The Moment were among the leading bands of the 1980s UK
mod revival
The mod revival was a subculture that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence lasted for de ...
, described retrospectively by Paul Moody of the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' as "English pop music's greatest ever secret".
Formed in
Haverhill, Suffolk, in 1983, The Moment were fronted by the singer-songwriter,
Adrian Holder, releasing a series of
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
, including "In This Town" (1984), "One, Two They Fly" (1985) and "Ready To Fall" (1988). They released one album, ''The Work Gets Done'', in 1985. "Sticks And Stones", a track released on the Countdown
compilation album in 1986, saw The Moment described by British music paper ''
Melody Maker'' as sounding "like
The Jam
The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1 ...
wanting to be
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
". While their influences did indeed include the best of British mod and punk, they also drew their inspiration from
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
,
northern soul and classic rock, taking their name from song "The Unguarded Moment" by Australian neo-psychedelic rock band
The Church.
The Moment were managed by UK music journalist
. They toured extensively in Germany, where they maintained a strong cult following until their split in 1990. All of their vinyl recordings, and their unreleased final single, were collected together and issued as, ''Mod Gods: The Best Of The Moment'' by
Tangerine Records in 1996. Singer Adrian Holder now lives in Germany, and released his first solo recording since The Moment, ''Goodbye Tuesday'', on a Biff Bang Pow Records compilation album in 2006. Bass player, Robert Moore, subsequently joined
Paul Bevoir
Paul Bevoir (born 20 May 1960 in Islington, London, England) is an English pop- rock songwriter and musician. He is probably best known as a member of the 1980s English pop band the Jetset, ''AllMusic Guide – The Jetset''/ref> who were asso ...
in Smalltown Parade, supporting
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
on a short UK tour in 1992. Steve Rinaldi released his debut solo album, ''What's It All About?'' under the name of
Rinaldi Sings in 2005.
The Moment worked with several record producers during their career. Cult musicians Paul Bevoir and Edward Ball shared the production duties on the album ''The Work Gets Done'' (Rave, 1985).
Paul Bultitude was responsible for "Poor Mr Diamond" (Big Stuff, 1988), while "Sticks And Stones" (Countdown, 1986) was produced by Pat Collier and Will Birch. Their later material was in the hands of Ian Shaw, who also engineered all their recordings from 1985 onwards.
In 2016 The Moment released a new album, 'The Only Truth Is Music', and a follow up EP 'Know It All' on the Infenzo Label, and also toured the UK with ex-Chords drummer Brett "Buddy" Ascott.
References
*Sleeve notes to ''Mod Gods: The Best Of The Moment'' (Tangerine Records, 1986)
External links
Official WebsiteOfficial Tangerine Records Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moment, The
British mod revival groups
Musical groups established in 1983
Musical groups disestablished in 1990
English new wave musical groups
People from Haverhill, Suffolk