The Chills
Encyclopedia
The Chills are a guitar and keyboard-based rock band from Dunedin
, New Zealand
. In the 1980s and 1990s, they were one of the proponents of the Dunedin Sound
.
and The Enemy. The Same also included Craig Easton, Paul Baird, Jeffrey Batts, Gaynor Propsting among others.
The Chills went on to go through over 20 different line-up changes with Martin Phillipps as the only constant member. Members of the band over the years have included Peter Gutteridge, Alan Haig, Fraser Batts, Terry Moore
, Martyn Bull, Peter Allison, David Kilgour
, Steven Schayer, Martin Kean
, Justin Harwood
, Caroline Easther, Jillian Dempster among others. Several of these musicians went on to further success in bands ranging from The Verlaines
to Luna
.
This seemingly constant turnover of personnel is one of several reasons for the band's lack of consistent "saleability", and is referred to by the local music scene as "the curse of the Chills". It reached its most extreme case with the recording of the album Sunburnt in England. Since two band members were refused entry into the UK, session musicians had to be recruited at the last moment (Dave Mattacks
and XTC
's Dave Gregory provided drum and bass work for the album).
Another reason for the Chills' inconsistent output is Martin Phillipps' health. For much of the 1990s, he was laid low with hepatitis
, a side effect of his then drug addiction problems. In the past few years his health has greatly improved and his addictions are behind him; and the Chills are now back recording for the first time in many years.
Initially signed by Flying Nun Records
and one of the four bands recorded for the Dunedin Double EP
in 1982, the Chills' output has been sporadic, largely due to lack of funding. Early tracks and singles to catch the public attention included "Kaleidoscope World" and "Rolling Moon", but it was 1984's "Pink Frost" that first made a chart impression in their native land. "Pink Frost" was recorded as a three piece Martin Phillipps, Terry Moore and Martyn Bull in Auckland at the Lab Studios by Doug Hood. This was followed by "Doledrums", and then the minor international hit "I Love My Leather Jacket", recorded at The Point Studio, by Danny Hyde
. "I Love My Leather Jacket" was dedicated to late drummer, Bull, who had bequeathed the said item of clothing to Phillipps in his will.
Bull's death (from leukaemia) led to the Chills changing their name to A Wrinkle in Time, as Phillipps was initially unwilling to continue performing under a name associated with his late friend. The name change was brief, though they did perform live under the alternative name. No recordings were released as A Wrinkle in Time.
Despite their singles successes, it was not until 1987 that the band's first album Brave Words was released. Several more albums (including a compilation of the early singles) were released during the late 80s and early 90s, before the band called it quits in 1993. During this period the band produced three albums, which included memorable songs such as "Submarine Bells" and "Rain", as well as their biggest hit, the accurately titled "Heavenly Pop Hit".
Three years later, a reformed band (under the name Martin Phillipps and The Chills) released one further album, but after that the band again split, with Phillipps recording solo work and also appearing in one of David Kilgour's band, the Heavy Eights.
The Chills reformed for a second time in 2003, and have since been working on new materials, some of which appeared on a mini-album, Stand By e.p., in 2004.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In the 1980s and 1990s, they were one of the proponents of the Dunedin Sound
Dunedin Sound
The Dunedin sound was a style of indie pop music created in the southern New Zealand university city of Dunedin in the early 1980s.-Characteristics:...
.
History
Singer-songwriter Martin Phillipps formed The Chills in 1980 with his sister Rachel Phillipps and Jane Dodd on bass after the demise of his punk band, The Same. Phillipps' earlier band, the Same, formed in 1978 and performed alongside punk bands Toy LoveToy Love
Toy Love was a New Zealand New Wave/punk rock band fronted by Chris Knox. Other members were guitarist Alec Bathgate, bass player Paul Kean, drummer Mike Dooley, and keyboard player Jane Walker...
and The Enemy. The Same also included Craig Easton, Paul Baird, Jeffrey Batts, Gaynor Propsting among others.
The Chills went on to go through over 20 different line-up changes with Martin Phillipps as the only constant member. Members of the band over the years have included Peter Gutteridge, Alan Haig, Fraser Batts, Terry Moore
Terry Moore (musician)
Terry Moore or Terence Moore is a New Zealand musician, best known as a former member of the band The Chills, for whom he played bass from 1981–83, 1985–86 and again from 1991-93...
, Martyn Bull, Peter Allison, David Kilgour
David Kilgour (musician)
David Kilgour is a musician from Dunedin, a city in the South Island of New Zealand. He first started playing guitar as a teenager in the late 1970s...
, Steven Schayer, Martin Kean
Martin Kean
Martin Kean is a New Zealand bass guitarist. He played with The Chills , from November 1983 to June 1984, when Moore rejoined.He formed Stereolab in 1990 with Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier...
, Justin Harwood
Justin Harwood
Justin Harwood is a New Zealand-born bass guitarist, notable for his work with several indie rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s, The Chills, Luna, and Tuatara...
, Caroline Easther, Jillian Dempster among others. Several of these musicians went on to further success in bands ranging from The Verlaines
The Verlaines
The Verlaines are a rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups before going on an extended hiatus after their 1997 album Over The Moon. In 2003 a career retrospective, You're...
to Luna
Luna (band)
Luna was a dream pop/indie pop band formed in 1991 by Dean Wareham after the breakup of Galaxie 500, with Stanley Demeski and Justin Harwood...
.
This seemingly constant turnover of personnel is one of several reasons for the band's lack of consistent "saleability", and is referred to by the local music scene as "the curse of the Chills". It reached its most extreme case with the recording of the album Sunburnt in England. Since two band members were refused entry into the UK, session musicians had to be recruited at the last moment (Dave Mattacks
Dave Mattacks
Dave Mattacks is a rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician, and as a performance artist...
and XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
's Dave Gregory provided drum and bass work for the album).
Another reason for the Chills' inconsistent output is Martin Phillipps' health. For much of the 1990s, he was laid low with hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
, a side effect of his then drug addiction problems. In the past few years his health has greatly improved and his addictions are behind him; and the Chills are now back recording for the first time in many years.
Initially signed by Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s...
and one of the four bands recorded for the Dunedin Double EP
Dunedin Double EP
The Dunedin Double EP was a seminal record in New Zealand music. An unusual format, it contain two 45rpm 12" discs, and at nearly 50 minutes length, it is longer than many albums....
in 1982, the Chills' output has been sporadic, largely due to lack of funding. Early tracks and singles to catch the public attention included "Kaleidoscope World" and "Rolling Moon", but it was 1984's "Pink Frost" that first made a chart impression in their native land. "Pink Frost" was recorded as a three piece Martin Phillipps, Terry Moore and Martyn Bull in Auckland at the Lab Studios by Doug Hood. This was followed by "Doledrums", and then the minor international hit "I Love My Leather Jacket", recorded at The Point Studio, by Danny Hyde
Danny Hyde
Danny Hyde is an experimental musician and renowned remix artist. Hyde has contributed to production and mixing on many Coil albums, including Horse Rotorvator, Love's Secret Domain, The Remote Viewer, Black Antlers, and The New Backwards. Hyde has also worked with Psychic TV and Pop Will Eat Itself...
. "I Love My Leather Jacket" was dedicated to late drummer, Bull, who had bequeathed the said item of clothing to Phillipps in his will.
Bull's death (from leukaemia) led to the Chills changing their name to A Wrinkle in Time, as Phillipps was initially unwilling to continue performing under a name associated with his late friend. The name change was brief, though they did perform live under the alternative name. No recordings were released as A Wrinkle in Time.
Despite their singles successes, it was not until 1987 that the band's first album Brave Words was released. Several more albums (including a compilation of the early singles) were released during the late 80s and early 90s, before the band called it quits in 1993. During this period the band produced three albums, which included memorable songs such as "Submarine Bells" and "Rain", as well as their biggest hit, the accurately titled "Heavenly Pop Hit".
Three years later, a reformed band (under the name Martin Phillipps and The Chills) released one further album, but after that the band again split, with Phillipps recording solo work and also appearing in one of David Kilgour's band, the Heavy Eights.
The Chills reformed for a second time in 2003, and have since been working on new materials, some of which appeared on a mini-album, Stand By e.p., in 2004.
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Chart (NZ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albums | |||
| 1986 | Kaleidoscope World Kaleidoscope World (The Chills album) Kaleidoscope World is an album by New Zealand group, The Chills released in 1986 on Creation Records. The album was a compilation of early singles, plus all the Chills' tracks which featured on the Dunedin Double EP and The Lost EP... |
Flying Nun Flying Nun Records Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s... |
19 |
| 1987 | Brave Words Brave Words Brave Words is an album by New Zealand group The Chills released in 1987.-Track listing :Side 1:#"Push"#"Rain"#"Speak for Yourself"#"Look for the Good in Others and They'll See the Good in You"#"Wet Blanket"#"Ghosts"Side 2:... |
24 | |
| 1990 | Submarine Bells Submarine Bells Submarine Bells is an album by New Zealand group The Chills released in 1990. This was the band's first album on a major label, as Martin Phillips signed to Slash Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records, to release the album in the USA. The album reached number 1 on the New Zealand album... |
1 | |
| 1992 | Soft Bomb Soft Bomb Soft Bomb is an album by New Zealand group, The Chills released in 1992. It was the follow-up to 'Submarine Bells' which had hit number 1 in New Zealand in 1990. Released to good reviews, 'Soft Bomb' was followed by a world tour with an enlarged Chills line-up. Unfortunately in the midst of their... |
Flying Nun/Slash Slash Records Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album... |
3 |
| 1994 | Heavenly Pop Hits - The Best of The Chills Heavenly Pop Hits - The Best of The Chills "Heavenly Pop Hits - The Best of The Chills" is a greatest hits album by New Zealand group, The Chills released in 1995.-Track listing:#"Heavenly Pop Hit"#"I Love My Leather Jacket"#"Doledrums"#"Double Summer"#"Oncoming Day"#"Rolling Moon"... |
Flying Nun | 24 |
| 1996 | Sunburnt Sunburnt Sunburnt is an album by Martin Phillipps and the Chills. It was released by Flying Nun Records in 1996.-Track listing:#"As Far as I Can See" – 3:28#"Premonition" – 2:54#"Surrounded" – 2:48#"Come Home" – 3:09#"Sunburnt" – 3:42#"The Big Assessment" – 2:59... |
25 | |
| 2000 | Secret Box | ||
| 2004 | Stand By | ||
| EPs | |||
| 1982 | Dunedin Double EP Dunedin Double EP The Dunedin Double EP was a seminal record in New Zealand music. An unusual format, it contain two 45rpm 12" discs, and at nearly 50 minutes length, it is longer than many albums.... (various artists) |
Flying Nun | |
| 1985 | The Lost EP The Lost EP The Lost EP was a 1985 release by New Zealand band The Chills. The title came from the fact that the recordings which make up the EP were indeed thought to be lost for some time and the release of the EP was delayed as a result.... |
4 | |
| 1994 | Ice Picks | ||
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Chart (NZ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Rolling Moon" | 26 | |
| 1984 | "Pink Frost" | 17 | |
| "Doledrums" | 12 | ||
| 1986 | "I'll Only See You Alone Again" | ||
| "I Love My Leather Jacket" | 4 | ||
| 1987 | "House with a Hundred Rooms" | ||
| 1988 | "Wet Blanket" | Brave Words | |
| 1990 | "Heavenly Pop Hit" | Submarine Bells | 2 |
| "Drug Magicians" | |||
| "Oncoming Day" | Submarine Bells | ||
| "Part Past Part Fiction" | |||
| 1992 | "Male Monster from the Id" | Soft Bomb | 8 |
| "Double Summer" | |||
| 1995 | "Come Home" | Sunburnt | 33 |
Further reading
- Davey, T. & Puschmann, H. (1996) Kiwi rock. Dunedin: Kiwi Rock Publications. ISBN 0-473-03718-1
- Dix, J. (1988) Stranded in paradise: New Zealand rock'n'roll 1955-1988. Wellington: Paradise Publications. ISBN 0-473-00638-3
- Eggleton, D. (2003) Ready to fly: The story of New Zealand rock music. Nelson, NZ: Craig Potton Publishing. ISBN 1-877333-06-9