Vitamin Z
Encyclopedia
Vitamin Z were an English
pop group, formed in 1982 by vocalist Geoff Barradale and bassist Nick Lockwood. Their lone hit "Burning Flame" charted well in the UK, but no further hits caught on. Geoff Barradale now serves as manager for the Arctic Monkeys
.
. The group originally took shape around a loose-knit collection of local musicians who came together in a common rehearsal space.
The band's debut album Rites Of Passage, was released in 1985. Its most prominent single, "Burning Flame," did well on the U.S. dance charts and the band toured England with Tears for Fears
. Vitamin Z also made news when its video for the song "Circus Ring (We Scream About)" filmed in Istanbul
, making them the first Western Europeans to be allowed to film in Turkey
since Midnight Express
prompted government officials there to close the border to foreign film units.
A year or so further on and the follow-up album was ready to go. "But we sat down and listened to it and it didn't do anything," recalls Barradale. "If it didn't move us, it wasn't going to move anybody else. The songs were good, but the treatment was wrong, contrived, plastic. We see ourselves as far more edgy, spiky. It was the wrong marriage with a producer."
While they awaited the results of a lawsuit that would hopefully allow them to re-work the songs, they wrote a number of new ones. They liked what they were hearing so much that they paid for another demo out of their own pockets. "We knew," says Barradale, "that this was our moment. We had to take it." By the time the legal matters were settled, they were already in the studio working on Sharp Stone Rain, beginning with producer Pete Smith
(Sting, The Adventures) but ended up co-producing tracks.
Also seizing the moment, Lockwood decided to move from bass and keyboards to guitar. "In a songwriting sense, it's more creative being able to write on the guitar".
Barradale appeared on The Alan Parsons Project
album Gaudi released in 1987. He sang lead vocals for the "Standing On Higher Ground" lead off single.
Vitamin Z recorded demos for a third album, which was never released.
Barradale continued to record and perform from his native Sheffield, teaming up with guitarist and songwriter Alan Smyth, later a producer based at his own 2-Fly Studios in the city. Their bands Fruit, Seafruit, were championed by Jeff Cooper (broadcaster)'s 'XS' show (now radio2XS
) at the radio station Hallam FM
, where they recorded two sessions in 1996 and 1997. Cooper also employed Barradale as the narrator of a 1995 radio documentary for the BBC
'Sheffield Music 1995', which also featured Pulp
's Jarvis Cocker
and others.
Barradale is currently the manager of the city's Arctic Monkeys
.
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...
pop group, formed in 1982 by vocalist Geoff Barradale and bassist Nick Lockwood. Their lone hit "Burning Flame" charted well in the UK, but no further hits caught on. Geoff Barradale now serves as manager for the Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
.
History
Vitamin Z founders Geoff Barradale and Nick Lockwood were born and raised in Northern England’s SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. The group originally took shape around a loose-knit collection of local musicians who came together in a common rehearsal space.
The band's debut album Rites Of Passage, was released in 1985. Its most prominent single, "Burning Flame," did well on the U.S. dance charts and the band toured England with Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
. Vitamin Z also made news when its video for the song "Circus Ring (We Scream About)" filmed in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, making them the first Western Europeans to be allowed to film in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
since Midnight Express
Midnight Express (film)
Released on October 6, 1978, the soundtrack to Midnight Express was composed by Italian synth-pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The score won the Academy Award for Best Original Score of 1978.Side A:#Chase – Giorgio Moroder...
prompted government officials there to close the border to foreign film units.
A year or so further on and the follow-up album was ready to go. "But we sat down and listened to it and it didn't do anything," recalls Barradale. "If it didn't move us, it wasn't going to move anybody else. The songs were good, but the treatment was wrong, contrived, plastic. We see ourselves as far more edgy, spiky. It was the wrong marriage with a producer."
While they awaited the results of a lawsuit that would hopefully allow them to re-work the songs, they wrote a number of new ones. They liked what they were hearing so much that they paid for another demo out of their own pockets. "We knew," says Barradale, "that this was our moment. We had to take it." By the time the legal matters were settled, they were already in the studio working on Sharp Stone Rain, beginning with producer Pete Smith
Pete Smith
Pete Smith is the name of:* Pete Smith , Australian radio and television announcer* Pete Smith , Major League Baseball pitcher, 1962–1963...
(Sting, The Adventures) but ended up co-producing tracks.
Also seizing the moment, Lockwood decided to move from bass and keyboards to guitar. "In a songwriting sense, it's more creative being able to write on the guitar".
Barradale appeared on The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
album Gaudi released in 1987. He sang lead vocals for the "Standing On Higher Ground" lead off single.
Vitamin Z recorded demos for a third album, which was never released.
Barradale continued to record and perform from his native Sheffield, teaming up with guitarist and songwriter Alan Smyth, later a producer based at his own 2-Fly Studios in the city. Their bands Fruit, Seafruit, were championed by Jeff Cooper (broadcaster)'s 'XS' show (now radio2XS
Radio2XS
radio2XS is programmed and edited in Sheffield, England and uses the on-air slogan "New Music, Live Sessions and 60 Years of Rock’n'roll".The station was formed in 2002 by ....
) at the radio station Hallam FM
Hallam FM
Hallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations.-History:...
, where they recorded two sessions in 1996 and 1997. Cooper also employed Barradale as the narrator of a 1995 radio documentary for 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...
'Sheffield Music 1995', which also featured Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
's Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
and others.
Barradale is currently the manager of the city's Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
.
Singles
- "Burning Flame", 1985, 7" and 12"
- "Circus Ring (We Scream About)", 1985, 7" and 12"
- "Every Time That I See You", 1985, 7" and 12"
- "Hi Hi Friend", 1985, 7" and 12"
- "Burn For You", 1989, 7", 12" and CD single
- "Can't Live Without You", 1990, 7", 12" and CD single