''Pucker!'' (originally released as ''Hairspray'' in the United States) is the fourth album by

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone chime, such as the "ding dong" sound of a doorbell * Two-tone sequential paging, sel ...

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

revival

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

The Selecter The Selecter are an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979. The Selecter featured a diverse line-up, both in terms of race and gender, initially consisting of Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson and Pauline Black on lead vo ...

, released in 1995 on Dojo Music in the United Kingdom as, under the name ''Hairspray'', on

Triple X Records Triple X Records was a Los Angeles-based record company started by three former employees of the bankrupt Greenworld Distribution: Dean Naleway, Peter Heur and Charley Brown. The label was known for "a fearlessly eclectic catalogue that broke away ...

in the United States. Following the band's reinvented sound on their previous album, ''

The Happy Album ''The Happy Album'' is the third studio album by British ska band The Selecter, and their first following their reformation in 1990, released in 1994 on Demon Music Group, Demon Music in the UK and Triple X Records, Triple X in the US. Their firs ...

'' (1994), the band recorded ''Pucker!'' in 1995 with help from guitarist Paul Seacroft. Establishing a new direction, the album mostly sees the band establishing a "mild-mannered" version of its

sound while incorporating elements from new wave and

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

, leading to an uncharacteristic "bizarre blend of elements" which stretched the band's horizons. The album's lyrics are also unusually sunny and lightweight. The album was promoted with the single "Hairspray". Though neither the single nor the album charted, the album received mostly positive reviews, with the album's lively spirit, peppy couplet of cover versions and

B.J. Cole Brian John Cole is an English pedal steel guitarist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band Cochise, Cole has played in many styles, ranging from mainstream pop and rock t ...

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

appearance, described by one critic as one of the most unusual elements of the album, being highlighted. The band toured in promotion of the album in 1995, leading to the live album ''Live at Roskilde Festival''. Moon Ska Europe remastered and re-released the ''Hairspray'' version of the album in the UK in 2005.

Background and recording

After re-forming with a new line-up in 1991, consisting of founding members

Pauline Black Belinda Magnus (born 23 October 1953), better known as Pauline Black (), is an English singer, actress and author. In a music career spanning over 40 years, Black came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the 2 Tone ska reviva ...

and Neol Davies alongside drummer Perry Melius and former

Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary, ''Dance Craze'' (1981). They were at their most popular during the early 1980 ...

members Nick Welsh and Martin Stewart, The Selecter underwent a live reunion tour, leading to the acclaimed live album ''Out in the Streets'' (1992). After its release, Davies and Melius left the band, and original member Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson rejoined the band, sharing vocals with Black. The new line-up recorded the band's third studio album, ''

'', released in 1994. The album saw a change in direction for the band, taking influence from hip hop music,

orchestral music An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

and "contemporary rhythms," while keeping the band's

sound at its core. Although not a commercial success, ''The Happy Album'' won the band critical acclaim, and the band began work on its follow-up, ''Pucker!'', in 1995. Unlike on ''The Happy Album'', where he provided co-production, the band's bassist Nick Welsh produced ''Pucker!'' alone. In addition to the band's core line-up, the band also asked Paul Seacroft to play guitar on the album as an unofficial fifth member, and he agreed. Although the band were still signed to

in the United States, the band signed a new contract with Dojo Records in the UK, and ''Pucker!'' was the band's first album for the label.

Music and lyrics

''Pucker!'' marks another stylistic deviation for the band. According to Terry Rompers of ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'', the album is mostly a "mild-mannered version" of the band's

roots, "clinging to the familiar peppy keyboard, bass, guitar and snare syncopation of ska," but also adding giddy elements from

new wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

and

. The sound of the album has been compared to "

the Yachts Yachts were a British power pop/ new wave band, best remembered for their 1977 single "Suffice to Say" and the minor new wave classic "Love You, Love You". Career Formation The Yachts was formed by art students in Liverpool in April 1977, evolv ...

, perhaps, or

the Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboards, Belind ...

" discovering "some old

Skatalites The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many othe ...

records." Rompers described the album as containing a "harmlessly bizarre blend of elements" that helped distance the album from its predecessor, while Martin C. Strong saw the album as an attempt to broaden the band's horizons. In his overall review of the band's discography, Rompers said of the new direction taken by the band on ''Pucker!'': Also unlike the band's previous albums, which featured political and bitter lyrics, the lyrics on ''Pucker!'' are sunny and lightweight, with the exception of "Then She Did", which has been described as a "misery epic." The original songs on the album were written by Black and Welsh, although, similarly to ''The Happy Album'', the album also contains two cover versions, namely "

Sugar Town "Sugar Town" is a song written by songwriter-producer Lee Hazlewood and first recorded by American singer Nancy Sinatra in 1966. As a single released under the Reprise label, it peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in Decemb ...

", originally written by

Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...

and performed by

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatra ...

, and Bob Dylan's 1966 single "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35". B. J. Cole appears as a guest musician on the band's cover of "Sugar Town", playing the

. Rompers described his appearance on the song as one of the album's most unusual elements. Original song "Chocolate Whip" shows the album's "occasionally silly side," while the band's cover version of "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35" has been described as a "cornball pot-centric version."

Release and reception

''Pucker!'' was released in the United Kingdom by Dojo Records on 22 August 1995. However, in the United States, the album was renamed ''Hairspray'' and given alternative album artwork. The ''Hairspray'' edition was released by

in the United States on 12 September 1995. Dojo Music released the song "Hairspray" as a single in 1995 to promote the album, using the same cover artwork as the ''Hairspray'' version of the album. The single featured the songs "Hairspray" and "Die Happy" from the album as well as live versions of "Missing Words" and " On My Radio" recorded in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

in 1991. The album received both positive and mixed reviews from music critics. Terry Rompers of ''

'' was favourable towards the album, saying that, although the album is a "surprising step backward," the album's "harmlessly bizarre blend of elements ..is surprisingly delightful." More mixed in his assessment was Martin C. Strong in ''

The Great Rock Discography Martin Charles Strong (born 1960 in Musselburgh) is a Scottish music historian known for compiling discography, discographies of popular music including ''The Great Rock Discography''. Strong has been described in broadsheet newspaper profiles as ...

'', where he rated the album four out of ten and said that The Selecter "were trying too hard to convince the public they could expand their horizons" with the album. He also felt the album "was hardly going to prise the ska crown" from

third wave ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walk ...

bands like

Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...

and

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...

. Slightly more favourable, however, was

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

, who rated the album three stars out of five in his book ''

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music'', which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.''The Times'', ''The Know ...

''. Being a low-key release, similar to the band's other albums of the 1990s and 2000s, neither the album, nor its single, entered the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. The band toured in promotion of the album, leading to the live album ''Live at Roskilde Festival'', which was recorded at

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

on 1 July 1995 and released in 1996 on Magnum Music. On 17 January 2005, record label Moon Ska Europe remastered and re-released the ''Hairspray'' version of the album in the United Kingdom for the first time, adding a music video of the song "On My Radio" as bonus

CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...

content.

Track listing

Except where otherwise noted, all tracks composed by

and Nick Welsh #"My Perfect World" – 3:36 #"Hearsay" – 3:13 #"Die Happy" – 3:38 #"

" (

) – 3:15 #"Hair Spray" – 2:34 #"Chocolate Whip" – 2:49 #"Not So Tall" – 3:48 #"Then She Did" – 3:59 #"

Rainy Day Women Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

" (

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

) – 4:13 #"Vicky's Magic Garden" – 4:43

Personnel

;The Selecter *Pauline Black -

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

*Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson - vocals *Nick Welsh - bass, producer, mixing *Martin Stewart -

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

with: *Paul Seacroft -

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

- pedal steel

References

{{Authority control 1995 albums The Selecter albums Triple X Records albums