The Primitives
Encyclopedia
The Primitives are a British
indie pop
band
from Coventry
, best known for their 1988 international hit single "Crash
".
and the Primitives" band formed in the 60's) were part of the indie music scene of the mid-1980s alongside bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain
, Primal Scream
, My Bloody Valentine, the Soup Dragons and the Wedding Present. They were formed in 1985 by PJ Court (born Paul Jonathan Court) (vocals, guitar), Keiron McDermott (vocals), Steve Dullaghan (bass) and Pete Tweedie (drums). The band shared a love of melody, the Sixties, fast Ramones
-like guitars and the pop influences of Buzzcocks
and Orange Juice
. McDermott was soon replaced by vocalist Tracy Tracy (born Tracy Cattell) and Tig Williams replaced Pete Tweedie on drums in October '87.
They received valuable publicity when The Smiths
singer Morrissey
was photographed wearing a Primitives T-shirt
. After a successful first album, which gave them with their UK
Top 5 hit
single
"Crash
" in early 1988 (and made the Top 3 in the U.S.
Modern Rock Charts), their career began to fade in the early 1990s. They split in 1992 following the commercial failure of their final album, 1991's Galore. Their major rivals within the 'blonde pop' scene were Transvision Vamp
and The Darling Buds
.
Dullaghan died in Coventry on 4 February 2009.
After nearly 18 years of dormancy, The Primitives re-formed for live shows in Coventry on 2 October 2009 and the Buffalo Bar in London on 9 October 2009. In spring of 2010, The Primitives toured the UK and also performed a single US concert at the Bell House in Brooklyn
, New York. The Primitives also went back into the studio with original producer Paul Sampson, intending to record cover version
s of lesser-known female-fronted songs, including Lee Hazlewood
's "Need All the Help I Can Get", originally recorded by Suzi Jane Hokum in 1966 and "Breakaway" recorded by Toni Basil
in 1966. During the summer of 2010, the Primitives have also recorded a few new songs for future release, such as "Rattle My Cage" and "Never Kill a Secret".
The Primitives supported The Wedding Present
at Koko in Camden
, London on December 13, 2010 as part of the Weddoes Bizarro
Album 21st anniversary tour.
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...
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
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, best known for their 1988 international hit single "Crash
Crash (The Primitives song)
"Crash" is a song written by The Primitives band members Paul Court, Steve Dullaghan and Tracy Spencer. The song was first recorded by The Primitives for their 1988 debut album Lovely. This version of the song was released as a single and a cassette in 1988 and peaked at number five on United...
".
Biography
The Primitives (who had nothing to do with the original "Mal RyderMal Ryder
Mal Ryder is a British singer who became quite popular in Italy in the late 1960s.-External links:* * at California Ballroom...
and the Primitives" band formed in the 60's) were part of the indie music scene of the mid-1980s alongside bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
, Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, My Bloody Valentine, the Soup Dragons and the Wedding Present. They were formed in 1985 by PJ Court (born Paul Jonathan Court) (vocals, guitar), Keiron McDermott (vocals), Steve Dullaghan (bass) and Pete Tweedie (drums). The band shared a love of melody, the Sixties, fast Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
-like guitars and the pop influences of Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
and Orange Juice
Orange Juice
Orange Juice was a Scottish post-punk band founded in the middle class Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976. Edwyn Collins formed the Nu-Sonics with his school-mate Alan Duncan and was subsequently joined by James Kirk and Steven Daly, who left a band called The Machetes. The band...
. McDermott was soon replaced by vocalist Tracy Tracy (born Tracy Cattell) and Tig Williams replaced Pete Tweedie on drums in October '87.
They received valuable publicity when The Smiths
The Smiths
The 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...
singer Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
was photographed wearing a Primitives T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
. After a successful first album, which gave them with their 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...
Top 5 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
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...
"Crash
Crash (The Primitives song)
"Crash" is a song written by The Primitives band members Paul Court, Steve Dullaghan and Tracy Spencer. The song was first recorded by The Primitives for their 1988 debut album Lovely. This version of the song was released as a single and a cassette in 1988 and peaked at number five on United...
" in early 1988 (and made the Top 3 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Modern Rock Charts), their career began to fade in the early 1990s. They split in 1992 following the commercial failure of their final album, 1991's Galore. Their major rivals within the 'blonde pop' scene were Transvision Vamp
Transvision Vamp
Transvision Vamp were a British alternative rock group. Formed in 1986 by Nick Christian Sayer and Wendy James the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s...
and The Darling Buds
The Darling Buds
The Darling Buds were an indie band from Newport, South Wales. The band formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May".-Career:Influenced...
.
Dullaghan died in Coventry on 4 February 2009.
After nearly 18 years of dormancy, The Primitives re-formed for live shows in Coventry on 2 October 2009 and the Buffalo Bar in London on 9 October 2009. In spring of 2010, The Primitives toured the UK and also performed a single US concert at the Bell House in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York. The Primitives also went back into the studio with original producer Paul Sampson, intending to record cover version
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...
s of lesser-known female-fronted songs, including Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood , born Barton Lee Hazlewood was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s.Hazlewood had a distinctive baritone voice that added an ominous...
's "Need All the Help I Can Get", originally recorded by Suzi Jane Hokum in 1966 and "Breakaway" recorded by Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
in 1966. During the summer of 2010, the Primitives have also recorded a few new songs for future release, such as "Rattle My Cage" and "Never Kill a Secret".
The Primitives supported The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
at Koko in Camden
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, London on December 13, 2010 as part of the Weddoes Bizarro
Bizarro (album)
Bizarro is the second studio album by The Wedding Present. It was released in October 1989 by their record label, RCA.- About the album :...
Album 21st anniversary tour.
Albums
- Lovely (1988) 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...
#6 - PurePure (The Primitives album)Pure is a 1989 studio album by The Primitives, released as the follow-up to their debut, Lovely. The line-up changed slightly over the course of the previous year: Steve Dullaghan was replaced on the bass guitar by Paul Sampson, who also shared the production duties with Wayne Morris.The first U.S....
(1989) UK #33 - GaloreGalore (The Primitives album)Galore is the third and final studio album by The Primitives. The group disbanded shortly after this release and would not record again until 2010.-Track listing:#"You Are the Way" - 3:32#"Lead Me Astray" - 3:16#"Earth Thing" - 4:20...
(1991)
Compilations
- Lazy 86-88 (1989) UK #73
- Bombshell - The Hits & More (1994)
- Best of The Primitives (1996)
- Bubbling Up - BBC Sessions (1998)
- Thru the Flowers - The Anthology (2004)
- Buzz Buzz BuzzBuzz Buzz Buzz (The Primitives BBC Session album)Buzz Buzz Buzz is a 2001 compilation album of BBC Sessions, by The Primitives. The track listing is identical to the BBC Sessions album, Bubbling Up, with different album art and liner notes...
(2005) - The Best of The Primitives (2005)
- Buzz Buzz Buzz - Complete Lazy Recordings (2006)
Singles
| 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 ... |
US Modern Rock | |||
| 1986 | "Really Stupid" | - | - | Lazy (86-88) |
| 1987 | "Stop Killing Me" | - | - | Lovely |
| "Thru the Flowers" | - | - | ||
| 1988 | "Crash Crash (The Primitives song) "Crash" is a song written by The Primitives band members Paul Court, Steve Dullaghan and Tracy Spencer. The song was first recorded by The Primitives for their 1988 debut album Lovely. This version of the song was released as a single and a cassette in 1988 and peaked at number five on United... " |
#5 | #3 | |
| "Out of Reach" | #25 | - | ||
| "Way Behind Me" | #36 | #8 | Pure Pure (The Primitives album) Pure is a 1989 studio album by The Primitives, released as the follow-up to their debut, Lovely. The line-up changed slightly over the course of the previous year: Steve Dullaghan was replaced on the bass guitar by Paul Sampson, who also shared the production duties with Wayne Morris.The first U.S.... |
|
| 1989 | "Sick of It" | #24 | #9 | |
| "Secrets" | #49 | #12 | ||
| 1991 | "You Are the Way" | #58 | - | Galore |
| "Earth Thing" | - | - | ||
| 1995 | "Crash - the '95 Mix" | - | #33 | non-album single |
External links
- Crashsite -- Primitives fan site, with history, news, music and video clips, etc