The Lotus Eaters (new wave)
Encyclopedia
The Lotus Eaters formed in 1982 in Liverpool
, England
. Their debut single "The First Picture of You
", from their debut album, No Sense of Sin (1984), became a hit in the UK
and Europe, notably France, Italy and Spain.
in 1981. Coyle had previously been in the Jass Babies, who had recorded a session for John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show in 1981.
After an invitation to record a Peel session, a number of new songs were created. Joined on keyboards by Kelly's fellow ex-Wild Swan Ged Quinn
, and by drummer Alan Wills and bassist Phil (surname unknown), the session was recorded in October 1982 and included "The First Picture of You". This led to the band being signed by Arista Records
. Produced by Nigel Gray, "The First Picture of You" became an iconic song for The Lotus Eaters in 1983, giving them a UK hit single before the band had even played a live gig. The band recorded a second session for Peel in October 1983.
Quinn left and Coyle and Kelly recruited bassist, Michael Dempsey
(The Cure
/Associates), keyboard player Stephen Emmer
, and drummer Steve Crease. The Lotus Eaters toured extensively in the UK, France, and Italy, before going on hiatus in 1985 when they were dropped by Arista. "It Hurts", their final single, charted in the Italian top 5 that year, but the band had already split up, leaving a promotional video to represent them.
Coyle recorded as a solo artist, releasing the albums A Slap in the Face for Public Taste and I'd Sacrifice Eight Orgasms With Shirley MacLaine Just to Be There, went on to found dance company 8 Productions and the G-Love nightclub. As a songwriter / producer, he had success with Marina Van Rooy’s, Sly One, and worked with a host of emerging artists on Liverpool's dance scene. Meanwhile, Kelly reformed The Wild Swans, releasing an album, Bringing Home the Ashes, on Sire in 1988, before leaving to study for a PhD in Multimedia Theatre. Coyle later pursued his academic interests at the University of Edinburgh, where he read Psychology.
In 1998, The First Picture of You, a compilation
of the Lotus Eaters' BBC Radio 1
sessions, was released, and the No Sense of Sin album was reissued on CD with bonus tracks.
In March 2009, the band announced a one-off concert to be held at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 25 July. The gig, a performance of the album No Sense of Sin, featured the trio accompanied by a string quartet from the University of Huddersfield. In April 2009, composed of Coyle, Kelly and Stephen Emmer, the group announced on their Myspace page that they were working, with producer Steve Power, on material for a new album. The Lotus Eaters played their first London show in ten years at the Camden Barfly on 11 June 2010, with a string of shows in the UK to follow. The band also toured Italy in June 2010. Differance had a limited release in Japan in 2010. According to their MySpace, in 2011 they are working on a new album called A Plug-In Called Nostalgia.
Compilations:
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
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...
. Their debut single "The First Picture of You
The First Picture of You
"The First Picture of You" is the debut single by the new wave group The Lotus Eaters. The song was first recorded during a John Peel Radio 1 session in 1982 and when aired, stimulated a bidding war between major UK record labels...
", from their debut album, No Sense of Sin (1984), became a hit in 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...
and Europe, notably France, Italy and Spain.
History
In September 1981 Peter Coyle (born 25 October 1962) and Jeremy "Jem" Kelly (born in 1962) met for the first time. Jem had been guitarist in The Systems and co-founded The Wild SwansThe Wild Swans
"The Wild Swans" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a princess who rescues her eleven brothers from a spell cast by an evil queen....
in 1981. Coyle had previously been in the Jass Babies, who had recorded a session for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show in 1981.
After an invitation to record a Peel session, a number of new songs were created. Joined on keyboards by Kelly's fellow ex-Wild Swan Ged Quinn
Ged Quinn
Ged Quinn is an English artist. He studied at the Ruskin in Oxford, the Slade School of Art in London, the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam....
, and by drummer Alan Wills and bassist Phil (surname unknown), the session was recorded in October 1982 and included "The First Picture of You". This led to the band being signed by Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. Produced by Nigel Gray, "The First Picture of You" became an iconic song for The Lotus Eaters in 1983, giving them a UK hit single before the band had even played a live gig. The band recorded a second session for Peel in October 1983.
Quinn left and Coyle and Kelly recruited bassist, Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...
(The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
/Associates), keyboard player Stephen Emmer
Stephen Emmer
Stephen Emmer is a Dutch musician and composer. After releasing an album in 1982 he worked in television. He released the album Recitement in 2008, combining his music with spoken word from artists including Lou Reed.-Biography:...
, and drummer Steve Crease. The Lotus Eaters toured extensively in the UK, France, and Italy, before going on hiatus in 1985 when they were dropped by Arista. "It Hurts", their final single, charted in the Italian top 5 that year, but the band had already split up, leaving a promotional video to represent them.
Coyle recorded as a solo artist, releasing the albums A Slap in the Face for Public Taste and I'd Sacrifice Eight Orgasms With Shirley MacLaine Just to Be There, went on to found dance company 8 Productions and the G-Love nightclub. As a songwriter / producer, he had success with Marina Van Rooy’s, Sly One, and worked with a host of emerging artists on Liverpool's dance scene. Meanwhile, Kelly reformed The Wild Swans, releasing an album, Bringing Home the Ashes, on Sire in 1988, before leaving to study for a PhD in Multimedia Theatre. Coyle later pursued his academic interests at the University of Edinburgh, where he read Psychology.
In 1998, The First Picture of You, a compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of the Lotus Eaters' BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
sessions, was released, and the No Sense of Sin album was reissued on CD with bonus tracks.
Reunion
In 2001, The Lotus Eaters, comprising the duo of Coyle and Kelly, re-formed after almost two decades, recording and releasing a new album, entitled Silentspace.In March 2009, the band announced a one-off concert to be held at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 25 July. The gig, a performance of the album No Sense of Sin, featured the trio accompanied by a string quartet from the University of Huddersfield. In April 2009, composed of Coyle, Kelly and Stephen Emmer, the group announced on their Myspace page that they were working, with producer Steve Power, on material for a new album. The Lotus Eaters played their first London show in ten years at the Camden Barfly on 11 June 2010, with a string of shows in the UK to follow. The band also toured Italy in June 2010. Differance had a limited release in Japan in 2010. According to their MySpace, in 2011 they are working on a new album called A Plug-In Called Nostalgia.
Singles
- "The First Picture of You" (1983), Sylvan-AristaArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
— UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
no. 15 - "You Don't Need Someone New" (1983), Sylvan-Arista — UK no. 53
- "Set Me Apart" (1984), Sylvan-Arista
- "Out on Your Own" (1985), Sylvan-Arista
- "It Hurts" (1985), Sylvan-Arista
- Stay Free EP (2001), Vinyl Japan
Albums
- No Sense of Sin (1984), Sylvan-Arista UKUK Albums ChartThe 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...
no. 96 - Silentspace (2002), Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
- Differance (2010), Sylvan
Compilations:
- First Picture of You (1998), Vinyl Japan