NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Supergrass

Supergrass are an English rock band from Oxford. The band consists of brothers Gaz (guitar and lead vocals) and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Danny Goffey (drums and backing vocals), and Mick Quinn (bass and backing vocals).^[2] The term supergrass is used in Northern Ireland to refer police informers, typically the arrested paramilitaries who divulged the identities of their compatriots to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in exchange for immunity from prosecution and in many cases substantial sums of money. ... The Roundhouse (under construction in 2005) The Roundhouse is an arts venue in London, England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 ( 2001 census). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Britpop was a mid-1990s British alternative rock genre and movement. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 // Date Unknown- Christian Rock label Tooth and Nail Records is formed. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Parlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl LindstrÃ¶m Company. ... The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group. ... Gaz Coombes: Richard III screenshot Gaz Coombes (born Gareth Michael Coombes on March 8, 1976 in Oxford, United Kingdom) is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Supergrass. ... Daniel Goffey (born on February 7, 1974) is the drummer for popular Britpop group Supergrass. ... For other persons named Michael Quinn, see Michael Quinn (disambiguation). ... Robert Coombes (born on April 27, 1972) is the keyboard player for Supergrass. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the genre. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Gaz Coombes: Richard III screenshot Gaz Coombes (born Gareth Michael Coombes on March 8, 1976 in Oxford, United Kingdom) is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Supergrass. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Robert Coombes (born on April 27, 1972) is the keyboard player for Supergrass. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Daniel Goffey (born on February 7, 1974) is the drummer for popular Britpop group Supergrass. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... A backup vocalist is a vocalist that sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, with other backup vocalists, or alone but in the background of a song. ... For other persons named Michael Quinn, see Michael Quinn (disambiguation). ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ...

The band rose to prominence during the Britpop era in the mid-90s with their hit "Alright". The band's youthful image and music (two of the band members were still teenagers when the band formed) came as a contrast to the more serious bands such as Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede. The band's main musical influences are Buzzcocks, T.Rex, the Jam and The Kinks. They combined these influences with traits of the pop-punk era, characterized by fast, three-chord, guitar-based, catchy tunes. On their own the band's jubilance and musicality have influenced many new artists as Arctic Monkeys, The Coral, The Fratellis, Kaiser Chiefs and The Vines. Troy Carpenter, co-director of Nude as the News describes the band as "a fun-loving rock group whose undeniable musical talent is sometimes overshadowed by the sheer ebullience of its music."^[3] The band have released six studio albums to date and one singles compilation. Britpop was a mid-1990s British alternative rock genre and movement. ... Alright/Time is a 1995 double A-side by British rock band Supergrass, released at the height of the Britpop movement. ... Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991. ... Blur were an English rock band that formed in Colchester in 1989. ... Pulp were a rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 1978, by then 15-year-old school boy Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar). ... Suede (or The London Suede in the U.S.) were a popular and influential English rock band of the 1990s that helped start the Britpop musical movement of the decade. ... For the panel game, see Never Mind the Buzzcocks. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... Pop punk (also known as punk pop and other names) is a fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. ... Arctic Monkeys are a Mercury Prize winning English indie rock band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. ... The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool. ... The Fratellis are an award-winning indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. ... This article is about the band. ... The Vines are an Australian garage rock band notable for producing a raw musical hybrid of 60s rock and 90s alternative music. ...

History

Early years and The Jennifers: 1991–1993

Supergrass' origins lie in the band The Jennifers, (not to be confused with the American band of the same name), formed at Wheatley Park School, which featured a 16-year-old Coombes on vocals and Goffey (then 18) on drums. Live performances included the Jericho Tavern. The band enjoyed enough success to release one single in 1992, "Just Got Back Today", on Nude Records before they disbanded.^[4] Before the split, Goffey and Coombes made a pact to continue to work together in the future. The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group. ... The Jennifers were a short-lived British rock group. ... Wheatley Park School is a secondary school of around 1400 pupils situated in Holton, just outside the city of Oxford. ... The Jericho Tavern, a pub in Oxford, was a main point in the late 80s/early 90s music scene which spawned Radiohead. ... Nude Records was setup by Saul Galpern in 1991. ...

When Coombes began working at the local Harvester he befriended co-worker Mick Quinn, another alumnus of Wheatley Park School (though significantly older than Goffey and Coombes) and local would-be musician who had been playing with small-time local bands and recording tapes at home but with little success. The two realised they had a common interest in music and Coombes invited Quinn to come and jam with himself and Goffey. In February 1993 Quinn officially joined the band on bass, while Goffey continued on drums and Coombes took both vocals and guitar, thus forming Theodore Supergrass. They soon did away with the prefix. The brother of Gaz, Rob Coombes, a keyboard player, expressed interest and also started working with the band and was featured on most of the band's first three albums. However, he wasn't introduced as a band member until almost a decade later and the band's early material is credited to "Supergrass and Rob Coombes". Harvester, a restaurant chain which, as its main marketing tool, uses the help yourself salad cart. ... In linguistics, a prefix is a type of affix that precedes the morphemes to which it can attach. ...

Their first gig was at Jericho Tavern, Oxford to record company A&R people who attended following publicity generated by recording an acclaimed demo at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall. The Jericho Tavern, a pub in Oxford, was a main point in the late 80s/early 90s music scene which spawned Radiohead. ... Sawmills Studios, created in 1974 on the banks of the River Fowey in Cornwall, England is best known as the recording studio used by musicians such as XTC, Robert Plant, The Stone Roses, Oasis, The Verve, Supergrass and Muse. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ...

Britpop years and height of fame: 1994–1998

In mid-1994, Supergrass issued their debut single "Caught By The Fuzz" on the small independent local label Backbeat Records. The song recounts a friend's experience of being arrested by police in possession of Cocaine^[5]. The limited release of 250 copies sold out quickly, thanks in part to support from John Peel on his Radio One show. The Parlophone label signed the band and re-released the single in the autumn of the same year. It achieved the rare feat of both NME and Melody Maker "Single Of The Week" status in the same week.^{[citation needed]} Supergrass' profile began to rise quickly, helped along by praise from their more established Britpop peers Blur and Elastica. Their singles soon began to chart highly. "Mansize Rooster", released in February 1995, peaked at #20 in the UK charts and "Lenny" just made it into the top 10. "Lenny" was followed soon afterwards by the band's debut album, I Should Coco (May 1995), which entered the UK album chart at Number 1. It achieved a half-a-million sales in the UK and 990,000 worldwide. The name of the album is thought to be influenced by Cafe Coco on Oxford's Cowley Road, a frequent hang out of the group. The album's fourth single, the double A-sided "Alright"/"Time", stayed in British Top Three for a month (peaking at number 2) and pushed the album to number one. The sprightly anthem "Alright" was released to the radio and music channels receiving much airplay. After three months I Should Coco was released in the U.S where "Caught by the Fuzz" received heavy MTV and radio play. Caught By The Fuzz was the debut single (not including the two limited edition Backbeat Records releases) of Britpop band Supergrass. ... For other uses, see Cocaine (disambiguation). ... For other persons named John Peel, see John Peel (disambiguation). ... BBC Radio 1 (commonly referred to as just Radio 1) is a British national radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in popular music and speech and is aimed primarily at the 14-29[1] age group. ... Parlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl LindstrÃ¶m Company. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... This article is about the music newspaper. ... Blur were an English rock band that formed in Colchester in 1989. ... Elastica were a Britpop band who were popular in the 1990s, formed by Justine Frischmann after leaving Suede in 1991. ... Mansize Rooster was the second single to be taken from the Britpop band Supergrass debut album I Should Coco. ... Lenny was the fourth single to be taken from the Britpop band Supergrass debut album I Should Coco. ... I Should Coco was Supergrasss 1995 debut album. ... Alright/Time is a 1995 double A-side by British rock band Supergrass, released at the height of the Britpop movement. ...

Supergrass soon found themselves one of the leading bands of Britpop. They followed I Should Coco with 18 months of heavy touring, appearing at festivals such as Scotland's T In The Park and the Glastonbury Festival. In 1996 they released the single "Going Out" 'which was a success peaking at #5 in the UK charts and sold more than 100,000 units. Having taken a short break in 1996, Supergrass returned to Sawmills Studios to work on In It For The Money (released April 1997), produced by the band themselves with John Cornfield. The album was a critical and commercial success, it also has since gone platinum in the UK. But some were confused by the darker sound. The single, "Richard III" reached #2. Subsequent releases, "Sun Hits The Sky" and "Late In The Day" reached #10 and #18 respectively. T in the Park is a major music festival that has been held annually in Scotland since 1994. ... The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest[1] greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. ... In It For the Money was the second album by Supergrass, released in 1997. ... John Cornfield is a British record producer and sound engineer. ...

Later albums and musical growth: 1999–2004

The band again took a short break before returning in 1999 with the single "Pumping on Your Stereo". The promo video, produced in conjunction with the Jim Henson's Creature Shop, featured the band with comical "muppet" bodies. The single generated welcome publicity following their time out of the limelight, as did a small sold-out tour scheduled around the single release, the final night of which was at Shepherds Bush Empire as part of MTV's "Five Night Stand" festival. The single and the tour were followed by their eponymous third LP Supergrass (September 1999), nicknamed the "X-Ray album" because of its cover which featured layered x-ray images of the band members' heads. The following spring the record was released in the U.S. Once more, the album was recorded at Sawmill Studio with longtime associate Cornfield producing. Supergrass was well received critically and commercially and it has since gone platinum in the UK, but did not reap the same level of success as its predecessors. Critics claimed the album was "hit and miss" which showed up particularly as the "also-rans are surrounded by songs that are as great as anything Supergrass has ever recorded"[1]. Their next single, "Moving", proved popular and reached the Top Ten in the UK. And their third single, "Mary" entered the Top 40. There followed a long hiatus. Pumping on Your Stereo was the first single released from Supergrass self-titled third album, Supergrass (1999). ... Jim Hensons Creature Shop is a company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. ... John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters created by Jim Henson and the company he created. ... The Shepherds Bush Empire (the first word is sometimes spelled Shepherds) is a music venue in Shepherds Bush, West London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. ... Supergrasss self titled album is their third. ... Moving is a song by Supergrass, from their eponymous third album, Supergrass (1999). ... Mary was the third and final single from the Britpop band Supergrass eponymous third album. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ...

After three years out of the limelight, the band returned with Life on Other Planets (September 2002). Though the record was not as commercially successful as Supergrass' first three albums - failing to make the Top Three in the UK album chart - given their extended absence, the album's highest placing at #9 was respectable. However, the critical response to the album was generally very positive, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine from allmusic claiming "The world is a better place for having Supergrass in it." [2]. It has since gone gold in the UK. Life on Other Planets was also notable as it was the first Supergrass album to recognise Rob Coombes as an official member. For the band's first three albums, Supergrass officially consisted of Gaz Coombes, Goffey and Quinn although Rob Coombes contributed to many of the band's songs and videos, and toured with them. Tracks recorded before this were often credited to "Supergrass and Rob Coombes". The band followed Life on Other Planets with another extended three-year hiatus, devoting to touring and personal engagements. In June 2004 they issued the "greatest hits" compilation Supergrass Is 10 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the band's formation. The record entered the UK album chart at number 4 and has since gone gold in the UK. Life On Other Planets is the fourth album from British rock band Supergrass. ... Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a music journalist and the Senior Editor for All Music Guide. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a large, comprehensive and high quality metadata database about music. ... Supergrass Is 10 is, unsurprisingly, a compilation celebrating the first 10 years of the band Supergrass. ...

Recent years and continuing development: 2005–present

The band couldn't celebrate the decade with a new album, as the recording of their fifth studio album was subject to much turbulence. Deciding to depart from Sawmill Studio, they built a new studio for the sessions in the French countryside.^[6] Setbacks continued when the Coombes brothers lost their mother. As a result, the band's fifth album, Road to Rouen, was delayed and was not released in Europe until August 2005, and the following month in North America. It reached #9 on the UK charts and has since gone silver in the UK. "St. Petersburg", the first single supporting the album, made a disappointing debut at #22 in the UK singles chart. The second single, "Low C", also underperformed, entering outside the top 40, and third single, "Fin" failed to make the top 75 altogether (bouncing in at #111), though it was only released as a 7" vinyl and a digital download. The band toured the world in an extensive schedule for about a year from August 2005 to September 2006, visiting Japan, South America, USA and Europe. Road to Rouen is the fifth studio album by British rock band Supergrass, released in the UK on 15 August 2005 (see 2005 in music). ...

The band recorded their sixth studio album Diamond Hoo Ha between January and November 2007 in Berlin and New York, released in March 2008, although it leaked around late February. In September 2007, bassist Mick Quinn suffered two broken vertebrae and a broken heel while sleepwalking out of a first floor window in September in France. The band toured in the summer and fall 2007, headlining Guilfest among others and debuting new material, with the youngest sibling of the Coombes brothers Charly, replacing Quinn on keyboard bass on the later dates. Since Quinn's return, Charly has remained with Supergrass, playing second guitar, percussion & singing backup vocals for them on the Diamond Hoo Ha tour. They released their first single "Diamond Hoo Ha Man" - first as a free song on the band's website - on 14 January 2008 on strictly limited edition 7" vinyl. In February 2008, the video of their second single "Bad Blood" was released on the band's official web-sites and the single followed in 17 March. In April 2008 Supergrass' management annouced that there will be No CD Single, 7" Vinyl or Video released for their next single "Rebel In You". The band embarked on a British tour during March, April and June, covering some Netherlands dates as well. A tour in USA, mostly supporting Foo Fighters is expected in July. In July 2008, the band is performing alongside Neil Young at a one day festival at the Hop Farm near Tonbridge, Kent. Guilfest, formerly the Guildford Festival, is a British music festival, held in Stoke Park, Guildford each July. ... Charly Coombes (born 1981) is an English instrumentalist and vocalist. ... Keyboard bass The keyboard bass is, as its name suggests, a keyboard alternative for the bass guitar or double bass. ... Diamond Hoo Ha Man is a song by British rock band Supergrass. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the band. ... This article is about the musician. ... Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ...

Other projects

On December 1, 2007, "The Night Shines Like Fireflies - A Portrait of Supergrass in Berlin" was released by photographer Greg Allum. Limited to 2000 copies this book features fly on the wall documentary images of the band working on their 6th album in Hansa Studios. Available from the photographer's website ^[7] is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

During 1998, Coombes and Quinn were invited to play on Dr John's Anutha Zone album (they appear on the track "Voices In My Head"), whilst Goffey contributed to the debut album by Lodger (which also featured his partner Pearl Lowe and members of the band Delicatessen). Dr. John, born Malcolm Rebennack (born November 21, 1940 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a colorful pianist, singer, and songwriter, whose music spans, and often combines, blues, boogie woogie, and rock and roll. ... Lodger is a 1979 album by David Bowie. ... Pearl Lowe (b. ... Delicatessen were an indie-rock group formed in Leicester, England in the early 1990s. ...

Danny Goffey has also embarked on a solo project between Supergrass engagements, called "Van Goffey" which saw tracks being released via "MySpace" in August 2006, the first three being "Crack House Blues", "I Feel so Gaye" and "Natalie Loves the F". He also is drummer on the charity football song Born In England by a collective of musicians called Twisted X.which charted at number 8 in the UK Charts in 2004. Danny Goffey was also a drummer in the 2004 charity single Band Aid 20, along with members of Radiohead and The Darkness. Cover art for the original Do They Know Its Christmas? release – artist Peter Blake Band Aid is a British and Irish charity supergroup founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing a record Do They Know... Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Oxfordshire. ... For other uses, see The Darkness (disambiguation). ...

In 2007 and 2008, while Mick Quinn was still recuperating from his injury, Danny Goffey and Gaz Coombes were performing as a duo Diamond Hoo Ha Men, the name taken from the forthcoming Supergrass single (see above). They have been appearing in character as Duke Diamond and Randy Hoo Ha to play gigs at small venues. Gigs to date included an appearance at the Apple Store on London's Regent Street, which featured Mick Quinn's first appearance in the band since his injury. [3] He appeared on stage introduced by Gaz as Biff Hymen.[4] For the witnesses who betray information about associated criminals, see Supergrass (informer). ...

Discography

Studio albums

I Should Coco was Supergrasss 1995 debut album. ... In It For the Money was the second album by Supergrass, released in 1997. ... Supergrasss self titled album is their third. ... Life On Other Planets is the fourth album from British rock band Supergrass. ... Road to Rouen is the fifth studio album by British rock band Supergrass, released in the UK on 15 August 2005 (see 2005 in music). ...

Other albums

Supergrass Is 10 is, unsurprisingly, a compilation celebrating the first 10 years of the band Supergrass. ...

Awards

The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards awarded for songwriting and composing. ... Alright/Time is a 1995 double A-side by British rock band Supergrass, released at the height of the Britpop movement. ... The Mercury Prize, formerly the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album of the previous 12 months. ... I Should Coco was Supergrasss 1995 debut album. ... The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express). ... The Q Awards are the UKs annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Best New Act: Corinne Bailey-Rae (also nominated: Lily Allen, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys and Orson) Best Live Act: Muse (also nominated: Oasis, Razorlight, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Arctic Monkeys) Best Track: Gnarls... The Brit Awards are the annual United Kingdom pop music awards founded by the British Phonographic Industry. ... The Brit Awards are the annual United Kingdom pop music awards founded by the British Phonographic Industry. ... Late In The Day was the fourth and final single from Britpop band Supergrass album In It For The Money. ...

References

Encyclopedia > Supergrass

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