The Verve

The Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Simon Tong later became a member in their first reunion only.

Beginning with a psychedelic sound with their debut LP '' A Storm in Heaven'', by the mid-1990s the band had released several EPs and four albums. They also endured name and line-up changes, break-ups, health problems, drug abuse and various lawsuits. The band's commercial breakthrough was the 1997 album ''Urban Hymns'', one of the best-selling albums in UK history. It features the hit singles "Bitter Sweet Symphony", "The Drugs Don't Work", "Sonnet" and " Lucky Man". In 1998, the band won two Brit Awards, winning Best British Group, appeared on the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' in March, and in February 1999, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.The Brit Awards: The Verve
Brit Awards. Retrieved 11 February 20121998 Rolling Stone Covers
Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 February 2012
Rock on the Net. Retrieved 12 February 2012

Soon after their commercial peak, The Verve disbanded in April 1999, citing internal conflicts. According to ''Billboard'' magazine, "the group's rise was the culmination of a long, arduous journey that began at the dawn of the decade and went on to encompass a major breakup, multiple lawsuits, and an extensive diet of narcotics". During an eight-year split, Ashcroft dismissed talk of a reunion, saying: "You're more likely to get all four Beatles on stage." The band's original line-up reunited in June 2007, embarking on a tour later that year and releasing the album ''Forth'' in August 2008, which spawned the hit single "Love Is Noise". Amid revived tensions, the band broke up for the third time in 2008 following their performance at V Festival.

History

Formation and ''Verve'' (1990–1992)

The founding members of the Verve met at Winstanley Sixth Form College, in Wigan, Greater Manchester, when Liam Begley introduced Richard Ashcroft to the other band members. The band was initially known as just "Verve", and their first gig was at a friend's 18th birthday party at the Honeysuckle Inn, in Wigan, on 15 August 1990. Most of the band's early material was created through extensive jam sessions. Fronted by Ashcroft, the band caused a buzz in early 1991 for their ability to captivate audiences with their musical textures and avant-garde sensibilities.

The group were signed by Hut Records in 1991Strong, Martin C., (2002), ''The Great Rock Discography'', 6th edn, Canongate, and their first studio releases in 1992, " All in the Mind", "She's a Superstar", and "Gravity Grave" (along with the December 1992 EP ''Verve'') saw the band become a critical success, making an impression with freeform guitar work by McCabe and unpredictable vocals by Ashcroft. Those first three singles reached the first spot in the UK Indie charts, and "She's a Superstar" entered the UK Top 75 Singles Chart. The band saw some support from these early days in the United States in some music scenes in big cities like New York connected with psychedelic music.

''A Storm in Heaven'' (1993–1994)

1993's '' A Storm in Heaven'' was the band's full-length debut, produced by record producer John Leckie. "Blue" was released as the lead single and again managed to enter in the UK Top 75 at No. 69 and reached No. 2 in the Indie charts. The album was a critical success, but was only a moderate commercial success, reaching No. 27 in the UK album chart that summer. The second single from the album, " Slide Away", topped the UK indie rock charts. During this period the band played a number of gigs with Oasis who, at the time, were relatively unknown. Furthermore, the band supported The Smashing Pumpkins on the European Part of their Siamese Dream Tour in autumn of 1993.

In 1994, the band released the album ''No Come Down'', a compilation of B-sides plus a live version of "Gravity Grave" performed at Glastonbury Festival in 1993. It was the band's first release under the name "The Verve", following legal difficulties with jazz label Verve Records. The band then played on the travelling US alternative rock festival, Lollapalooza, in the summer of 1994. A new mix of "Blue" was released in the US to promote the band. The tour became notorious for the events of 11 July – Ashcroft was hospitalised for dehydration after a massive session of drinking and Salisbury was arrested for destroying a hotel room in Kansas in a drug-fuelled delirium. Fricke, David, "The Verve". ''Rolling Stone'' (New York); 16 April 1998; p. 32 However, the band were performing again the very next day. Ashcroft later recalled: "At the start, it was an adventure, but America nearly killed us."

''A Northern Soul'' and first breakup (1995–1996)

The Verve's physical and mental turmoil continued into the chaotic recording sessions of their second album, 1995's '' A Northern Soul'', produced by Owen Morris. The band departed from the experimental psychedelic sounds of ''A Storm in Heaven'' and focused more on conventional alternative rock, with Ashcroft's vocals taking a more prominent role in the songs, although reminiscent of some of the early work. Around this period, Oasis guitarist and friend of Ashcroft, Noel Gallagher, dedicated the song "Cast No Shadow" on the album ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' to Ashcroft, who returned the gesture by dedicating the song "A Northern Soul" to Gallagher.

The band released the album's first single " This Is Music" in May, and it reached No. 35, their first single to reach the Top 40. It was followed by " On Your Own" in June which performed even better, reaching No. 28. This single was particularly new for the Verve as it was a soulful ballad. The album reached the UK Top 20 upon its release in July, but Ashcroft broke up the band three months later, just before the release of the third single "History", which reached No. 24 in September. Ashcroft later stated: "I knew that I had to do it earlier on, but I just wouldn't face it. Once you're not happy in anything, there's no point living in it, is there? But my addiction to playing and writing and being in this band was so great that I wouldn't do anything about it. It felt awful because it could have been the greatest time of our lives, with "History" doing well, but I still think I can look myself in the mirror in 30 years time and say, 'Yeah man, you did the right thing.' The others had been through the same thing. It was a mixture of sadness and regret, and relief that we would have some time away."

Ashcroft reunited with Jones and Salisbury just a few weeks after the break-up, but McCabe did not rejoin them. The new band hired former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, but he spent only a couple of days with the band. The band then chose Simon Tong, a school friend credited with originally teaching Ashcroft and Jones to play guitar. The band made no live appearances in 1996, apart from a solo performance from Ashcroft supporting Oasis in New York; the year was spent playing and recording songs for a new album.

''Urban Hymns,'' success and second breakup (1997–1999)

In early 1997, Ashcroft asked McCabe to return, saying: "I got to the point where nothing other than The Verve would do for me." McCabe obliged and with the new line-up in place (Tong remained on guitar alongside McCabe), the group went through a "spiritual" recording process to finish their third album, ''Urban Hymns.''

For the first time, the Verve achieved commercial success with their new material. The first single, "Bitter Sweet Symphony", entered the UK charts at number 2 in June 1997. The BBC
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