Difference between revisions of "The March Violets - Biography"

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The following text is quoted from http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=march_violets<br/>
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The following text is, apart from few additions and updated links, quoted from http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=march_violets<br/>
 
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:The March Violets began in 1981 as one of Leeds' four famous drum machine bands, alongside the Sisters of Mercy, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Johns Three Johns] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lorry_Yellow_Lorry Red Lorry Yellow Lorry]. The Violets favoured stark, primitive rhythm-box beats (as did the others), overlaid by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets Loz Elliott]'s heavy bass throb and [[Tom Ashton]]'s inventively droning guitar (reminiscent of Magazine's John McGeoch). What set this quartet apart was the unique interplay (a la X or the Airplane) between the two complementary lead vocalists - big, bearded [[Simon Denbigh]] and enigmatic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets Rosie Garland]. His dark, commanding intonations intertwined with her eerie soprano wailing, imbuing the simplistic material with a strident, almost dissonant mystery.
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:The March Violets began in 1981 as one of Leeds' four famous drum machine bands, alongside the Sisters of Mercy, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Johns Three Johns] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lorry_Yellow_Lorry Red Lorry Yellow Lorry]. The Violets favoured stark, primitive rhythm-box beats (as did the others), overlaid by [https://www.discogs.com/artist/660807-Loz-Elliott Loz Elliott]'s heavy bass throb and [[Tom Ashton]]'s inventively droning guitar (reminiscent of Magazine's John McGeoch). What set this quartet apart was the unique interplay (a la X or the Airplane) between the two complementary lead vocalists - big, bearded [[Simon Denbigh]] and enigmatic [http://www.rosiegarland.com/ Rosie Garland]. His dark, commanding intonations intertwined with her eerie soprano wailing, imbuing the simplistic material with a strident, almost dissonant mystery.
  
:Before a schism with [[Andrew Eldritch]] led the Violets to start their own [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets#History Rebirth] label, they were on the Sisters' label, [[Merciful Release]], starting with [[Religious As Hell]], an establishing 7-inch. Natural History collects the band's early work, including the EP (save for the odd "Bon Bon Babies"), three follow-up 45s (the brilliant ''[[Grooving In Green]]'', "Crow Baby" and the insistent '84 dancefloor hit, "Snake Dance") and such rarities as the searing "Radiant Boys" (copping the riff from the Cure's "Object") and mesmerizing "Undertow." Though not a discrete album, Natural History flows magnificently.
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:Before a schism with [[Andrew Eldritch]] led the Violets to start their own [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets#History Rebirth] label, they were on the Sisters' label, [[Merciful Release]], starting with [[Religious As Hell]], an establishing 7-inch. The later compilation album ''Natural History'' collects the band's early work, including the EP (save for the odd "Bon Bon Babies"), three follow-up 45s (the brilliant ''[[Grooving In Green]]'', "Crow Baby" and the insistent '84 dancefloor hit, "Snake Dance") and such rarities as the searing "Radiant Boys" (copping the riff from the Cure's "Object") and mesmerizing "Undertow". Though not a discrete album, ''Natural History'' flows magnificently.
  
:By "Snake Dance," Garland had departed, replaced by the more upbeat [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets#History Cleo Murray]. The lineup held for the subsequent "Walk into the Sun" but, as 1985 dawned, Denbigh was squeezed out of the band (he immediately formed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batfish_Boys Batfish Boys]). The first post-Denbigh 45 (the misnamed "Deep") laid bare the Violets' weakened condition. Electric Shades, the band's second compilation album, assembles the entire contents of the three later singles: "Snake Dance," "Walk into the Sun" and "Deep." With the dissipation of the band's intensity, Cleo's thin, pretty lead vocals simply don't carry the new material. The Violets continued to surrender to conventionality, obtaining a real drummer and crassly exploiting Cleo's beauty. After contributing two items (including an amazingly catchy rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Miss Amanda Jones") to 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack, the March Violets faded away ...
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:By "Snake Dance", Garland had departed, replaced by the more upbeat [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_Violets#History Cleo Murray]. The line-up held for the subsequent "Walk into the Sun" but, as 1985 dawned, Denbigh was squeezed out of the band (he immediately formed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batfish_Boys Batfish Boys]). The first post-Denbigh 45 (the misnamed "Deep") laid bare the Violets' weakened condition. ''Electric Shades'', the band's second compilation album, assembles the entire contents of the three later singles: "Snake Dance", "Walk into the Sun" and "Deep". With the dissipation of the band's intensity, Cleo's thin, pretty lead vocals simply don't carry the new material. The Violets continued to surrender to conventionality, obtaining a real drummer and crassly exploiting Cleo's beauty. After contributing two items (including an amazingly catchy rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Miss Amanda Jones") to 1987's ''Some Kind of Wonderful'' soundtrack, the March Violets faded away ...
 
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Revision as of 18:13, 17 July 2024

For the current whereabouts of the The March Violets, please check this page...

This page is currently Under Revision.


The following text is, apart from few additions and updated links, quoted from http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=march_violets

The March Violets began in 1981 as one of Leeds' four famous drum machine bands, alongside the Sisters of Mercy, Three Johns and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. The Violets favoured stark, primitive rhythm-box beats (as did the others), overlaid by Loz Elliott's heavy bass throb and Tom Ashton's inventively droning guitar (reminiscent of Magazine's John McGeoch). What set this quartet apart was the unique interplay (a la X or the Airplane) between the two complementary lead vocalists - big, bearded Simon Denbigh and enigmatic Rosie Garland. His dark, commanding intonations intertwined with her eerie soprano wailing, imbuing the simplistic material with a strident, almost dissonant mystery.
Before a schism with Andrew Eldritch led the Violets to start their own Rebirth label, they were on the Sisters' label, Merciful Release, starting with Religious As Hell, an establishing 7-inch. The later compilation album Natural History collects the band's early work, including the EP (save for the odd "Bon Bon Babies"), three follow-up 45s (the brilliant Grooving In Green, "Crow Baby" and the insistent '84 dancefloor hit, "Snake Dance") and such rarities as the searing "Radiant Boys" (copping the riff from the Cure's "Object") and mesmerizing "Undertow". Though not a discrete album, Natural History flows magnificently.
By "Snake Dance", Garland had departed, replaced by the more upbeat Cleo Murray. The line-up held for the subsequent "Walk into the Sun" but, as 1985 dawned, Denbigh was squeezed out of the band (he immediately formed Batfish Boys). The first post-Denbigh 45 (the misnamed "Deep") laid bare the Violets' weakened condition. Electric Shades, the band's second compilation album, assembles the entire contents of the three later singles: "Snake Dance", "Walk into the Sun" and "Deep". With the dissipation of the band's intensity, Cleo's thin, pretty lead vocals simply don't carry the new material. The Violets continued to surrender to conventionality, obtaining a real drummer and crassly exploiting Cleo's beauty. After contributing two items (including an amazingly catchy rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Miss Amanda Jones") to 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack, the March Violets faded away ...




... until their first reunion and the issue of their limited edition Trinity EP (1000) on 8th December 2007.

Limited Edition CD Front
  
Limited Edition CD Back
         
                               
Flyer 2007 Reunion
    
          
Flyer 2007 Reunion


Announcement Reunion Gig 2007


Only a short time after their 2007 reunion, the next hit was not so far ... but read everything about it here:


Further Interviews and Stuff

an extensive interview with Simon Denbigh and Rosie Garland from November 3rd, 2010
shortly before The March Violets' gig at O2 Academy, London


Additional Links & News

For further information and current developments, please see the main The March Violets page or any of the pages listed here below: