Formed in London in 1994, The Bluetones had huge success in the nineties, achieving thirteen Top Forty singles and three Top Ten albums in the UK chart. Their debut album, 'Expecting To Fly', topped the UK charts in 1996. With classic tracks like 'Slight Return', 'Marblehead Johnson' and 'Bluetonic', the band, fronted by Mark Morriss, were at the forefront of what journalists deemed, the 'Britpop' scene; a period in the nineties when all things english were celebrated in the music of bands like Pulp, Suede, Blur and, of course, Oasis.
While much of the scene had an unendearing Norman Wisdom quality to it that quickly ran out of steam, The Bluetones were one of the few acts that remained loyal to their own artistic instincts rather than succumbing to the 'cheeky chappy' flag waving that dominated. They crafted guitar driven songs that reawakened a notion of 'indie' music that preceded them. Rich in melody, their songs floated above the hype and possessed a quality that makes them as fresh sounding today as they did in the nineties.
"Well 'Britpop' didn't really exist," explains Mark, speaking to the Chronicle last Friday. "It was invented by a few people to help sell magazines. But we were never part of any group or scene. Britain has had a long history of great guitar bands, from The Beatles to The Who to The Sex Pistols to The Smiths. These bands were never part of a movement, they just did what they wanted to do regardless, and that's what made them special. So for us, it wasn't about flag waving or being part of a scene. It was about writing great guitar tunes that we liked. It wasn't anything new, because guitar music had never really gone away."
As confident a band as The Bluetones were at that point, Mark admits that getting to number one in the UK charts with their debut album was a big surprise.
"We did hit a good wave at that point, but we never really expected that kind of success. But we were well prepared to take it on board. There is nothing else for it but to go with the flow," explains Mark.
Go with the flow is exactly what The Bluetones did. Following chart success with their debut album and with the single 'Slight Return', which was kept off the number one spot by the intensely irritating 'Spaceman' by one-hit wonder Bowie copyist Babylon Zoo, The Bluetones took to the road and toured the world extensively. The tour on the back of their debut album included a very memorable show with Radiohead at the Castlegar Showgrounds in Galway in the summer of 1996.
"That was a great weekend in Galway,” recalls Mark. “It was an amazing concert, although the weather was absolutely disgusting. Some quality acts played on that day and Radiohead were just unbelievable. There was such a great buzz about the place because not only was the gig on but the Galway Races were on too, so the place was really busy.”
Following on from their debut album and the extensive touring, The Bluetones then released their second album 'Return to the Last Chance Saloon' in 1998. Although it failed to repeat the number one status of its predecessor, the album still reached the Top Ten. It was also a much louder record than 'Expecting to Fly'.
"The second album was a development from the first one alright. It's definitely heavier, that's for sure. We've always tried to stretch ourselves as musicians and build on what we've done before. With my voice the music will always have The Bluetones stamp on it, but we always have fun with our sound," says Mark.
By the time the band released their third album 'Science and Nature' in 2000 the musical landscape had changed in England and many of the bands who stood under the 'Britpop' banner had fallen by the wayside. Despite this, and despite little or no support from the increasingly fickle NME, ‘Science and Nature’ went on to become The Bluetones’ third Top Ten album. While similar commercial success may have alluded The Bluetones since then, their fanbase has remained loyal, and the band still record and tour successfully today.
"We're very lucky in that people have stuck with us," says Mark. "It has always been about the journey and not the destination and I've been fortunate to be able to still do this with the guys in the band. The four of us are best pals."
While he remains busy touring with The Bluetones, most recently in May and again this coming December, Mark still found time in between to write and record a solo album called 'Memory Muscle', which was released in May this year.
"I got to a point where I was curious to see if I could make a record on my own. The rest of the guys in The Bluetones were very supportive. It was fun to make have final decision on everything for a change, but still nothing beats that chemistry you get with a band," urges Mark.
He is now looking forward to his first visit to Strabane and can promise a set mixed with Bluetones classics and new material and even one or two covers.
"I always get requests for Bluetones tunes and I'm more than happy to accommodate. Those songs are the reason I’m there in the first place, getting that chance to do what I do, so I'm happy to embrace all those songs and I look forward to playing them in Diceys in Strabane." says Mark.
While much of the scene had an unendearing Norman Wisdom quality to it that quickly ran out of steam, The Bluetones were one of the few acts that remained loyal to their own artistic instincts rather than succumbing to the 'cheeky chappy' flag waving that dominated. They crafted guitar driven songs that reawakened a notion of 'indie' music that preceded them. Rich in melody, their songs floated above the hype and possessed a quality that makes them as fresh sounding today as they did in the nineties.
"Well 'Britpop' didn't really exist," explains Mark, speaking to the Chronicle last Friday. "It was invented by a few people to help sell magazines. But we were never part of any group or scene. Britain has had a long history of great guitar bands, from The Beatles to The Who to The Sex Pistols to The Smiths. These bands were never part of a movement, they just did what they wanted to do regardless, and that's what made them special. So for us, it wasn't about flag waving or being part of a scene. It was about writing great guitar tunes that we liked. It wasn't anything new, because guitar music had never really gone away."
As confident a band as The Bluetones were at that point, Mark admits that getting to number one in the UK charts with their debut album was a big surprise.
"We did hit a good wave at that point, but we never really expected that kind of success. But we were well prepared to take it on board. There is nothing else for it but to go with the flow," explains Mark.
Go with the flow is exactly what The Bluetones did. Following chart success with their debut album and with the single 'Slight Return', which was kept off the number one spot by the intensely irritating 'Spaceman' by one-hit wonder Bowie copyist Babylon Zoo, The Bluetones took to the road and toured the world extensively. The tour on the back of their debut album included a very memorable show with Radiohead at the Castlegar Showgrounds in Galway in the summer of 1996.
"That was a great weekend in Galway,” recalls Mark. “It was an amazing concert, although the weather was absolutely disgusting. Some quality acts played on that day and Radiohead were just unbelievable. There was such a great buzz about the place because not only was the gig on but the Galway Races were on too, so the place was really busy.”
Following on from their debut album and the extensive touring, The Bluetones then released their second album 'Return to the Last Chance Saloon' in 1998. Although it failed to repeat the number one status of its predecessor, the album still reached the Top Ten. It was also a much louder record than 'Expecting to Fly'.
"The second album was a development from the first one alright. It's definitely heavier, that's for sure. We've always tried to stretch ourselves as musicians and build on what we've done before. With my voice the music will always have The Bluetones stamp on it, but we always have fun with our sound," says Mark.
By the time the band released their third album 'Science and Nature' in 2000 the musical landscape had changed in England and many of the bands who stood under the 'Britpop' banner had fallen by the wayside. Despite this, and despite little or no support from the increasingly fickle NME, ‘Science and Nature’ went on to become The Bluetones’ third Top Ten album. While similar commercial success may have alluded The Bluetones since then, their fanbase has remained loyal, and the band still record and tour successfully today.
"We're very lucky in that people have stuck with us," says Mark. "It has always been about the journey and not the destination and I've been fortunate to be able to still do this with the guys in the band. The four of us are best pals."
While he remains busy touring with The Bluetones, most recently in May and again this coming December, Mark still found time in between to write and record a solo album called 'Memory Muscle', which was released in May this year.
"I got to a point where I was curious to see if I could make a record on my own. The rest of the guys in The Bluetones were very supportive. It was fun to make have final decision on everything for a change, but still nothing beats that chemistry you get with a band," urges Mark.
He is now looking forward to his first visit to Strabane and can promise a set mixed with Bluetones classics and new material and even one or two covers.
"I always get requests for Bluetones tunes and I'm more than happy to accommodate. Those songs are the reason I’m there in the first place, getting that chance to do what I do, so I'm happy to embrace all those songs and I look forward to playing them in Diceys in Strabane." says Mark.
The Bluetones. 'Bluetonic'
No comments:
Post a Comment