Helen Love are an
indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
*Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies
*Indie game, any game (board ...
band from
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
whose music is a combination of
punk rock,
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
and
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
. The band was formed in 1992 by Helen Love (vocals, guitar) with Sheena (guitar, keyboards), Roxy (bass, drum machine), and Mark (keyboards).
[Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 785] Current members are Helen, Sheena and
Ricardo Autobahn
John Matthews (born 8 March 1978) better known by his stage name Ricardo Autobahn is an English producer, songwriter and musician. He is also known in collaborations with Daz Sampson as in Rikki & Daz and the projects like Barndance Boys, Cub ...
.
Helen Love released only singles and EPs until 2000, when their debut studio album ''Love and Glitter, Hot Days and Music'' was released. They have since released three more studio albums, ''It's My Club and I'll Play What I Want To'' (2007, Elefant) and ''Day-Glo Dreams'' (2013, Elefant), and ''Smash Hits'' (2016, Alcopop! Records).
Damaged Goods released three compilations of tracks from the band's early singles and EPs, entitled ''Radio Hits'' (1994), ''Radio Hits 2'' (1997) and ''Radio Hits 3'' (2002).
The band have released recordings on many labels, including
Damaged Goods
Damaged goods or Damaged Goods may refer to:
* Goods that have been damaged, where goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility
* A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience ...
, Che Trading,
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' LP ...
, Wurlizter Jukebox, Invicta Hi-Fi and
Elefant Records
Elefant Records is an independent record label based in Madrid, Spain.
History
Elefant Records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea del Arco". In 2014, the label's 25th anniversary was celeb ...
. They are currently signed to Alcopop! records.
History
The band was formed in 1992 by Helen Love (vocals, guitar) with Sheena (guitar, keyboards), Roxy (bass, drum machine), and Mark (keyboards).
Current members are Helen, Sheena and
Ricardo Autobahn
John Matthews (born 8 March 1978) better known by his stage name Ricardo Autobahn is an English producer, songwriter and musician. He is also known in collaborations with Daz Sampson as in Rikki & Daz and the projects like Barndance Boys, Cub ...
.
The main thematic elements in their oeuvre are
Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American musician, best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. His image, voice, and his tenure with the R ...
, summer days and bubblegum music. Love claims only to listen to the music of the
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
.
Helen Love released the album, ''It's My Club and I'll Play What I Want To'', in the first week of November 2007 on
Elefant Records
Elefant Records is an independent record label based in Madrid, Spain.
History
Elefant Records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea del Arco". In 2014, the label's 25th anniversary was celeb ...
in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and February 2008 in the
UK.
Their lead singer also provided vocal tracks from "We Love You" for covers of their song, "Better Set Your Phasers to Stun", by American
synthpop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
band
Hyperbubble
Hyperbubble is an international visual and performing arts electropop/synth-pop duo from San Antonio, Texas, formed by Jeff DeCuir and Jess Barnett DeCuir. The music of this American group is variously described as "early Eurythmics meets Josie and ...
on their 2009
eponymous EP. The latter song later appeared on that band's ''
Live in London'' album.
In 2013 they released the album ''Day-Glo Dreams''. They supported this with their first gig since 2001 at the
Indietracks
Indietracks was an annual indie pop music festival at the Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbyshire, UK. The main site was located at Swanwick Junction. Bands played in variety of locations, including a restored church, in a train shed, and on ...
festival, and then in November played at
100 Club
The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...
for
Damaged Goods
Damaged goods or Damaged Goods may refer to:
* Goods that have been damaged, where goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility
* A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience ...
25th anniversary.
Influence and notable fans
While none of their singles have reached the
UK Top 40
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, Helen Love have developed a devoted cult following in indie circles, particularly at indie discos, with songs including "Long Live The UK Music Scene", "Shifty Disco Girl", "Does Your Heart Go Boom?", "We Love You", "Girl About Town", "Punk Boy" and "
Debbie
Debbie (or Debby or Deb) is a feminine given name, commonly but not always short for Deborah (or Debra and related variants).
Notable people
* Debbie Allen, American actress, choreographer and film director
* Debbie Armstrong, American athlete
* ...
Loves
Joey
Joey may refer to:
People
*Joey (name)
Animals
* Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial
* Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets
Film and television
* ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...
".
They recorded a
session for
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
in October 1997, and had three songs in his
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's 50 (though the exact figure varied above and below this number) best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was usually do ...
.
Their songs have also been covered by
Ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
The Queers
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With t ...
, Katz and
Tullycraft
Tullycraft is an American indie pop band from Seattle, Washington, that formed in 1995. They have been associated with the genre of twee pop; in fact, they are considered to be one of the true pioneers of the American twee pop movement. They are ...
.
The band contributed a specially written song for the DVD release of ''
Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure
''Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure'' is a stand-up comedy performance by Dave Gorman which toured between 2003 and 2005. The show follows Gorman's life between his 31st and 32nd birthday: unable to write a novel, Gorman is distracted into trav ...
''. Gorman, a fan of the band, had previously played Helen Love songs to his audiences before he went on stage. Another big fan is
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is an English stand-up and improv comedian, actor, performance poet, cartoonist and podcaster. Jupitus was a team captain on all but one BBC Two-broadcast episode of music quiz ''N ...
, for whom the band composed the theme song for his Breakfast Show on
BBC 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
.
Joey Ramoney
Helen Love's second single was titled "(Sheena's In Love With) Joey Ramoney", a tribute to the band's favourite singer. A play on the Ramones' song "
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is a song by American punk rock band Ramones, released in 1977 through Sire Records. Written by front man and lead vocalist Joey Ramone it appears on the band's third studio album ''Rocket to Russia'' (1977). The song ...
", the single was brought to Joey's attention by the UK branch of the Ramones fan club.
Joey subsequently invited the band to New York to play a gig.
Joey introduced the band's ''Evening Session'' on
Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
, and duetted with Helen on the album version of "Punk Boy".
Helen provided backing vocals on the
Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American musician, best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. His image, voice, and his tenure with the R ...
album ''
Don't Worry About Me
''Don't Worry About Me'' is the debut album released by Joey Ramone as a solo artist. It was released posthumously on February 19, 2002, by Sanctuary Records, less than a year after his death. The album was produced by Daniel Rey, who also did m ...
'', singing on the track "
Mr. Punchy".
Discography
Albums
Singles
EPs
References
External links
*
Helen Love biography from BBC Wales
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helen Love
Welsh rock music groups
Sympathy for the Record Industry artists
Musical groups established in 1992
British pop punk groups
British indie pop groups
Underground punk scene in the United Kingdom
Welsh indie rock groups
British electronic music groups
Welsh pop music groups
British dance music groups
Happy hardcore musicians
Dance-rock musical groups
1992 establishments in Wales
Alcopop! Records artists