The Perfect Disaster were an English

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band from

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, England, formed in 1980. They released four albums before splitting up in 1991. The only constant member was singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt.

History

The first incarnation of the band was named Orange Disaster, with Parfitt joined by Ken Renny (bass), and Alison Pate (guitar).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p.452 This line-up released a seven-inch EP called "Something's Got To Give" on Neuter Records, Catalogue Number OD 01. Often mislabeled as 1982 - the release date that is given on the labels is 1.9.1980 (1 September 1980). After this they changed their name to The Architects of Disaster. Parfitt and Pate were then joined by Tony Pettitt (bass), Nod Wright (drums) and Paul Wright (guitar). This line-up disbanded, having released one single, "Cucumber Sandwich"/"Friendly Fire." Nod Wright and Tony Pettit then left to form

Fields of the Nephilim Fields of the Nephilim are an English gothic rock band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in 1984. The band's name refers to a Biblical race of angel-human hybrids known as the Nephilim. Career Early years (1984–1991) Fields of the Nep ...

with Parfitt recruiting Grant Davidson (bass) and later John Saltwell (bass), Dan Cross (guitar), and

Malcolm Catto Malcolm Catto is an English drummer and record producer. He is the co-founder and producer of the English psychedelic/jazz/experimental music group The Heliocentrics. They have so far released four of their own albums but have also issued colla ...

(drums). They returned in 1984 as The Perfect Disaster, with an eponymous debut album issued on the French Kampa label in 1985. In 1987, the band signed to

Glass Records Glass Records was a British independent record label which operated from 1981 to 1990, and was resurrected in 2015. Glass Vintage 1981–1990 Glass was one of the key London-based indie labels of the 1980s. Early releases focused on artists f ...

, which reissued their debut album, and followed it with a twelve-inch EP later that year. There were further line-up changes when Saltwell and Pate departed, replaced by multi-instrumentalist

Josephine Wiggs Miranda Cordelia Susan Josephine Wiggs (born 26 February 1963) is an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician, best known for her work as bassist in the alternative rock bands The Breeders and The Perfect Disaster. She has also formed mult ...

. The band moved on to

Fire Records Fire Records was an American independent record label, set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson. Amongst others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Buster Brown and Arthur Crudup. At one point it was thought Fire had issued the la ...

, releasing the ''Asylum Road'' album in 1988. Catto also left, with Phil Outram and Martin Langshaw joining for their third album, ''Up,'' which reached number fifteen on the

UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...

, and saw the band touring with

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they rele ...

.Lazell, Barry (1997) ''Indie Hits 1980-1989'', Cherry Red Books, Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave'', Virgin Books, , p.318 In 1989, Wiggs left to join

The Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ...

, with Saltwell returning. In 1990, the band issued the ''Rise EP,'' and a final album, ''Heaven Scent,'' before splitting up the following year. Parfitt went on to work with

Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centered on Pierc ...

's Jason Pierce, and later formed a new band, Oedipussy, who released the album, ''Divan,'' in 1995, with contributions from former House of Love and

Levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...

guitarist

Terry Bickers Terence "Terry" Robert Arthur Bickers (born 6 September 1965 in Kensington, London) is an English musician and songwriter. A guitarist and singer, he is best known for his work as the original lead guitarist with The House of Love (from 1986 ...

. In 2014, as Philip Parfitt, he released a solo album entitled ''I'm Not The Man I Use To Be'' on Milltone Head Recordings.

Discography

Albums

''The Perfect Disaster'' (1985) Kampa (France); reissued (1987)
Glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

;Track Listing (French version) :Side One # "What Could I Do/Given The Opportunity/" - (Philip Parfitt, Danny Cross, Allison Pate, John Saltwell, Malcolm Catto) -3:21 # "Dawn In The Dark Woods" - (Parfitt) - 3:07 # "What's Happening To Me" - (Parfitt, Cross, Pate, Saltwell, Catto) - 3:04 # "Hiding From Frank" - (Parfitt) - 2:20 # "In The Pink" - (Parfitt, Cross, Pate, Saltwell, Catto) - 4:35 :Side Two #

"New Beginning" - (Parfitt, Pate) - 3:39 # "Teddy Edward" - (Parfitt, Pate) - 2:51 # "Keep Loves Feet On The Ground" - (Parfitt) - 2:40 # "Memories" - (Parfitt, Pate) - 3:28 # "Stetson" - (Philip) - 3:22 ;Track Listing (Reissue) :Side One # "What's Happening To Me?" - (Philip Parfitt, Danny Cross, Allison Pate, John Saltwell, Malcolm Catto) - 3:04 # "Dark Woods" - (Parfitt) - 3:07 # "What Could I Do?" - (Parfitt, Cross, Pate, Saltwell, Catto) - 3:21 # "Hiding From Frank" - (Parfitt) - 2:20 # "In The Pink" - (Parfitt, Cross, Pate, Saltwell, Catto) - 4:35 :Side Two #

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

) - 3:00 ;Personnel * Philip Parfitt - lead vocals, saxophone * Danny Cross - lead guitar, pixiphone * Alison Pate - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * John Saltwell - bass, backing vocals * Malcolm Catto - drums, organ

''Asylum Road'' (1988)
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

;Track Listing :Side One # "The Crack Up" # "Stop Crying Girl" # "All The Stars" # "Call It A Day" # "In Conference Again" # "Mooncraters" :Side Two #

"T.V. (Girl On Fire)" # "In The Afternoon" # "Evil Eye" # "What's The Use Of Trying?" # "The Night Belongs To Charlie" ;Personnel * Phil Parfitt - guitar, vocals * Alison Pate - guitar, vocals * Dan Cross - guitar * Josephine Wiggs - bass, cello * Martin Langshaw - percussion

''Up'' (1989)
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

;Track Listing :Side One # "'55" - (words: Phil Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Dan Cross) # "Shout" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) # "It Doesn't Matter" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) # "Down (Here I Go)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) # "Down (Falling)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) # "Down (Down)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) :Side Two #

"Hey Now" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross, Josephine Wiggs) # "Go Away" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) # "B52" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) :Bonus tracks #

"Garage" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) # "Time To Kill" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) ;Personnel * Phil Parfitt - lead vocals, rhythm acoustic and electric guitars * Dan Cross - lead electric, acoustic and Spanish guitars, organ, piano * Josephine Wiggs - bass, backing vocals, piano, cello, double bass * Martin Langshaw - drums (1, 7, 11) * Phil "Jak" Outram - drums (2, 6, 8, 9)

''Heaven Scent'' (1990)
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

;Track Listing # "Rise" - (words: Phil Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Dan Cross) - 2:58 # "Father" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 4:05 # "Wires" - (words: Josephine Wiggs; music: Parfitt, Cross, Wiggs) - 4:54 # "Takin' Over" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 3:26 # "Where Will You Go With Me" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 2:52 # "Little Sister (If Ever Days)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 5:18 # "Shadows" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 5:22 # "Sooner Or Later" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 2:42 # "It's Gonna Come To You" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 4:36 :Bonus Tracks #

"Lee" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 3:52 # "Mood Elevators (Original Version)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 3:38 # "Bluebell (Live)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 4:08 # "B52 (Live)" - (words: Parfitt; music: Parfitt, Cross) - 13:15 ;Personnel * Phil Parfitt - lead and backing vocals, rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars * Dan Cross - lead, rhythm and infinite guitars, backing vocals, organ * Josephine Wiggs - bass, backing vocals, cello * Jon Mattock - drums (1-10), percussion (1-10) * Phil Outram - drums (11-13)

Singles and EPs

*"Something's Got to Give" (1980) Neuter (as Orange Disaster) three songs *"Something's Got to Give" (1981) Vogue (as Orange Disaster) two songs *"Cucumber Sandwich" (1982) Neuter (as Architects of Disaster) *''Hey Hey Hey'' EP (1987)

Glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

*"TV (Girl on Fire)" (1988)

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

*"Time to Kill" (1988)

*"Mood Elevators" (1989)

*''Rise EP'' (1990)

References

External links

*Robbins, Ir
"Perfect Disaster"
''

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 ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Perfect Disaster, The English alternative rock groups English rock music groups Musical groups established in 1980 Musical groups disestablished in 1991 Glass Records artists