The Starlings
Encyclopedia
Starlings were an alternative rock
band from London
, England
, formed in 1989, acting as a vehicle for New Zealand
-born singer/guitarist Chris Sheehan (born 1965, Christchurch
). The group released two albums before splitting up in 1994. Sheehan went on to a solo career.
band The Dance Exponents
between 1983 and the late 1980s. When the group split up he moved to Los Angeles
, and guested on the debut solo album by Jane Wiedlin
. He also played guitar on Curve
's debut EP
in 1990.
Initially a five-piece band, Sheehan sacked all original Starlings members other than drummer and fellow New Zealander Barry Blacker and recruited Northampton
-born bass guitarist Matt Parkin. The band were likened to The Jesus and Mary Chain
, and supported Curve on their tour of the UK and Ireland
in 1991. After their first EP, the band signed to Dave Stewart
's Anxious Records
. The band's debut album Valid was released in 1992, the songs documenting Sheehan's withdrawal from heroin, followed two years later by Too Many Dogs, with songs described as "vicious, dark, misanthropic gems", the latter released in the United States by Atlantic Records
, and attracting critical acclaim if not commercial success. Contractual difficulties led the band to split up in 1994. Parkin and Blacker had also acted as the rhythm section for The Jesus and Mary Chain between 1991 and 1992.
Sheehan played with Babylon Zoo
, and The Mutton Birds
in the latter half of the 1990s and returned with a solo album, Planet Painkiller in 2000, under the name Chris Starling. In 2002 the album Sounds like... Chris Starling was released by Popchild records. He joined The Sisters of Mercy
as rhythm guitarist later that year, although he has now left the band.
Chris Starling:
Chris Starling:
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
, formed in 1989, acting as a vehicle for 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...
-born singer/guitarist Chris Sheehan (born 1965, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
). The group released two albums before splitting up in 1994. Sheehan went on to a solo career.
History
Chris Sheehan had been a teenage star in his native New Zealand, playing guitar in the new waveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band The Dance Exponents
The Exponents
The Exponents are a New Zealand rock group led by vocalist and songwriter Jordan Luck.Their major hits, including "Why Does Love Do This To Me", "Who Loves Who The Most", "Victoria", "I'll Say Goodbye " and "Whatever Happened To Tracey" have been taken up by successive generations of younger New...
between 1983 and the late 1980s. When the group split up he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and guested on the debut solo album by Jane Wiedlin
Jane Wiedlin
Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go's.-Early life:...
. He also played guitar on Curve
Curve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
's debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1990.
Initially a five-piece band, Sheehan sacked all original Starlings members other than drummer and fellow New Zealander Barry Blacker and recruited Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
-born bass guitarist Matt Parkin. The band were likened to 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...
, and supported Curve on their tour of the UK and Ireland
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...
in 1991. After their first EP, the band signed to Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
's Anxious Records
Anxious Records
Anxious Records was a record label set up by David A. Stewart of Eurythmics.Besides distributing his own records, the label distributed also groups like Londonbeat and Soft Parade.-Anxious Records:Anxious Records signed the following acts:* Chris Braide...
. The band's debut album Valid was released in 1992, the songs documenting Sheehan's withdrawal from heroin, followed two years later by Too Many Dogs, with songs described as "vicious, dark, misanthropic gems", the latter released in the United States by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and attracting critical acclaim if not commercial success. Contractual difficulties led the band to split up in 1994. Parkin and Blacker had also acted as the rhythm section for The Jesus and Mary Chain between 1991 and 1992.
Sheehan played with Babylon Zoo
Babylon Zoo
Babylon Zoo were a British rock band of the mid-1990s from Wolverhampton, England, fronted by Jas Mann. They were best known for the song "Spaceman", which on its release on 21 January 1996, went straight to #1 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 418,000 copies in the first week of...
, and The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...
in the latter half of the 1990s and returned with a solo album, Planet Painkiller in 2000, under the name Chris Starling. In 2002 the album Sounds like... Chris Starling was released by Popchild records. He joined The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
as rhythm guitarist later that year, although he has now left the band.
Singles
- A Letter From Heaven EP (1990) Bad Girl
- "Try" (1991) Anxious
- Safe in Heaven Dead EP (1991) Anxious
- "The Last One" (1991) Anxious
- Loch Angeles Monster EP (1994) Anxious
- "Tears Before Bedtime" (1994) Anxious/Atlantic
Chris Starling:
- "Rawhide Baby" (1999) EX34
- "The Word" (1999) EX34
Albums
- Valid (1992) Anxious
- Too Many Dogs (1994) Anxious/Atlantic
- Out Of The Woods (1995) - unreleased, subsequently re-recorded and reissued by the Chris Sheehan
Chris Starling:
- Planet Painkiller (2000) EX34
- Sounds Like... (2002) EX34
External links
- Chris Starling Official site
- Chris Starling - unofficial website
- Mason, Stewart "[ Too Many Dogs Review]", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation