58-611: Troy Tate is an English musician and record producer who was a member of several bands including the Teardrop Explodes and Fashion as well as working as a solo artist, for which he is best known for the single "Love Is ..." Born in Liverpool , England, Tate's first band was the Cheltenham -based punk rock band Index, who released one single, "Jet Lag" c/w "Total Bland" in 1978. He moved on to join former members of
116-587: A drum machine (allegedly named Echo), making their live debut at Eric's in November that year. In October 1979, the Bunnymen exchanged the drum machine for Pete de Freitas on drums. With their line-up solidified, the Bunnymen played in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing their critically praised debut studio album, Crocodiles in 1980, and the heavier, bass-driven Heaven Up Here in 1981. They released their third studio album Porcupine in 1983 with
174-546: A Young Man . In 2012, McCulloch released his fourth and most recent studio album, Pro Patria Mori , as well as a live album Holy Ghosts in 2013. In April 2017, following news of a possible armed conflict between the United States and North Korea , McCulloch canceled a concert in Tokyo , Japan moments before showtime by leaving Japan without notifying the concert promoter . In October 2017, McCulloch featured on
232-598: A fake when we see one." McCulloch said that during the early 1980s, Bono told him the Bunnymen could break America but only if they toured there for three months. McCulloch said: "Three months? I can't spend three minutes in Birkenhead without going daft, let alone America." In 1998, McCulloch teamed up with Johnny Marr, the Spice Girls , Tommy Scott of Space , and Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene as England United to record " (How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of
290-443: A fourth group, A Shallow Madness, retaining Pickett as drummer but recruiting organ player Paul Simpson and part-time guitarist Michael "Mick" Finkler. Cope and McCulloch's ongoing ego clashes led to the latter leaving the band during rehearsals, ultimately to form Echo and the Bunnymen . Cope, meanwhile, had befriended Liverpool scenester Gary "Rocky" Dwyer and had suggested a new band name to him – The Teardrop Explodes, taken from
348-700: A lengthy residence at the Pyramid Club in Liverpool, where they set up "Club Zoo", playing twice a day as a five-piece. The band then undertook an extensive tour of Europe, the US and Australia, hiring trumpeter Ted Emmett (ex- 64 Spoons ) for the live band. By March 1982, the Teardrops' internal situation was as fraught as ever following assorted disagreements and individual meltdowns. The increasingly alienated Cope retreated to his hometown of Tamworth . At this point
406-467: A mentor to bands such as Blur : he quit the music business in 1999. Former guitarist Troy Tate released two solo albums and worked as a producer (including work with The Smiths ). In 1989, various Teardrop Explodes promos were included on Copeulation , a compilation of Julian Cope’s pop videos. In April 1990, Mercury Records released a Teardrop Explodes album called Everybody Wants to Shag... The Teardrop Explodes , which had been compiled by Balfe from
464-503: A notorious (though disputed) event in which an irate Dwyer chased Balfe over the Monmouthshire hillsides with a loaded shotgun. Hating Balfe's instrumentals, Cope walked out of the sessions with only part of the singing done and the album incomplete. To Cope's disgust, the band were already committed to a UK tour playing as a guitarless three-piece, with the instrumentation covered mainly by synthesizer and backing tapes. Cope found
522-453: A panel caption in the Marvel comic strip Daredevil (No. 77). Dwyer's initial response was a laconic "that’s a weird one you’ve got there, Jules." Dwyer did, however, take the idea seriously enough to learn how to play drums in order to take it further. With Cope taking on the roles of singer and bass guitarist, The Teardrop Explodes was completed by recruiting Simpson and Finkler from
580-588: A remixed version of "Thomas", which was followed by his debut solo album, Ticket to the Dark the same year. The album featured contributions from former-Rezillos and Shake drummer Ali Paterson, former-Teardrop Explodes member David Balfe , Nicky Holland, Virginia Astley and Rolo McGinty of the Woodentops , and was described by Trouser Press as "an exceptionally good record". A second album, Liberty , followed in 1985, which proved to be Tate's swansong. When
638-428: A role in returning psychedelic elements to mainstream British rock and pop, initially favouring a modernised version of lightly psychedelic late 1960s-influenced beat -group sound (sometimes described as "bubblegum trance" ) and later exploring more experimental areas. In addition to their musical reputation, the band (and Cope in particular) had a reputation for eccentric pronouncements and behaviour, sometimes verging on
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#1732780113094696-460: A solo career under the impression that the Bunnymen would be laid to rest, if only temporarily. When the remaining Bunnymen continued using the name with new lead vocalist Noel Burke , the break-up became more permanent with McCulloch referring to the band as "Echo & the Bogusmen". In 1989, McCulloch released his debut solo studio album Candleland which reflected a more mature outlook on
754-592: A tribute song of its own: "I Can't Get Bouncing Babies by the Teardrop Explodes" by The Freshies , an ode to the difficulty of obtaining a copy of the song. In February 1980 the band released their third and final single on Zoo Records, " Treason ", which was recorded in London with producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley . The B-side was a version of the Cope/McCulloch song "Read It in Books", which Echo &
812-466: A tyrant. "I must say I don't like Dave. He gets a pretty dubious character sometimes. He just plays a good role in the band that's all, but we often fight, and I mean physically. I usually win because he's a bit of a wimp... not that I'm a fighting person though. Dave is just one of the most extreme characters I've ever met. Sometimes he gets me so knotted up inside .. but then again that's good because it keeps me pushing; you know, right there…I usually do
870-629: The B-side of the " This Charming Man " single, and the version of "Pretty Girls Make Graves" was the B-side to " I Started Something I Couldn't Finish ". Tate's version of "Reel Around the Fountain" had been scheduled for release as a single in 1983, a disc of which was included in a collectors edition of Complete in 2011. The Teardrop Explodes The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk / neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single " Reward ",
928-666: The Bunnnymen had already released as the b-side to their debut single, "The Pictures on My Wall". Both bands recorded different versions of "Read It in Books" in the future, and Cope also re-recorded the track as a solo artist. In the summer of 1980, The Teardrop Explodes began recording their debut album, Kilimanjaro , at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire. The sessions were interrupted by touring requirements, and also by internal dissension. This peaked when Cope and Balfe opted to fire Mick Finkler as guitarist. Cope subsequently claimed that "Mick, to me, had got really complacent. There
986-646: The Bunnymen reformed and released their seventh studio album Evergreen to positive reviews and chart success. Evergreen made the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart and the single " Nothing Lasts Forever " reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart . The reformed Bunnymen have since recorded several further albums, the most recent being The Stars, the Oceans & the Moon which was released in 2018. At
1044-551: The Bunnymen, who maintained a love/hate relationship and continuing rivalry with the Teardrops throughout their existence. "I think we're very poppy. To me pop is something you hum. What I'm trying to do is strike a balance between triteness and greatness. People nowadays seem too embarrassed to show emotion, which is what I want." Julian Cope on The Teardrop Explodes The Teardrop Explodes released their first single, "Sleeping Gas", in February 1979. Simpson's stage presence
1102-629: The Norwegian band a-ha 's acoustic live album MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice , singing "Scoundrel Days" and "The Killing Moon". The performance was recorded at Giske island in Norway in June 2017. McCulloch has cited Lou Reed , Iggy Pop , the Doors , Leonard Cohen and particularly David Bowie as influences for his work. He has described Cohen's 1968 song " Suzanne " as "the perfect lyric with
1160-808: The Rezillos in the band Shake, recording two singles with this band. In 1981, he first recorded as a solo artist, releasing the "Thomas" single on the RCA label Why-Fi. He joined the Teardrop Explodes in late 1980, replacing Alan Gill on guitar, and playing on the Wilder album. While with the band, he continued his solo career, releasing "Lifeline" in 1982. He left The Teardrop Explodes, and joined Fashion in October 1982, leaving in 1983 when he signed to Rough Trade Records , for whom he debuted that year with "Love Is ...". Tate moved on to Sire Records in 1984, who issued
1218-452: The Smiths (also on Rough Trade) were looking for a producer for their debut album, Tate was chosen; although after the album was recorded, the band decided to reject these recordings and re-record the album with producer John Porter . The original version of the album is widely known as The Troy Tate Sessions and has only been released on bootlegs. "Jeane" from these sessions was released as
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#17327801130941276-469: The Teardrop Explodes – Cope, Mick Finkler and Paul Simpson – and drummer Dave Pickett, McCulloch formed A Shallow Madness. Again the band did not perform or record, but an acoustic version of the band, under the name Uh, played live twice. The band broke up in September 1978. In October 1978, McCulloch founded Echo & the Bunnymen with Will Sergeant ( lead guitar), Les Pattinson (bass), and
1334-399: The Teardrops as a popular singles band. "The band was never built to last... It was like building a house on scaffolding, on top of a tank moving at three miles an hour. The higher you build it, the further removed you are from the reality that it’s actually moving and going to fall." Julian Cope At the end of 1981 (and with Ronnie François now added on bass guitar) the band took up
1392-564: The UK Albums Chart and the band toured to support it. One further single from the album, released almost a year later, in September 1981, was "Ha-Ha I'm Drowning" backed by "Poppies in the Field"; early pressings were packaged with a bonus reissue of the "Bouncing Babies" single. In November 1980, Alan Gill left The Teardrop Explodes, claiming not to enjoy the touring lifestyle. Cope later praised him for his strong creative impact on both
1450-505: The World ", the official song for Team England in the 1998 FIFA World Cup . It was overshadowed however by " Three Lions 98 " and " Vindaloo ". He enjoyed more success working as a mentor for Coldplay during the recording of their second studio album A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002). In 2003, McCulloch released his third solo album Slideling and undertook a solo tour in support of
1508-421: The abortive third album sessions and the "You Disappear From View" EP tracks. In November of the same year Teardrop Explodes manager Bill Drummond released yet another Teardrops album, Piano , which compiled all of the early Zoo Records singles. Cope’s response to these albums was mixed, though press reception was highly positive. In August 1992, Cope was able to work on a retrospective under his own terms with
1566-651: The album. McCulloch has been a lifetime supporter of Liverpool F.C. In 2006, he took part in recording the team's anthem with the Bootroom Allstars – a cover version of the Johnny Cash song " Ring of Fire ", and was on the judging panel for the music competition Pringles Unsung . In 2010, McCulloch featured in a guest role on the song " Some Kind of Nothingness " by the Manic Street Preachers from their tenth album Postcards from
1624-532: The band and its perspective, but also suggested that with the band's growing success Gill had found himself "afraid to compete." Gill was replaced by former Shake guitarist Troy Tate but by now Cope and Balfe's abrasive relationship had worsened to the point that Balfe was ousted as group keyboard player, although he continued to be involved with management. As well as broadening the band's sound and outlook, Alan Gill had brought in an all-but-complete new song before his departure, which he and Cope had reworked. This
1682-551: The band decided to strip down to a three-piece, losing Tate, Francois and Emmett. A third single from Wilder – the uncharacteristically sombre "Tiny Children" – was released in June 1982 and narrowly missed the top 40 (No. 41 UK) despite being championed by high-profile BBC Radio One DJ, Mike Read . By now, Balfe had also developed an interest in writing songs and lobbied to join Cope as band songwriter, with Cope retained predominantly as singer and frontman. In September 1982,
1740-485: The band had another Top 20 hit with the re-released "Treason" (featuring the earlier Kilimanjaro line-up of the band) which reached No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart. Another single, "When I Dream", received airplay on progressive radio in the U.S., introducing the band to new fans. In June 1981, the band embarked on another American tour. The tour proved to be a chaotic affair: neither Agius nor Hammer fitted into
1798-470: The band on the road as a touring concern, two London musicians were hired – keyboard player Jeff Hammer and bass player Alfie Agius (the latter freeing Cope to concentrate on vocals and rhythm guitar). Despite the internal turmoil, by 1981 The Teardrop Explodes were at the height of their popularity. In March, the band played their first American dates (a time also notable for Cope's meeting with Dorian Beslity, who would later become his second wife). In April,
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1856-549: The band reconvened at Rockfield Studios to record their third album around the nucleus of Cope, Dwyer and Balfe. Creative tensions were high, as Cope wanted to write ballads and quirky pop songs, while Balfe was more interested in recording synth-based music. Balfe took over the sessions and locked Cope and Dwyer out of the studios for much of the time. Rarely able (or inclined) to add their own contributions, Cope and Dwyer worked off their frustration playing risky, stoned cross-country games with speeding jeeps. The situation culminated in
1914-459: The band's dissolution, Julian Cope began a career as a solo artist, writer and cultural commentator which continues to this day. Gary Dwyer played drums on Cope's 1984 debut solo album World Shut Your Mouth , and drummed for The Colourfield in 1986 and Balcony Dogs in the late 1980s, but subsequently left music for a variety of jobs including fork-lift driver. David Balfe moved into artist management and subsequently set up Food Records , acting as
1972-583: The band. When asked in 2000 if the Teardrop Explodes would ever get back together, he said: "Would you ever return to having your mother wipe your asshole?" In the course of a 2008 interview he commented: "Supposedly intelligent people say to me: ' Don't you think you'd be more successful if you re-formed The Teardrop Explodes? ' I'm doing all this stuff to keep myself invigorated every day, hanging out with people I believe are culture heroes, and you think I'm doing all this because it hasn't yet occurred to me to reform The Teardrop Explodes?" In June 2010,
2030-500: The breakup of Cope's first marriage and the mental chaos surrounding Cope and the band. The album was also a break from the solid beat-group sound of Kilimanjaro , showcasing a variety of different approaches. It reached No. 29 on the UK chart and was certified Silver by the BPI , as Kilimanjaro had been. The next single, "Colours Fly Away" stalled at No. 57 in the UK chart, signaling the end of
2088-672: The ceremony. Ian McCulloch (singer) Ian Stephen McCulloch (born 5 May 1959) is an English singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Echo & the Bunnymen . McCulloch was a singer-songwriter with the Crucial Three , one of many local bands that sprang up amongst the regulars who patronised a Liverpool club called Eric's in the late 1970s. The other two members were Julian Cope and Pete Wylie who went on to form Wah!. The band existed between May and June 1977, and never got beyond rehearsals. In July 1978, along with future members of
2146-508: The friction between Cope and his former bandmate). Released as a single, it reached No. 25 in the UK chart and gained the group another Top of the Pops appearance (in which Cope performed wearing a ripped pillowcase he had made into a T-shirt, later claiming to have been tripping on LSD throughout the performance). Subsequently, both Agius and Hammer were sacked. Having sufficiently mended his relationship with Cope and Dwyer, David Balfe returned to
2204-417: The group as keyboard player. Expectations were high for the band's second album, Wilder , which was recorded in London during November 1981 with a nucleus of Cope, Dwyer, Tate and Balfe. Unlike the first album, which was more of a band effort, Wilder was more the work of Cope (who took sole songwriting credit on every track on the album) and was a bleaker, more sombre work than its predecessor cataloguing
2262-438: The group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s. The group also launched the career of group frontman Julian Cope as well as that of keyboard player and co-manager David Balfe (later a record producer, A&R man and founder of Food Records ). Other members included early Smiths producer Troy Tate . Along with other contemporary Liverpudlian groups, The Teardrop Explodes played
2320-495: The group socially and Cope was retreating further into an LSD-fuelled isolation, retaining only Dwyer as trusted companion. The tour finally came adrift on the East Coast in a mess of bad business arrangements and infighting. On their return to the UK, the five-piece Teardrop Explodes recorded the song "Passionate Friend" (which was allegedly about Cope's brief recent relationship with Ian McCulloch 's sister, further increasing
2378-498: The height of the Bunnymen's popularity, McCulloch earned the nickname "Mac the Mouth" due to a penchant for witty, blunt criticism of artists he deemed inferior, while proclaiming the Bunnymen's superiority. Targets of his observations included Bono of U2 and Julian Cope . More recently, in 2011, McCulloch said of Bono: "Had he been in Liverpool, he would have been laughed out of the place. U2 have never been liked in Liverpool. We know
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2436-500: The interviews because I’m the only one with anything to say really. Like Alan just spends most of his time thinking, and Gary never says anything. I can usually speak for them better. Dave would just start pissing you off ... it sounds like a really horrible band, doesn't it?" Julian Cope on the strains within The Teardrop Explodes, 1980 Finkler was replaced by Balfe's Dalek I Love You colleague Alan Gill , who
2494-402: The lead single " The Cutter " finishing in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart . Ocean Rain followed in 1984. Shortly before the album was released, McCulloch described Ocean Rain as "the greatest album ever made." McCulloch later said: "When I sing ' The Killing Moon ' I know there isn't a band in the world who's got a song anywhere near that." In 1988, McCulloch left the group to pursue
2552-433: The magazine Mojo presented The Teardrop Explodes with their Inspiration Award. The magazine called the band "the great ambassadors of psychedelia in the '80s when the genre was all but dead", and noted their influence on artists such as Blur and Morrissey . The award was presented by Blur bassist Alex James . David Balfe, Gary Dwyer and Alan Gill all showed up to accept the award; Julian Cope ultimately refused to attend
2610-475: The perfect melody" and Bowie as "so influential and the greatest solo artist of the 20th Century in any walk of art." McCulloch was brought up in the Norris Green area of Liverpool. The road on which he originally lived, Parthenon Drive, is the title of a song contained on Echo & the Bunnymen's tenth studio album, Siberia (2005). He attended Alsop Comprehensive School . As a child, McCulloch
2668-468: The public eye to devote more time to his family. In 1993, McCulloch partnered with Johnny Marr of the Smiths , writing an album's worth of material. McCulloch has credited Marr with helping him regain his lost confidence and rejuvenating his desire to create music. When it was suggested that Will Sergeant be brought in to work on the songs, the tapes were allegedly stolen from a courier van preventing Sergeant from offering any input. The rekindling of
2726-415: The relationship between McCulloch and Sergeant led to the formation of the alternative rock band Electrafixion in 1994. They released their debut and sole studio album Burned which peaked at number 38 in the UK and included the top-30 hit "Sister Pain". The band soon found themselves performing set lists composed of half Electrafixion songs and half Echo & the Bunnymen songs. In 1997, Echo &
2784-421: The release of Floored Genius: The Best of Julian Cope and The Teardrop Explodes , which featured twenty tracks personally selected by Cope, including six by The Teardrop Explodes. In 2010, both Kilimanjaro and Wilder were reissued as multi-disc deluxe editions with bonus tracks. Interest in The Teardrop Explodes continued long after the band's demise. Cope, however, has always resisted pressure to reform
2842-500: The self-destructive, resulting in the band's breakup in 1982. Having arrived in Merseyside in 1976 (as a student attending C.F. Mott College of Education ), Julian Cope became involved in Liverpool's emerging post-punk scene. His first band was Crucial Three , with two native Liverpudlians – Ian McCulloch (later of Echo & the Bunnymen ) and Pete Wylie (who went on to form Wah! ) – in which Cope served as bass player. "I
2900-425: The tour "disastrous and demeaning": he performed most of it in a self-destructive sulk, raging at his audience, and quit the group immediately afterwards. In February 1983, Mercury Records released a delayed (and now post-breakup) Teardrop Explodes EP, "You Disappear From View", which included songs salvaged from the aborted third album. The EP received average reviews and peaked at No. 41 in the UK chart. Following
2958-427: The world, owing to the recent deaths of McCulloch's father and Pete de Freitas , and peaked at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart . It yielded two Modern Rock Tracks hits, "Proud to Fall" (No. 1 for 4 weeks) and "Faith and Healing". McCulloch's second solo album Mysterio was released in 1992 as the public's interest in the former Bunnyman was waning and sold less than its predecessor. Shortly after, McCulloch left
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#17327801130943016-463: The wreck of A Shallow Madness and proved a more hardy gigging proposition than its predecessors, soon establishing itself as a live act. The band were soon signed as label acts and management clients to the up-and-coming Liverpool indie label Zoo Records , run by former Dalek I Love You & Big in Japan bass player David Balfe and future KLF man Bill Drummond . Another act on the label was Echo and
3074-454: Was diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). In 1983, McCulloch married Lorraine Fox. They have two daughters, Candy and Mimi. Candy appeared in the video for his solo single "Faith and Healing" when she was a young girl. The couple separated in late 2003. McCulloch was in a relationship with singer-songwriter Zoe Devlin, formerly of Alabama 3 . They had a daughter, Dusty May. McCulloch and Devlin separated in 2013. McCulloch
3132-481: Was goaded into becoming a rock star by Bill Drummond and the pseudo-intellectual side of me thought it would be quite charming." Julian Cope Cope and Wylie briefly teamed up in The Nova Mob (along with future Banshees drummer Budgie) which lasted for one gig before Cope reunited with McCulloch in the similarly short-lived Uh! (which also featured drummer Dave Pickett). Cope and McCulloch went on to form
3190-489: Was in the band for the second set of Kilimanjaro sessions and re-recorded approximately half of Finkler's guitar parts. Gill was also instrumental in introducing the previously drug-free Cope to both cannabis and LSD . This ensured that a band which had previously had a strong interest only in the stylings and theory of psychedelic rock , soon began living the psychedelic lifestyle and perspective in earnest. When released later that year, Kilimanjaro reached number 24 on
3248-427: Was no fire in what he wanted to do. Mick just wasn't bothered about pushing at all. I thought what's more important, the friendship or the band? And when it came down to it I realised the band was the most important." Finkler's sacking earned the band a fair amount of ire from the closely linked and competitive Liverpool scene (and from Ian McCulloch in particular) as well as establishing Cope's reputation as something of
3306-718: Was now such that he rivalled Cope as the band's onstage focus, and by mutual agreement the two decided that the group wasn't big enough for both of them. Simpson left the band in the spring: he went on to form The Wild Swans and then link up with Ian Broudie to form Care . His initial replacement was Ged Quinn , who played on the Teardrops' subsequent British tour. However, co-manager David Balfe had also been lobbying for full Teardrops membership: by July 1979, he had succeeded in ousting Quinn and taking his place as keyboard player. (Quinn then rejoined Simpson in The Wild Swans.) The band's next single, "Bouncing Babies", inspired
3364-438: Was released as the band's next single, " Reward ". In January 1981, the song hit No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart (with the semi-estranged Balfe joining the band to mime trumpet playing during their Top of the Pops appearance). The band relocated to London to take advantage of their growing success, although by now Cope was retreating into a drugged lifestyle and beginning "a period of unrestrained megalomania." In order to keep
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