The Divine Comedy (band)
Encyclopedia
The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland
, fronted by Neil Hannon
. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine Comedy name. The group achieved their greatest commercial success in the years 1996–99, during which they had nine singles that made the UK Top 40, including the top ten hit "National Express
". The tenth Divine Comedy album, Bang Goes the Knighthood
, was released on 31 May 2010.
has been the only ever-present member of the band, being its founder in 1989 when he was joined by John McCullagh and Kevin Traynor. Their first album, the heavily R.E.M.
-influenced and now-deleted
Fanfare for the Comic Muse
, enjoyed little success. A couple of equally unsuccessful EPs – Timewatch (1991); Europop (1992) – were to follow, with newly-recruited member John Allen handling lead vocals on some tracks. After the commercial failure of the Europop EP, this line-up soon fell apart.
Hannon, however, was not deterred in his efforts and re-appeared in 1993 with Liberation
. Featuring a fairly diverse musical outlook that goes from the tongue-in-cheek synth pop of 'Europop' (nearly unrecognisable from the previously-released version) to the classical stylings of 'Timewatching', it is also characterised by a plethora of literary references: 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' recalls a short story
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
; 'Three Sisters' draws upon the play
by Anton Chekhov
; and 'Lucy' is essentially three William Wordsworth
poems abridged to music. This led to a degree of critical acclaim, but commercial success still proved elusive.
Indeed, it was only some minor success in France that really enabled Hannon to proceed to his second effort Promenade
. Released in 1994, this was heavily driven by classical influences, with Michael Nyman
's stylings clearly an influence. Hannon himself acknowledged this when he apparently sent a copy of his new album to the composer, jokingly asking him not to sue. Essentially, a concept album
about a day spent by two lovers, it also received similar critical acclaim to that which Liberation was afforded. Commercial success, though, was not forthcoming despite some of Hannon's best songwriting to date, including "Don't Look Down", "The Summerhouse" and subsequent live favourite "Tonight We Fly". Soon after the release of the album the Divine Comedy went on tour with Tori Amos
, supporting her during her European dates.
At around the same time, Hannon also wrote and performed the theme music for the sitcom Father Ted
(which would subsequently be incorporated into the song "Songs of Love" on the album Casanova), and later wrote the music for the deliberately bad mock-Eurovision
song "My Lovely Horse" for one episode. Hannon resisted widespread requests from fans to release the track as a single for the Christmas market, but it was eventually released in 1999 as the third track on the CD-single "Gin Soaked Boy". This would not be the only time they would be responsible for a TV theme, as "In Pursuit of Happiness" was also used by the BBC
science and technology show, Tomorrow's World
. Hannon also recently composed the music for the comedy series "The IT Crowd
", written by Father Ted co-writer Graham Linehan
.
breakfast show DJ and presenter of TFI Friday
, led to the band's first major success, with Neil Hannon becoming a distinctive, albeit unlikely, popstar in an immaculate suit, and always appearing the elegant dandy
. At the height of their commercial success, the band released A Short Album About Love
(a reference to the Krzysztof Kieślowski
film A Short Film About Love
), recorded live at soundcheck with the Brunel Ensemble in preparation for a concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, from which several songs were released as b-sides. It was aptly released on Valentine's Day in 1997. Subsequently, the band contributed a reworking of Noel Coward
's "I've Been to a Marvellous Party
" to a compilation of covers of the writer's songs, with Hannon affecting a Cowardesque lilt (albeit interspersed with an aggressive electronic musical backing).
The fop
pish image, but not the suit, was ditched for the more sombre album Fin De Siècle in 1998, although its biggest hit, the jaunty "National Express
", belied its more intimate, soul-searching tone. Maintaining the balance between these poles, 1999's Secret History – the Best of The Divine Comedy included rerecordings of Liberation tracks ("The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" and "Your Daddy's Car") and two new songs ("Gin-Soaked Boy" and "Too Young to Die") alongside the band's main hits. In the same year, the band also collaborated with Tom Jones
on a cover-version of Portishead's 'All Mine', featured on his album Reload.
A serious side to the band was also in evidence in 2000's collaboration with Ute Lemper
on her album Punishing Kiss
, most of which featured The Divine Comedy as Lemper's backing band. Neil Hannon
and Joby Talbot
also contributed two original songs and an arrangement of Brecht
and Weill
's "Tango Ballad", whilst Neil Hannon sang two songs ("Tango Ballad", "Split") as duets with Lemper.
to "remake" the band. Neil ditched the suit and donned a Britrock band image. The album was a greater critical than commercial success, and soon after its release it was announced that The Divine Comedy were splitting up. However, within a year Hannon was touring again with a revised band line-up, playing a series of joint-headline gigs in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland featuring both The Divine Comedy and Ben Folds
, who would cover The Divine Comedy's "Songs of Love" on his Sunny 16
EP.
Eventually a new album surfaced in the form of 2004's Absent Friends. Striking a balance between the occasionally earnest sound of the band's later material and the lighter tone of the more popular releases, it encapsulated the essence of The Divine Comedy. 2004 saw two dates of particularly acclaimed performances, one at the London Palladium (which was later released as a live DVD) and one at the Royal Albert Hall
.
In January 2005, Hannon announced that he had acquired the worldwide copyrights to all of his recorded output with his former record label, Setanta Records
. He declared on the band's official website that he would be launching his own record label Divine Comedy Records in order to re-release his 1990s output.
Hannon's ninth album under the Divine Comedy moniker, Victory for the Comic Muse, was released in June 2006. The bulk of the record was recorded in just two weeks, much of it live rather than multi-tracked, hence the more spontaneous sound, and features appearances from Travis
bass player Dougie Payne
.
Neil Hannon also provided vocals for songs on the soundtrack for the film of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
released in 2005, working with Joby Talbot
, the composer for the film and former Divine Comedy band member. This sci-fi connection continued in late 2006, when he contributed vocals to two tracks – "Song For Ten" and "Love Don't Roam" – on the Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack
album. In an interview with Bullz-Eye.com, Hannon explained that, "literally, I was asked to add my vocal by the composer of the songs, who writes for the show. And I didn’t feel that I could say no, simply because I spent my childhood watching this programme. It would be just plain wrong to not do it."
Hannon also lent his vocals to "Aliens", the last track on the Irish charity album The Cake Sale
in 2006, organised by Brian Crosby
of Bell X1
and featuring a variety of mainly Irish musicians.
In 2006, whilst on tour, the band did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon
. Most recently, the first ten or so seconds of "Tonight We Fly" was used as the ending tune to BBC7's Digi Radio. The song was also used for an advertisement for the Airbus A340
airliner.
Meanwhile, Neil took part in various projects: he recorded "Perfection as a hipster", included in "God help the girl" soundtrack, a soon-to-be-released musical film
by Belle & Sebastian
frontman Stuart Murdoch
as well as the LP The Duckworth Lewis Method
, together with Thomas Walsh
of Pugwash
.
In March 2007 Neil Hannon's relationship with Parlophone came to an end.
On 31 May 2010 The Divine Comedy released their tenth album entitled Bang Goes the Knighthood
on DC Records. As with Victory for the Comic Muse it was recorded in RAK studios in St John's Wood by Guy Massey and the orchestra was conducted by Andrew Skeet who was the arranger on this album. It was the first Divine Comedy album where Neil Hannon did not write the orchestral arrangements himself. The album charted at 20 in the first week of release, making it their highest charting album since Regeneration
in 2001. The album itself was preceded by the download-only single "At The Indie Disco" which gained airplay, but failed to chart.
, but has also included:
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, fronted by Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine Comedy name. The group achieved their greatest commercial success in the years 1996–99, during which they had nine singles that made the UK Top 40, including the top ten hit "National Express
National Express (song)
"National Express" is a song by The Divine Comedy. It was released as the third single from the album Fin de Siècle and reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart....
". The tenth Divine Comedy album, Bang Goes the Knighthood
Bang Goes the Knighthood
- iTunes Bonus Tracks :- Bonus Disc: Recorded Live At The Cité De La Musique, Sept. 2008 :...
, was released on 31 May 2010.
The beginning and early success (Fanfare to Promenade)
Neil HannonNeil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
has been the only ever-present member of the band, being its founder in 1989 when he was joined by John McCullagh and Kevin Traynor. Their first album, the heavily R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
-influenced and now-deleted
Deletion (music industry)
Deletion is a music industry term referring to the removal of a record or records from a label's official catalog, so that it is out of print, but usually at a record artist's request....
Fanfare for the Comic Muse
Fanfare for the Comic Muse
Fanfare for the Comic Muse is the deleted debut LP by The Divine Comedy, originally released in 1990. It has since been denied by the band's lead singer/songwriter Neil Hannon due to its stylistic difference from the band's later works, heading towards a more R.E.M.-styled jangle pop direction than...
, enjoyed little success. A couple of equally unsuccessful EPs – Timewatch (1991); Europop (1992) – were to follow, with newly-recruited member John Allen handling lead vocals on some tracks. After the commercial failure of the Europop EP, this line-up soon fell apart.
Hannon, however, was not deterred in his efforts and re-appeared in 1993 with Liberation
Liberation (The Divine Comedy album)
Liberation is a 1993 album by The Divine Comedy, released on Setanta. It was the second album to be released by The Divine Comedy, although the band's leader, Neil Hannon, often refers to it as the first due to the stylistic differences of the earlier album, Fanfare for the Comic Muse...
. Featuring a fairly diverse musical outlook that goes from the tongue-in-cheek synth pop of 'Europop' (nearly unrecognisable from the previously-released version) to the classical stylings of 'Timewatching', it is also characterised by a plethora of literary references: 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' recalls a short story
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Bernice Bobs Her Hair is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, written in 1920 and first published in the Saturday Evening Post in May of that year. It appeared shortly thereafter in the collection Flappers and Philosophers.- Background :...
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
; 'Three Sisters' draws upon the play
Three Sisters (play)
Three Sisters is a play by Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov, perhaps partially inspired by the situation of the three Brontë sisters, but most probably by the three Zimmermann sisters in Perm...
by Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
; and 'Lucy' is essentially three William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
poems abridged to music. This led to a degree of critical acclaim, but commercial success still proved elusive.
Indeed, it was only some minor success in France that really enabled Hannon to proceed to his second effort Promenade
Promenade (album)
Promenade is The Divine Comedy's third album. It was released in 1994 on Setanta to much critical acclaim but little commercial success. It is a concept album about two lovers who spend a day at the seaside....
. Released in 1994, this was heavily driven by classical influences, with Michael Nyman
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
's stylings clearly an influence. Hannon himself acknowledged this when he apparently sent a copy of his new album to the composer, jokingly asking him not to sue. Essentially, a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about a day spent by two lovers, it also received similar critical acclaim to that which Liberation was afforded. Commercial success, though, was not forthcoming despite some of Hannon's best songwriting to date, including "Don't Look Down", "The Summerhouse" and subsequent live favourite "Tonight We Fly". Soon after the release of the album the Divine Comedy went on tour with Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, supporting her during her European dates.
At around the same time, Hannon also wrote and performed the theme music for the sitcom Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
(which would subsequently be incorporated into the song "Songs of Love" on the album Casanova), and later wrote the music for the deliberately bad mock-Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
song "My Lovely Horse" for one episode. Hannon resisted widespread requests from fans to release the track as a single for the Christmas market, but it was eventually released in 1999 as the third track on the CD-single "Gin Soaked Boy". This would not be the only time they would be responsible for a TV theme, as "In Pursuit of Happiness" was also used by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
science and technology show, Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
. Hannon also recently composed the music for the comedy series "The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
", written by Father Ted co-writer Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan is an Irish television writer, actor, comedian and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies...
.
The road to fame (Casanova to A Secret History...)
The album Casanova (1996), and in particular the single "Something for the Weekend", championed by Chris Evans, then BBC Radio 1BBC 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...
breakfast show DJ and presenter of TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
, led to the band's first major success, with Neil Hannon becoming a distinctive, albeit unlikely, popstar in an immaculate suit, and always appearing the elegant dandy
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
. At the height of their commercial success, the band released A Short Album About Love
A Short Album About Love
A Short Album About Love is the fifth album by The Divine Comedy, released in 1997.-Track listing:* All songs written by Neil Hannon except where stated.# "In Pursuit Of Happiness" – 3:31# "Everybody Knows " – 3:48...
(a reference to the Krzysztof Kieślowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski was an Academy Award nominated influential Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors.-Early life:...
film A Short Film About Love
A Short Film About Love
A Short Film About Love is an expanded film version of the sixth episode of director Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1988 Polish language ten-part television series, The Decalogue...
), recorded live at soundcheck with the Brunel Ensemble in preparation for a concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, from which several songs were released as b-sides. It was aptly released on Valentine's Day in 1997. Subsequently, the band contributed a reworking of Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's "I've Been to a Marvellous Party
I Went to a Marvellous Party
"I Went to a Marvellous Party" is a song with words and music by Noël Coward, written in 1938, and included in the review Set to Music. Although a melody exists, the text is most often recited over a piano accompaniment...
" to a compilation of covers of the writer's songs, with Hannon affecting a Cowardesque lilt (albeit interspersed with an aggressive electronic musical backing).
The fop
Fop
Fop became a pejorative term for a foolish man over-concerned with his appearance and clothes in 17th century England. Some of the very many similar alternative terms are: "coxcomb", fribble, "popinjay" , fashion-monger, and "ninny"...
pish image, but not the suit, was ditched for the more sombre album Fin De Siècle in 1998, although its biggest hit, the jaunty "National Express
National Express (song)
"National Express" is a song by The Divine Comedy. It was released as the third single from the album Fin de Siècle and reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart....
", belied its more intimate, soul-searching tone. Maintaining the balance between these poles, 1999's Secret History – the Best of The Divine Comedy included rerecordings of Liberation tracks ("The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" and "Your Daddy's Car") and two new songs ("Gin-Soaked Boy" and "Too Young to Die") alongside the band's main hits. In the same year, the band also collaborated with Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
on a cover-version of Portishead's 'All Mine', featured on his album Reload.
A serious side to the band was also in evidence in 2000's collaboration with Ute Lemper
Ute Lemper
Ute Lemper is a German chanteuse and actress renowned for her interpretation of the work of Kurt Weill.- Biography :Born in Münster, Germany, Ute Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the punk music group known as the Panama Drive Band at the age of 16...
on her album Punishing Kiss
Punishing Kiss
-Chart positions:-External Links:* http://www.ashortsite.com/discs/?page=collab_ute* http://www.discogs.com/Ute-Lemper-Punishing-Kiss/release/1101544...
, most of which featured The Divine Comedy as Lemper's backing band. Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
and Joby Talbot
Joby Talbot
Joby Talbot is a British composer.Born in Wimbledon, London, Talbot studied composition at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Brian Elias and Simon Bainbridge....
also contributed two original songs and an arrangement of Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
and Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
's "Tango Ballad", whilst Neil Hannon sang two songs ("Tango Ballad", "Split") as duets with Lemper.
Post-Setanta & recent activity (Regeneration to present)
The 2001 album Regeneration attempted to remove the band still further from its association with comedy. Hannon hired famous producer Nigel GodrichNigel 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...
to "remake" the band. Neil ditched the suit and donned a Britrock band image. The album was a greater critical than commercial success, and soon after its release it was announced that The Divine Comedy were splitting up. However, within a year Hannon was touring again with a revised band line-up, playing a series of joint-headline gigs in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland featuring both The Divine Comedy and Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
, who would cover The Divine Comedy's "Songs of Love" on his Sunny 16
Sunny 16 (EP)
-References:*^ Suddath, Clair, "Ben Folds Is Not Cooler Than You," pg 41, Nashville Scene, November 2, 2006....
EP.
Eventually a new album surfaced in the form of 2004's Absent Friends. Striking a balance between the occasionally earnest sound of the band's later material and the lighter tone of the more popular releases, it encapsulated the essence of The Divine Comedy. 2004 saw two dates of particularly acclaimed performances, one at the London Palladium (which was later released as a live DVD) and one at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
In January 2005, Hannon announced that he had acquired the worldwide copyrights to all of his recorded output with his former record label, Setanta Records
Setanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
. He declared on the band's official website that he would be launching his own record label Divine Comedy Records in order to re-release his 1990s output.
Hannon's ninth album under the Divine Comedy moniker, Victory for the Comic Muse, was released in June 2006. The bulk of the record was recorded in just two weeks, much of it live rather than multi-tracked, hence the more spontaneous sound, and features appearances from Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
bass player Dougie Payne
Dougie Payne
Dougie Payne is the bassist and backing vocalist of the Scottish band, Travis.-Career:...
.
Neil Hannon also provided vocals for songs on the soundtrack for the film of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United...
released in 2005, working with Joby Talbot
Joby Talbot
Joby Talbot is a British composer.Born in Wimbledon, London, Talbot studied composition at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Brian Elias and Simon Bainbridge....
, the composer for the film and former Divine Comedy band member. This sci-fi connection continued in late 2006, when he contributed vocals to two tracks – "Song For Ten" and "Love Don't Roam" – on the Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack is a soundtrack album released on 4 December 2006, containing incidental music composed by Murray Gold and used in the 2005 and 2006 series of Doctor Who....
album. In an interview with Bullz-Eye.com, Hannon explained that, "literally, I was asked to add my vocal by the composer of the songs, who writes for the show. And I didn’t feel that I could say no, simply because I spent my childhood watching this programme. It would be just plain wrong to not do it."
Hannon also lent his vocals to "Aliens", the last track on the Irish charity album The Cake Sale
The Cake Sale
The Cake Sale are a collective of mostly Irish musical artists including Swedish singer/songwriter Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Australian musician Nick Seymour of Crowded House....
in 2006, organised by Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby
Brian Crosby is an Irish musician/producer and award-winning composer. He is a board director on the Irish Music Rights Organisation .-Career:...
of Bell X1
Bell X1
Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from County Kildare in Ireland. They have released five albums which received much acclaim in Ireland.. They have represented Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, received several major award nominations and headlined several festivals in their own country...
and featuring a variety of mainly Irish musicians.
In 2006, whilst on tour, the band did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
. Most recently, the first ten or so seconds of "Tonight We Fly" was used as the ending tune to BBC7's Digi Radio. The song was also used for an advertisement for the Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
airliner.
Meanwhile, Neil took part in various projects: he recorded "Perfection as a hipster", included in "God help the girl" soundtrack, a soon-to-be-released musical film
by Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
frontman Stuart Murdoch
Stuart Murdoch (musician)
Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
as well as the LP The Duckworth Lewis Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method are an Irish pop group formed by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh of Pugwash. The Duckworth Lewis Method is also the title of the group's only album, which was released on 3 July 2009, a few days before the start of the 2009 Ashes series. A concept album...
, together with Thomas Walsh
Thomas Walsh (musician)
Thomas Walsh is an Irish musician and frontman for the band Pugwash.In 2009 he worked with The Divine Comedy singer Neil Hannon on a project called "The Duckworth Lewis Method", a cricket-themed band and album. Their single The Age of Revolution was released digitally at the end of June and the...
of Pugwash
Pugwash (band)
Pugwash is an Irish pop band fronted by Drimnagh-born musician Thomas Walsh. Pugwash has released four albums since its debut LP Almond Tea in 1999. The band signed a five-year deal with XTC founding member Andy Partridge's label Ape House in 2009...
.
In March 2007 Neil Hannon's relationship with Parlophone came to an end.
On 31 May 2010 The Divine Comedy released their tenth album entitled Bang Goes the Knighthood
Bang Goes the Knighthood
- iTunes Bonus Tracks :- Bonus Disc: Recorded Live At The Cité De La Musique, Sept. 2008 :...
on DC Records. As with Victory for the Comic Muse it was recorded in RAK studios in St John's Wood by Guy Massey and the orchestra was conducted by Andrew Skeet who was the arranger on this album. It was the first Divine Comedy album where Neil Hannon did not write the orchestral arrangements himself. The album charted at 20 in the first week of release, making it their highest charting album since Regeneration
Regeneration (Divine Comedy album)
Regeneration is the seventh studio album by The Divine Comedy - and their first for Parlophone/EMI - released on March 12, 2001. Three singles were released from the album: "Love What You Do", "Bad Ambassador" and "Perfect Lovesong", the latter failing to make top 40.Produced by Nigel Godrich,...
in 2001. The album itself was preceded by the download-only single "At The Indie Disco" which gained airplay, but failed to chart.
Band members
The line-up of the band has at times consisted only of Neil HannonNeil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
, but has also included:
- Bryan Mills
- Chris Worsey
- Charlotte Glasson
- Grant Gordon
- Ivor Talbot
- Joby TalbotJoby TalbotJoby Talbot is a British composer.Born in Wimbledon, London, Talbot studied composition at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Brian Elias and Simon Bainbridge....
- John Allen
- John McCullagh
- Kevin Traynor
- Miggy Barradas
- Stewart Bartlett
- Natalie Box
- Rob Farrer
- Simon LittleSimon LittleSimon Little is an English bassist, most notable for his work with The Divine Comedy.-Biography:A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Little joined The Divine Comedy in 2002 and is still a regular member of the band...
- Stuart 'Pinkie' BatesStuart 'Pinkie' BatesStuart 'Pinkie' Bates is a musician notable for playing the Hammond organ with Neil Hannon's band, The Divine Comedy. Bates was the band's organ player on all of The Divine Comedy's records from Casanova to Regeneration...
- Andrew SkeetAndrew Skeet (musician)Andrew John Skeet , is a British musician, composer and music producer. He has written scores for television and film and worked with many well-known composers and artists as an arranger, orchestrator and conductor.- Biography :...
- Lucy Wilkins
- John Evans
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL |
U.K. |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER |
||
| 1990 | Fanfare for the Comic Muse Fanfare for the Comic Muse Fanfare for the Comic Muse is the deleted debut LP by The Divine Comedy, originally released in 1990. It has since been denied by the band's lead singer/songwriter Neil Hannon due to its stylistic difference from the band's later works, heading towards a more R.E.M.-styled jangle pop direction than...
|
– | – | – | – |
| 1993 | Liberation Liberation (The Divine Comedy album) Liberation is a 1993 album by The Divine Comedy, released on Setanta. It was the second album to be released by The Divine Comedy, although the band's leader, Neil Hannon, often refers to it as the first due to the stylistic differences of the earlier album, Fanfare for the Comic Muse... |
– | – | – | – |
| 1994 | Promenade Promenade (album) Promenade is The Divine Comedy's third album. It was released in 1994 on Setanta to much critical acclaim but little commercial success. It is a concept album about two lovers who spend a day at the seaside.... |
– | – | – | – |
| 1996 | Casanova Casanova (album) Casanova is The Divine Comedy's fourth album. It was the band's commercial breakthrough. It was released on Setanta and certified gold in the UK in July 1997. This was helped by the release of The Divine Comedy's first single "Something for the Weekend" which reached number 13 on the charts... |
– | 48 | – | – |
| 1997 | A Short Album About Love A Short Album About Love A Short Album About Love is the fifth album by The Divine Comedy, released in 1997.-Track listing:* All songs written by Neil Hannon except where stated.# "In Pursuit Of Happiness" – 3:31# "Everybody Knows " – 3:48... |
– | 13 | – | – |
| 1998 | Fin de Siècle Fin de Siècle (album) Fin de Siècle is the sixth album by The Divine Comedy, released in 1998.-Track listing:# "Generation Sex" – 3:31# "Thrillseeker" – 3:33# "Commuter Love" – 4:42# "Sweden" – 3:25# "Eric the Gardener" – 8:26# "National Express" – 5:05... |
– | 9 | 23 | – |
| 2001 | Regeneration Regeneration (Divine Comedy album) Regeneration is the seventh studio album by The Divine Comedy - and their first for Parlophone/EMI - released on March 12, 2001. Three singles were released from the album: "Love What You Do", "Bad Ambassador" and "Perfect Lovesong", the latter failing to make top 40.Produced by Nigel Godrich,... |
15 | 14 | 21 | – |
| 2004 | Absent Friends
|
6 | 23 | 20 | – |
| 2006 | Victory for the Comic Muse Victory for the Comic Muse Victory for the Comic Muse is the ninth studio album by The Divine Comedy. It was released by EMI on June 19, 2006. Despite what people might assume, Neil Hannon did not choose the title as a reference to the group's 1990 debut Fanfare for the Comic Muse... |
22 | 43 | 33 | 83 |
| 2010 | Bang Goes the Knighthood Bang Goes the Knighthood - iTunes Bonus Tracks :- Bonus Disc: Recorded Live At The Cité De La Musique, Sept. 2008 :... |
8 | 20 | 27 | – |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRL |
U.K. |
||
| 1999 | A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy A Secret History... The Best of The Divine Comedy is a greatest hits compilation album by The Divine Comedy, released in 1999.The album was the last to be released by the band on the Setanta Records label, and featured a collection of singles and best-known songs from the previous five studio albums...
|
2 | 3 |
Extended Plays
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Timewatch
|
| 1992 | Europop
|
| 1993 | Indulgence No.1
|
| 1994 | Indulgence No.2
|
| 2004 | Bavarian EP
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1993 | "Lucy" | Liberation | – | – |
| 1996 | "Something for the Weekend" | Casanova | – | 14 |
| "Becoming More Like Alfie" | – | 27 | ||
"Comme Beaucoup De Messieurs"
|
— | – | – | |
| "The Frog Princess" | Casanova | – | 15 | |
| 1997 | "Everybody Knows (Except You)" | A Short Album About Love | 23 | 14 |
| 1998 | "I've Been to a Marvellous Party I Went to a Marvellous Party "I Went to a Marvellous Party" is a song with words and music by Noël Coward, written in 1938, and included in the review Set to Music. Although a melody exists, the text is most often recited over a piano accompaniment... " |
Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward is a 1998 Noël Coward tribute album curated by Neil Tennant, who invited prominent artists of the day to reinterpret Noël Coward’s songs for the late 20th century.... |
– | 28 |
| "Generation Sex Generation Sex "Generation Sex" is a song by The Divine Comedy. It was the first single from the album Fin de Siècle and features narration by presenter and columnist Katie Puckrik. It reached number nineteen on the UK Singles Chart.... " |
Fin de Siecle | 24 | 19 | |
| "The Certainty of Chance" | – | 49 | ||
| 1999 | "National Express National Express (song) "National Express" is a song by The Divine Comedy. It was released as the third single from the album Fin de Siècle and reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart.... " |
18 | 8 | |
| "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" is a song by The Divine Comedy. It was originally recorded for the Liberation album. A rerecorded version was released as the first single from A Secret History... The Best of The Divine Comedy... " |
A Secret History: | 24 | 17 | |
| "Gin Soaked Boy Gin Soaked Boy Gin Soaked Boy is the second single from British band The Divine Comedy's greatest hits album. The song was released in 1999 through Sentanta Records. The song peaked at #38 on the UK Singles Chart and managed to stay only for 2 weeks.... " |
– | 38 | ||
| 2001 | "Love What You Do" | Regeneration | 48 | 26 |
| "Bad Ambassador" | – | 34 | ||
| "Perfect Lovesong" | – | 42 | ||
| 2004 | "Come Home Billy Bird"
Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher , known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, author and singer... on vocals |
Absent Friends | 34 | 25 |
| "Absent Friends" | – | 38 | ||
| 2006 | "Diva Lady Diva Lady "Diva Lady" is a song by The Divine Comedy and is featured on their 2006 album, Victory for the Comic Muse. It was released 12 June 2006 as the lead single from that album, peaking at #52 in the UK Singles Chart .... " |
Victory for the Comic Muse | 36 | 52 |
| "To Die a Virgin To Die A Virgin "To Die a Virgin" is a song by The Divine Comedy and is the opening track to their 2006 album, Victory for the Comic Muse. It was released on 14 August 2006 as the second single from that album... " |
– | 67 | ||
| "A Lady of a Certain Age"
|
– | – | ||
| 2010 | "At the Indie Disco" | Bang Goes The Knighthood | – | 173 |
| "I Like" | – | – | ||
Contributions
(appearing as either The Divine Comedy or Neil Hannon)- "The Good Life"; "The Good Life (piano version)" on Gangster No. 1 ost 1993
- "There Is a Light That Never Goes OutThere Is a Light That Never Goes Out"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the British alternative rock group The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was originally featured on their third album The Queen Is Dead , and was released as a single in 1992, five years after The Smiths split up...
"; on The Smiths is dead tribute album, marking 10 years since the release of The SmithsThe SmithsThe 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...
album The Queen Is DeadThe Queen Is DeadThe Queen Is Dead is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band The Smiths. It was released on 16 June 1986 in the United Kingdom by Rough Trade Records and released in the United States on 23 June 1986 through Sire Records. The album reached #2 on the UK Albums Chart, maintaining...
– November 1996 - "Life's What You Make It" on Volume 9
- "All Mine" duet with Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
from the album Reload - "I've Been To A Marvelous Party" from the album Twentieth Century Blues 1998
- "No Regrets", backing vocals on Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
song from the album I've Been Expecting YouI've Been Expecting YouI've Been Expecting You is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Success:Williams and Chambers started the writing process of the album in Jamaica in the spring of 1998. I've Been Expecting You was released in October 1998. It debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart,...
– 1998 - "The Dead Only Quickly Decay"; on The 6thsThe 6thsThe 6ths is a band created by Stephin Merritt, also the prime mover behind The Magnetic Fields, The Gothic Archies and Future Bible Heroes.One story has it that the band was conceived when Merritt, observing that there was no tribute album dedicated to him, decided to make one himself...
album Hyacinths and Thistles – 1999. - "Jackie" on Next- A Tribute To Jacques Brel 2004
- "October" on U2 tribute album Even Better Than The Real Thing 3
- "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish (Reprise)"; "Vote Beeblebrox" (co-vocals) on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel) soundtrack
- "Home" on Jane BirkinJane BirkinJane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
's album Fictions – 2006 - "Three Cheers For Pooh, Cottleston Pie, Piglet Ho"; on the charity album Colours Are BrighterColours Are BrighterColours Are Brighter is a charity record which was released on Rough Trade Records on 16 October 2006, all proceeds going to Save the Children...
– October 2006 - "Aliens" on The Cake SaleThe Cake SaleThe Cake Sale are a collective of mostly Irish musical artists including Swedish singer/songwriter Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Australian musician Nick Seymour of Crowded House....
- "Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping" on Air's album Pocket SymphonyPocket SymphonyPocket Symphony is the fifth full-length album by French duo Air. The album was released in March 2007 and features collaborations with Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon....
- "Love Don't Roam", "Song For Ten"; on the official Doctor Who: Original Television SoundtrackDoctor Who: Original Television SoundtrackDoctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack is a soundtrack album released on 4 December 2006, containing incidental music composed by Murray Gold and used in the 2005 and 2006 series of Doctor Who....
– December 2006 - "Take Me Away" on Pugwash's album Eleven Modern Antiquities
- "Our Love Goes Deeper Than This" on the Duke Special special 2 cd version of Songs From The Deep ForestSongs from the Deep ForestSongs from the Deep Forest is an album by Northern Ireland based artist Duke Special. In May 2006 it was released as a limited edition set of six 7" vinyl discs and then re-released as a single CD in October of the same year...
- "Perfection as a Hipster"; on the soundtrack album God Help The GirlGod Help The GirlGod Help the Girl is a musical project authored by Stuart Murdoch, leader of the Scottish indie pop group Belle & Sebastian, featuring a group of female vocalists, including Catherine Ireton, with Belle & Sebastian as the accompanying band...
by God Help The GirlGod Help The GirlGod Help the Girl is a musical project authored by Stuart Murdoch, leader of the Scottish indie pop group Belle & Sebastian, featuring a group of female vocalists, including Catherine Ireton, with Belle & Sebastian as the accompanying band...
– June 2009
External links
- The Divine Comedy Official Homepage
- a short site about The Divine Comedy
- Something for the Weekend featuring the Divine Comedy Dictionary
- Interview On Subculture Magazine – November 2006