 'i', following the example of the band's logo.
The band was formed in summer 1984 by Dave Goldsworthy (vocals, guitar), Simon Barber (bass, vocals), and Dominic Manns (drums), joined in 1985 by Brendan Holden (guitar). Early recordings included contributions to the Golden Pathway tapes, that captured the West Country music scene of the time, such as "Stephanie Adores" and "The Boy Who Sold His Suitcase", the latter with a female lead singer, Sarah.
The first "vinyl" release was as one half of a flexi disc; "Nose out of Joint" shared a single side with the Shop Assistants' "Home Again", and was given away free with copies of London's "Legend" Fanzine and future Subway Organisation boss, Martin Whitehead's own Bristol Fanzine.
They signed to The Subway Organization
The Subway Organization
The Subway Organization was an independent music label founded in 1985 in Bristol, by Martin Whitehead.-Indie Pop and C86:The label was associated with the Indie Pop movement and the seminal NME cassette tape C86, that included the track It's Up To You by the Shop Assistants, from the label's first...
, releasing three well-received singles, before Holden was replaced by Rodney Allen. Debut LP Kettle was released in July 1987, with a compilation of the early singles, Westward Ho! issued later the same year. Allen left to join The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which: Gerard Langley, brother John Langley and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski originate from the earlier New Wave “Art band” Art Objects .-History:...
, to be replaced temporarily by Andy Strickland of The Loft (band)
The Loft (band)
The Loft were a British indie band, whose debut single was one of the earliest releases on Creation Records.- History :Formed in 1980 as The Living Room by Peter Astor , Bill Prince , Andy Strickland and Dave Morgan , the band changed its name when they discovered a local music venue also called...
/ The Caretaker Race
The Caretaker Race
The Caretaker Race were an indie pop band formed in East London in 1986 when singer/guitarist Andy Strickland left The Loft. Strickland recruited Dave Mew , Henry Hersom , and Sally Ward . The band's name came from a Star Trek paperback adventure...
, before a more permanent replacement was found in the form of Simon Barber's brother Mark.
The band then moved to their own Household label, issuing two more singles and a third album, Crocodile Tears. Manns left and was replaced by future PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
drummer Rob Ellis but when Goldsworthy departed in late 1988 the band effectively split. The Barber brothers continued as The Chesterfields for a final single, "Fool Is The Man" in 1989.
The band split for good in the summer of 1989, Simon Barber forming Basinger
Basinger
Basinger is a surname, and may refer to:* David Basinger , professor of philosophy at Roberts Wesleyan College* Jeanine Basinger , film writer* Kim Basinger , Academy Award-winning American film actress...
, and Mark Barber joined Grape. Goldsworthy fronted several more bands, including Furnt and Diceman. The Chesterfields reformed briefly in the 1990s to tour Japan after their material was re-issued there. Dave Goldsworthy (Davy Chesterfield) was killed by a hit & run driver in Oxford, UK, on 9 November 2004.
The band's continuing fanbase saw much of their back-catalogue re-issued by Vinyl Japan in the 1990s.
Singles
- "Nose out of Joint" - flexi disc (1985, Golden Pathway ??)
- A Guitar In Your Bath EP (1986, Subway, SUBWAY 3) #19
- "Completely and Utterly" (1986, Subway, SUBWAY 7) #16
- "Ask Johnny Dee" (1987, Subway, SUBWAY 11) #4
- Janice Long Session EP (1987, Night Tracks, SFNT003) #29
- "Goodbye Goodbye" (1988, Household, HOLD1T) #10
- "Blame" (1988, Household, HOLD3/HOLD3T) #11
- "Fool Is A Man" (1989, Household, HOLD5T)
- "Down By The Wishing Pool" (1994, Vinyl Japan, TASK026/TASKCD026)
- Johnny Dee EP (1995, Vinyl Japan, TASKCD035)
Albums
- Kettle (1987, Subway, SUBORG 003) #5
- Westward Ho! (1987, Subway, SUBORG 005) #25
- Crocodile Tears (1988, Household, HOLD4LP/CD) #10
- Flood (1995, Vinyl Japan, ASKCD041)