The Very Things
Encyclopedia
The Very Things were a Dada
ist post punk band from Redditch
, Worcestershire
, England
, formed in 1983 and active until 1988.
split up in 1982, guitarist Robin Raymond (aka Robin R. Dalloway) and bassist/singer The Shend (aka Chris Shendo, born Chris Harz) formed The Very Things, recruiting drummer Gordon Disneytime (aka Robin Holland), with help from bassist Fudger O'Mad
(aka Budge), who is band mate of And Also The Trees
. The band also originally had a horn section of Vincent Johnson, John Graham, Robert Holland, and Paul Green. Debut single "The Gong Man" was released on Crass
's label in November 1983, with "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" following in June 1984, now signed to Reflex Records. A short film was made based on the latter for Channel 4
's The Tube
. The band's debut album was released in August 1984, after which the band was trimmed to the core trio. Several singles and EPs followed over the next few years, although a cover of R. Dean Taylor
's "There's a Ghost In My House
" was withdrawn in 1987 due to The Fall's version appearing at the same time. By 1988 the band had split up, although they had recorded enough material for an album release on One Little Indian, the Motown-influenced Motortown. The original albums, along with a collection of non-album tracks, were reissued by Fire Records
in 1994.
The Very Things recorded two Peel Sessions, in 1983 and 1987, and two tracks, "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" and "This Is Motortown" featured in the Festive Fifty
.
The Shend formed a new band, Grimetime, and has since gone on to an acting career, appearing in television series including Eastenders
, Red Dwarf
, The Bill
, and Torchwood
.
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
ist post punk band from Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, 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 1983 and active until 1988.
History
When The CravatsThe Cravats
The Cravats are a punk rock band originally from Redditch, England, founded in 1977 by Robin Dallaway and The Shend . Further members were Svor Naan and Dave Bennett ....
split up in 1982, guitarist Robin Raymond (aka Robin R. Dalloway) and bassist/singer The Shend (aka Chris Shendo, born Chris Harz) formed The Very Things, recruiting drummer Gordon Disneytime (aka Robin Holland), with help from bassist Fudger O'Mad
Steven Burrows
Steven Burrows is an English bassist and musician.Steven Burrows grew up in the county Worcestershire. In 1983 he joined the band And Also The Trees till present...
(aka Budge), who is band mate of And Also The Trees
And also the trees
And Also The Trees are an English rock band, formed in 1979 in the United Kingdom. They are most notable for their poetic lyrics and evocative music which is strongly influenced by their native English countryside.-History :...
. The band also originally had a horn section of Vincent Johnson, John Graham, Robert Holland, and Paul Green. Debut single "The Gong Man" was released on Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
's label in November 1983, with "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" following in June 1984, now signed to Reflex Records. A short film was made based on the latter for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Tube
The Tube (TV series)
The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five seasons, from 5 November 1982 until 1987...
. The band's debut album was released in August 1984, after which the band was trimmed to the core trio. Several singles and EPs followed over the next few years, although a cover of R. Dean Taylor
R. Dean Taylor
R. Dean Taylor is a Canadian singer, most famous as a recording artist, songwriter and record producer for Motown Records company during the 1960s and 1970s...
's "There's a Ghost In My House
There's a Ghost in My House
"There's a Ghost in My House" is a song written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland of Motown Records, together with R. Dean Taylor. It was originally recorded by Taylor in 1966....
" was withdrawn in 1987 due to The Fall's version appearing at the same time. By 1988 the band had split up, although they had recorded enough material for an album release on One Little Indian, the Motown-influenced Motortown. The original albums, along with a collection of non-album tracks, were reissued by Fire Records
Fire Records (UK)
Fire Records is an independent record label in London, England. The label was founded by Clive Solomon in 1986 and is currently run by James Nicholls.-Current roster:*Giant Sand*Guided By Voices*Howe Gelb*Josephine Foster*Wooden Wand*Bobby Conn...
in 1994.
The Very Things recorded two Peel Sessions, in 1983 and 1987, and two tracks, "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" and "This Is Motortown" featured in the Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
.
The Shend formed a new band, Grimetime, and has since gone on to an acting career, appearing in television series including Eastenders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
, The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
, and Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
.
Singles/EPs
- "The Gong Man" (1983) Corpus Christi
- "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" (1984) Reflex #21
- "Mummy You're A Wreck" (1985) Reflex #11
- "This Is Motortown" (1986) DCL Electric #14
- "Let's go Out" (1988) One Little Indian #22
- "The Peel Session (17.12.83)" (1988) Strange FruitStrange Fruit RecordsStrange Fruit Records was an independent record label in the United Kingdom.The label, established by Clive Selwood and John Peel in 1986, was the primary distributor of BBC recordings, including Peel Sessions....
Albums
- The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes (1984) Reflex, reissued (1994) Fire
- Live at The Zap Club, Brighton (1987) B.P.
- Motortown (1988) One Little Indian, reissued (1994) Fire
- It's A Drug, It's A Drug, It's A Ha Ha Ha, It's A Trojan Horse Coming Out Of The Wall (1994) Fire