|
Seaside Treats
''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] |
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] |
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] |
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] |
Rude Bootleg
''Rude Bootleg'' (subtitled ''Live at the Reading Festival, 1986'') is a live album by the English rock band Cardiacs. It is the band's first live album, and was originally recorded at the Reading Rock Festival on 24 August 1986. The original source material for ''Rude Bootleg was a "very rough and ready" cassette recording taken from the onstage sound mixing desk during Cardiacs' performance. Despite this, the album has excellent sound quality given the circumstances of recording. ''Rude Bootleg'' was originally released as a free cassette, bundled with orders of Cardiacs' 1988 album ''A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window'': this package was available for a short time as a special value pack. A number of 12" vinyl LP copies were released, all as white-label releases in a plain white sleeve (although some had an A4 white (or pastel blue) paper insert. For these vinyl releases, the only markings were a rubber stamp on the cover, repeated on the centre labels (al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Mark Cawthra
Mark Cawthra is an English musician and record producer working in the UK. He was born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. Biography Cawthra's first serious musical activity was in an early (unnamed) music project with schoolfriend Tim Smith (bass guitar) and David Philpot (keyboards), a band in which he was the drummer. The music, a mix of jazz and rock, drew inspiration from the "Canterbury" bands, particularly Egg. After a period of playing drums with other musicians around Kingston upon Thames, he moved to North Yorkshire and lived there for the whole of 1978. He returned to London in 1979, following an invitation to join Tim and Jim Smith in Cardiac Arrest (replacing Peter Tagg on drums). Other members of the band at this time were Colvin Mayers (keyboards), (later to play with Adrian Borland in The Sound), and Mick Pugh (vocals). The Cardiac Arrest album '' The Obvious Identity'' was recorded at this time. Subsequently, he and Tim Smith recorded the band – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William D
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." Shortened familiar versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. A common Irish form is Liam. Scottish diminutives include Wull, Willie or Wullie (as in Oor Wullie or the play ''Douglas''). Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. Etymology William is related to the given name ''Wilhelm'' (cf. Proto-Germanic ᚹᛁᛚᛃᚨᚺᛖᛚᛗᚨᛉ, ''*Wiljahelmaz'' > German ''Wilhelm'' and Old Norse ᚢᛁᛚᛋᛅᚼᛅᛚᛘᛅᛋ, ''Vilhjálmr''). By regular sound changes, the native, inherited English form of the name should b ... [...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] |
