Sad Café are an English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band formed in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

in 1976, who achieved their peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known for the UK top 40 singles " Every Day Hurts", "Strange Little Girl", " My Oh My" and "I'm in Love Again", the first of which was their biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in 1979. The band also had two US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits with "Run Home Girl" and "La-Di-Da".

History

The group formed as a result of the unification of rock bands Mandalaband and Gyro. Its founder members were

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. H ...

(vocals), Ian Wilson (guitar),

Vic Emerson Victor Emerson (1949 – 13 October 2018) was an English musician, songwriter and keyboardist. He was a founder member of the bands Mandalaband and Sad Café. He was co-writer of the latter's 1979 No. 3 UK hit single " Every Day Hurts" and the ...

(keyboards), Ashley Mulford (lead guitar), John Stimpson (bass) and Tony Cresswell (drums). The band took their name from the

Carson McCullers Carson McCullers (February 19, 1917 – September 29, 1967) was an American novelist, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Her first novel, ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940), explores the spiritual isolation of misfits ...

novella '' Ballad of the Sad Café''.

Harvey Lisberg Harvey Brian Lisberg (born 2 March 1940) is an English talent manager and impresario, best known for discovering Herman's Hermits in 1963. In 1965, he signed songwriter Graham Gouldman, a founder member of 10cc, who Lisberg also managed, along w ...

, who also managed

10cc 10cc are an English rock music, rock band formed in Stockport, southeast of Manchester, in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians, Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who had written and recorded togethe ...

, arranged for

Eric Stewart Eric Michael Stewart (born 20 January 1945) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as a founding member of the rock groups the Mindbenders with whom he played from 1963 to 1968, and likewise of ...

to produce their third album, '' Facades'' (an anagram of Sad Cafe), which included the top 3 single " Every Day Hurts".

Personnel

Members

;Current * Des Tong – bass, vocals (1981–1990, 1998, 2000, 2012–present) * Steve Gibson - drums (1989–1990, 2023–present) * Dave Day - guitars, vocals (2018–present) * Neil Shaw-Hulme - saxophones, wx7, vocals (2018–present) * Matt Steele - keyboards (2019–present) ;Former * Ian Wilson - rhythm guitar, vocals (1976–2022) *

– lead vocals (1976–1990, 1998; died 2000) *

– keyboards (1976–1984, 2000; died 2018) * John Stimpson – bass, backing vocals (1976–1980; died 2021) * Tony Cresswell – drums (1976–1978) * Ashley Mulford – lead guitars, vocals (1976–1981, 1986–1989, 2000, 2012–2014) * Dave Irving - drums (1978–1984, 2000, 2012–2019) * Lenni Zaksen – saxophone (1979–1984, 1998, 2000) * Al Hodge - guitars (1981; died 2006) * Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitars (1981–1984, 1989–1990, 1998; guest musician: 1986) * Jeff Seopardi – drums (1984–1986) * Danny Schogger – keyboards (1984) * Phil Lanzon – keyboards (1986) * Alistair Gordon – keyboards, vocals (1989–1990, 1998) * Simon Waggott – keyboards, vocals (2012–2014) * Steve Whalley – vocals, guitar (2012–2014) * Sue Wilson-Quin - keyboards, vocals (2012–2022) * Pete Hughes - keyboards (2018) * Bryan Hargreaves – drums (2019–2022) * Barry James Thomas - vocals, percussion (2018–2024; died 2024) * Paul McCafferty - vocals (2025-2025) ;Guest musicians * Roy Martin – drums (1998) * Paul Burgess – drums (1986–1990) * Steve Pigott – keyboards (1984–1986) * Ali Roocroft - keyboards (2023-2024)

Lineups

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Singles

References

External links

Sad Café official website

Sad Café
at

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sad Cafe (band) English soft rock music groups Rock music groups from Manchester Musical groups established in 1976 Swan Song Records artists A&M Records artists RCA Records artists