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Is This The Life
"Is This the Life" (also written "Is This the Life?") is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their debut studio album ''A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window'' (1988). The song was released on vinyl by the Alphabet Business Concern and Torso on 16 April 1988 as the only single from the album. The song was previously recorded for the demo albums ''Toy World'' (1981) and '' The Seaside'' (1984). It also briefly attained chart success (peaking at number 80) after being played on various Radio 1 shows thanks to DJ Liz Kershaw. The Torso version of the 7" is exactly the same as the Alphabet release although it comes in a paper sleeve instead of a cardboard one. Only the Torso 12" differs in both track listing and cover design. Track listing * Seven-inch single # "Is This the Life" – 5:36 # "I'm Eating in Bed" – 5:06 * Twelve-inch single # "Is This the Life" – 5:36 # "Goosegash" – 1:56 # "I'm Eating in Bed" – 5:06 Personnel * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (lead guitar and vocals) and his brother Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. The band's sound fused circus, baroque pop and medieval music with progressive rock and post-punk, adding other elements like nursery rhymes and sea shanties. Tim Smith was the primary lyricist, noted for his complex and innovative compositional style. He and his brother were the only constant members in the band's regularly changing lineup. The band created their own indie label, the Alphabet Business Concern, in 1984 and found mainstream exposure with the single " Is This the Life?" from their debut album ''A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window'' (1988). Their second album, ''On Land and in the Sea'' (1989), was followed by '' Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' (1992), which displayed a harder edged, metal-leaning sound retained in the subsequent albums ''Sing to God'' (1996) and ''Gu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window
''A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window'' is the debut studio album proper by the English rock band Cardiacs. Released on 21 March 1988, its single "Is This the Life" saw brief chart success due to exposure on mainstream radio, and garnered the attention of a wider audience when it entered the Independent Top 10 in the UK, peaking at number 80. Its reputation was very mixed due to its progressive nature, complex sound, and for being artistically abstract with its lyrics and themes. Some have described its release as a defining moment in 1980s underground culture considering the group's large influence, while the single's airplay achieved a much wider audience for the band. At the start of March 1987, Cardiacs were accused of incest between Tim and his then wife, and band saxophonist, Sarah Smith by the ''Sunday Sport'' tabloid, due to the mistaken belief that the pair were related, with the joke being kept up by the band ever since. Sessions for the album beg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Smith (Cardiacs)
Timothy Charles Smith (3 July 196121 July 2020) was an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and music video director. Smith rose to prominence as the frontman of the rock band Cardiacs, which he co-founded with his brother Jim. Besides the Cardiacs discography, Smith also produced several records including The Sea Nymphs' debut album, his first solo LP '' Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld'', and the album ''Pony'' with Spratleys Japs. After having a cardiac arrest and multiple strokes in 2008, Smith was diagnosed with dystonia, putting Cardiacs on an indefinite hiatus. He slowly recovered with help of a JustGiving fundraising campaign, and in 2016 he released the Sea Nymphs' ''On the Dry Land''. In 2018, Smith was honoured with the Doctor of Music degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, two years before his death in 2020. Early years: 1961–1977 Smith was born on 3 July 1961 in Carshalton, Surrey, England. Eventually, 1000 c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
There's Too Many Irons In The Fire
"There's Too Many Irons in the Fire" is the second single by the English rock band Cardiacs, released on 12 August 1987. Critical reception In the week of its release, ''There's Too Many Irons in the Fire'' was awarded "Single of the Week" in ''Sounds (magazine), Sounds'' magazine. Reviewer Andy Hurt noted the band's apparent desire to rework 1970s influences for the 1980s, and commented that they were "well qualified for the task, being formed just after the eruption of punk, and representing the marriage between Van Der Graaf Generator and the Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, Albertos." He went on to praise the band, asserting that "Cardiacs can write, Cardiacs can play, and by God Cardiacs can perform. The public are way ahead of the press in recognising this... Clever rock music that is not patronising and which has a sturdy backbone. Pretty damn fantastic actually." [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susannah's Still Alive
"Susannah's Still Alive" is a song by Dave Davies, released for his second solo single. The recording featured all of the Kinks' members as his backing band. It was a hit (peaking at #20 in the UK) but it did not live up to the expectations of Davies' last single "Death of a Clown", which was a Top 5 hit. It failed to chart in the US, but was a significant success in Europe, reaching #10 in the Netherlands, #27 in Germany, #18 in Belgium and #18 in Sweden. Although it was never featured on an LP, its B-side "Funny Face" was included on the Kinks' 1967 album '' Something Else by the Kinks''. Although all original UK singles used the spelling ''Suzanah'', in many other countries and on later compilation albums ''Suzannah'' or ''Susannah'' was used. Personnel According to band researcher Doug Hinman: The Kinks * Dave Davies lead vocal, electric guitar * Ray Davies acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica * Pete Quaife bass * Mick Avory drums Additional musician * Nicky Hopkinspiano ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toy World
''Toy World'' is the second demo album by the English rock band Cardiacs (including ''The Obvious Identity'', released on cassette the previous year under the band name "Cardiac Arrest"). The cassette is a mixture of older songs by the earlier Cardiac Arrest lineup and newer songs by the then-current Cardiacs lineup. This was the last album to feature keyboard player/backing singer Colvin Mayers, and the first to feature saxophonist/backing singer/occasional keyboard player Sarah Cutts (who on all future releases would be referred to as Sarah Smith). As with ''The Obvious Identity'', recording was carried out at Crow Studios in Surbiton, Surrey, UK. The tracks were recorded under very low budget circumstances - one member later recalled "Every time the door bell went or the phone rang, it would put a massive crackle on the tapes," - and the final sound quality was quite flat. ''Toy World'' was only made available on cassette, sold at concerts and from the fan club. The cassett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Seaside (album)
''The Seaside'' is the third demo album from English rock group Cardiacs. The album originally featured the second recording of what would become the band's only hit single, "Is This the Life?". It is the last of the band's releases to feature keyboard player/drummer/singer Mark Cawthra and the first to feature keyboard player William D. Drake (as well as being the only album to feature two other musicians who were briefly Cardiacs members - Graham Simmonds and Marguerite Johnson). The album is composed of material the band had written and performed between 1980 and 1983. Initially ''The Seaside'' was only produced on cassette (as with earlier Cardiacs album releases), and was only made available through the band's fan club and at concerts. It is notable for having been the first formal release on the band's own label, the Alphabet Business Concern. Three editions of the cassette album were produced, each with a different cover - the first featuring a drawing of the “Little Man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, hip hop and indie, while its sister station 1Xtra plays black contemporary music, including hip hop and R&B. Radio 1 also runs two online streams, Radio 1 Dance, dedicated to dance music, and Radio 1 Relax, dedicated to chill-out music; both are available to listen only on BBC Sounds. Radio 1 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM between and , digital radio, digital TV and BBC Sounds. It was launched in 1967 to meet the demand for music generated by pirate radio stations, when the average age of the UK population was 27. The BBC claims that it targets the 15–29 age group, and the average age of its UK audience since 2009 is 30. BBC Radio 1 started 24-hour broadcasting on 1 May 1991. According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liz Kershaw
Elizabeth Marguerita Mary Kershaw (born 30 July 1958) is an English radio broadcaster. She is the second longest serving female national radio DJ in the UK (after Annie Nightingale), celebrating 30 years on national BBC Radio in 2017. Career After graduating from the University of Leeds, Liz Kershaw began her media career in Leeds with a music column in the ''Yorkshire Post''. Her brother is fellow broadcaster Andy Kershaw. Her first radio show was in 1981 on Radio Aire where her brother worked for a time. In 1985 she moved to BBC Radio Leeds to present a weekly rock show showcasing local bands. In 1986 her day job with British Telecom saw her move to London to set up "Livewire" a dial-in pop service which superseded ''Dial-a-Disc''. In running this she produced Radio 1 DJs Mike Smith, Janice Long and Dave Pearce before devising her own show for Radio 1 in 1987, ''Backchat'', which won several awards. This was followed by her presenting the Radio 1 ''Evening Show'' and then, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of ''The Guardian'' in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of ''The Guardian'' free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for ''The Guardian'' the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders. It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. The editor-in-chief Katharine Viner succeeded Alan Rusbridger in 2015. Since 2018, the paper's main news ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Twelve-inch Single
The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compared to LPs (long play) which have several songs on each side. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the mastering engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality. This record type is commonly used in disco and dance music genres, where DJs use them to play in clubs. They are played at either or 45 . The conventional 7‐inch single usually holds three or four minutes of music at full volume. The 12‐inch LP sacrifices volume for extended playing time. Technical features Twelve-inch singles typically have much shorter playing time than full-length LPs, and thus require fewer grooves per inch. This extra space permits a broader dynamic range or louder recording level as the gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Smith (bassist)
James A. Smith (born 14 April 1958) is an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band Cardiacs which he formed with his brother Tim Smith. Along with performing backing vocals for the group, he co-wrote the hymn "The Alphabet Business Concern (Home of Fadeless Splendour)", sang lead vocals on "Food on the Wall" live, and his girlfriend ran the band's merch stall. Smith grew up in Chessington, Surrey, purchasing a bass in 1972. He co-founded the band that would become Cardiacs, Cardiac Arrest, in 1977 on bass and backing vocals, though he allegedly couldn't play an instrument. Co-writing the lyrics on the cassette album ''Toy World'' (1981), Smith played on every Cardiacs release and, along with Tim, was the only constant member in the band's regularly changing lineup. He became popular and was often bullied by his brother on stage during Cardiacs performances, with the band purportedly formed to punish him for the unkind things he would do to Tim as an in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
