Red Box (band)
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| Red Box | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre(s) | New Wave, Synthpop, art rock, World music |
| Years active | 1983–1990 |
| Label(s) | WEA, EastWest, Sire/Warner Bros. Records (US) |
| Associated acts | SPA Plenty |
| Former members | |
| Simon Toulson-Clarke Julian Close |
|
Red Box were a British pop group active from the early 1980s to the early 1990s, founded by Simon Toulson-Clarke and Julian Close. They scored two UK Top Ten hits with the singles "Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" in 1985 and "For America" in 1986, both of which were included on their debut album The Circle & The Square.
Red Box returned briefly in 1990, by now essentially singer-songwriter Simon Toulson-Clarke with a third line-up of supporting players, with the following single "Train" and second album Motive more akin to solo releases.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early years and Formation (1978–1984)
Simon Toulson-Clarke formed his first band at age thirteen with school friend Paddy Talbot, playing covers of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple as well as some self-penned material. Other early influences are cited as being Marc Bolan, Cream, Pink Floyd, Cat Stevens and particularly Buffy Sainte-Marie.[1] On leaving school he moved to Middlesbrough and formed another band in the vein of New York Dolls.[1]
In the late '70s he travelled south to study at The Polytechnic of Central London (now University of Westminster), where he formed a band with Bristolian Julian Close.[1] Initially the band performed under the name Harlequins and comprised Toulson-Clarke (vocals/guitar) and Close (saxophone) together with Paddy Talbot (keyboards), Rob Legge (bass) and Martin Nickson (drums).[2]
The band later took the name Red Box—after some deliberation—from a box left behind by the rock group Slade following a performance at college (and in which they had since been storing microphones).[1] The name was favoured for its political (Red) connotations—Toulson-Clarke describes the band members as 'Student Activists'. He was also attracted to the notion of square (Box) being an old North American Indian term for 'white man' (circle being the term for 'man' before Europeans were encountered),[1] a concept which would be explored further on the debut The Circle & The Square album in the song "Heart of the Sun", a line from which gave the album its title.
The group released their debut single "Chenko" on the Cherry Red label in 1983. Following this, the band slimmed down to a duo, and took on a more synth pop direction. Their second single "Saskatchewan" (a cover of the Buffy Sainte-Marie song) brought them to the attention of WEA, which signed the duo.
[edit] The Circle & the Square (1985–1987)
In August 1985 the duo enjoyed their first UK hit single, "Lean on Me", a song which reached number three in the UK Top 40.[3] It was promoted with an unusual video in which a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter provided a translation of the song's lyrics, which led to a feature on BBC Two's Newsweek programme.[4] The following year, Red Box (with the help of numerous guest musicians, including violinist Alexander Balanescu) released the album The Circle & The Square.
The Circle & The Square is an expansive and eclectic collection of songs, presenting a 'culture clash' of influences both musically and thematically, mixing traditional musical styles—brass ensembles, choral music and chants—with modern Rock and Synth Pop.[5] Among the many vocalists drafted in to create the multi-tracked backing vocals (or "Box Vox") is actor Anthony Head who played Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Prime Minister in Little Britain.[6] Another feature of the album is the use of phonetics, as in the chorus of "For America".[7] Both "Lean on Me" and "Chenko" have alternate phonetic titles—"ah-li-ayo" and "tenka-io" respectively.
The album received praise for its "evocative lyrics" and "global political intelligence"[8] and is notable for introducing 'ethnic rhythms' and elements of World Music into the '80s pop milieu alongside established artists such as Paul Simon (Graceland, 1986) and Kate Bush (The Sensual World, 1989). It includes a re-worked version of the 1984 Buffy Sainte-Marie cover "Saskatchewan", as well as "Chenko", which was given a more sombre, stately treatment bringing chants to the fore and featuring Balanescu's haunting violin solo. Toulson-Clarke and Close, however, found themselves at odds with the Record Company regarding what it perceived as a lack of mainstream appeal in their choice of material,[1] despite the success of "Lean on Me" in the UK and Europe.
Toulson-Clarke responded to WEA's request for something to appeal to American radio with the sardonic "For America", which lambasted what he saw as the style-over-content approach of the American media,[7] as well as alluding to American military involvement in Grenada and Nicaragua. The song was not a hit in the USA, though it did reach the top ten in several countries as well as the UK, where it spent twelve weeks in the chart including two at number ten.[3]
Two more tracks were released as singles—"Heart of the Sun" and a second re-working of "Chenko"—but both failed to make a significant impact on the charts. Due to increasingly strained working relations between the band and the Record Company, Close left to work in A & R and Toulson-Clarke took time out from writing and recording in order to travel.[1]
Both "Lean on Me" and "For America" remain staples of UK radio.[citation needed]
[edit] Motive (1990)
In the late '80s Toulson-Clarke was persuaded back to recording by Max Hole—a former contact at WEA—who had been given charge of the subsidiary company EastWest.[1] He began work on a new album in collaboration with musician and arranger Alastair Gavin, as well as David Motion (who had produced The Circle & The Square), under the proviso that the 'tribal' elements which contributed so strongly to the sound of the earlier record be toned down.[1]
Motive is less synth-based than its predecessor, with several tracks built around piano, brass provided by The Kick Horns and full orchestral arrangements. It also displays a more personal style of writing from Toulson-Clarke (the song "Moving" is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Roy Wyles—father of Red Box drummer Chris Wyles—who died during recording),[9] combined with the cultural and political allusions of the previous record.
The opening track "Train" most obviously carries over the sound of The Circle & The Square. It is an up-tempo track, beginning with the sound of a locomotive gradually picking up speed (and subsequently shunting to a halt at the song's end) and includes samples from the Voix Bulgares, "O Fortuna" (also known as the theme to the Old Spice advertisements) and T.Rex. The use of phonetics is once again apparent (as it is elsewhere on the album), and the hook is provided by singer Jenny Tsao's eccentric vocal refrain during the chorus, lending a distinct feel of the Orient.
"Train" was selected as the first single and released in the autumn of 1990, garnering interest from radio and television. The video was aired on the ITV Chart Show, and the band performed on the re-vamped Juke Box Jury hosted by Jools Holland, with the panel proclaiming the song a hit.[1]
Despite the positive reception for "Train", however, and for reasons which remain unclear, the song was recalled from retailers.[1] No further singles were issued and the album was eventually released without further publicity.
[edit] Reissues and third Red Box Album (present day)
Both The Circle & The Square and Motive received only a limited release on CD. Though the first album was widely released on LP and cassette in 1986, a CD issue was limited to Germany, with a reissue in Japan in 1998. Due to the scarcity of both albums on CD format, rare copies are now offered for sale at vastly inflated prices.[10][11]
In light of continued interest[5][12] in the Red Box back catalogue, a Petition has been created which shows support for the reissue of both albums on CD. None of the tracks from either The Circle & The Square or Motive are available for download from legitimate online sources, except for the original Cherry Red release of "Chenko", which appears on the Ambition—the History of Cherry Red Records Vol. 1 & 2 and Pillows & Prayers Vol. 1 & 2 (Cherry Red 1982–1984) compilations, however, a new recording of "Lean on Me" by Toulson-Clarke and Close was made available through iTunes in September 2007.
Plans for a possible third Red Box album have been tentatively mentioned, utilising unpublished material written at the time of the first two Red Box records.[1]
[edit] Other projects
[edit] Enjoy
In 1990 Red Box scored a club hit with "Enjoy" which was essentially a remix, by Paul Oakenfold, of an old B-side, under the Solid Gold Easy Amex name. This record charted at Number 75 on Independent Radio's Network Chart (also used by Number One Magazine) but missed the Gallup UK Singles Chart as used by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.
[edit] Julian Close
Julian Close left the band in 1987 and worked behind the scenes at EMI for several years, eventually becoming Head of A & R.[1] He went on to run the Silent Records label, and more recently Tube Recordings. He received an acknowledgement in the Motive sleeve notes as "Sniffy".[1] Nowadays Julian co-owns a restaurant/bar in Bristol city centre called the "Queen Square Dining Room & Bar".
[edit] Simon Toulson-Clarke
Simon Toulson-Clarke has since balanced various roles as sound engineer, producer and songwriter albeit for other artists. He contributed to two songs on the 2007 Miguel Bosé album Papito, sharing co-writing honours with Michael Stipe on the track "Lo Que Hay Es lo Que Vas".[13]
- In 1997 he collaborated with Phill Brown (who had produced the Cherry Red version of "Chenko") and Alastair Gavin—using the acronym SPA—on a concept album in tribute to the Late American Comedian Bill Hicks.[14]
- Plenty
- Toulson-Clarke is currently working in collaboration with several musicians, among them singer-songwriter Emily Maguire,[15]on an album of "love songs" under the name Plenty.[1] In 2000 the song "Might As Well Go Home" by Plenty was featured on the soundtrack to the film Saving Grace starring Brenda Blethyn and Craig Ferguson.[16]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Title and tracklisting | UK | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Circle & The Square 1. For America 2. Heart Of The Sun 3. Billy's Line 4. Bantu 5. Living In Domes 6. Lean On Me Reprise 7. Chenko (tenka-io) 8. Lean On Me (ah-li-ayo) 9. Saskatchewan 10. Leaders In Seventh Heaven 11. Walk Walk 12. Amen |
#73 | WEA
LP: WX79 |
| 1990 | Motive 1. Train 2. Moving 3. Hungry 4. The Clapping Song 5. Soldier Of Love 6. The Power Is Down 7. Now Ask 8. Casbah 9. Walk On My Hands 10. New England |
- | EastWest
LP: WX381 |
[edit] Singles
* (denotes Network Chart)
| Year | Single | UK | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Chenko
b/w Valley |
- | Cherry Red Records
CHERRY 73 |
| 1984 | Saskatchewan
b/w Speeches |
- | Sire Records
W 9157 |
| 1985 | Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)
b/w Stinging Bee |
#3 | Sire Records
W 8926 |
| 1986 | For America
b/w R n' A |
#10 | Sire Records
YZ 84 |
| 1987 | Heart of the Sun
b/w Enjoy (solid gold easy amex) |
#71 | Sire Records
YZ 100 |
| 1987 | Chenko (tenka-io)
b/w Speeches |
#77 | Sire Records
YX 125 |
| 1990 | Enjoy (Paul Oakenfold Future mix) (edit)
(as Solid Gold Easy Amex featuring Red Box) |
#75* | EastWest
YZ 466 |
| 1990 | Train
b/w 'Hello' He Lied |
- | EastWest
YZ 531 |
[edit] Red Box on CD compilations
- Ambition—the History of Cherry Red Records Vol. 1 & 2 – Various Artists(includes original version of "Chenko" on disc 1)
- Pillows & Prayers Vol. 1 & 2 (Cherry Red 1982–84) – Various Artists(includes original version of "Chenko" on disc 2)
- Living in Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits (Vol 4) – Various Artists(includes "Lean on Me")
- Hits 5 (1986) – Various Artists(includes "For America")
- Retro:active 5—Rare and Remixed – Various Artists(includes "For America" [bazooka mix])
- Lista Przebojów Programu III – Various Artists(1991 Polish Compilation includes "Train")
[edit] See also
- Rah Bras—the titles of the two 1998 EPs Wear the Beat Spectacular and Concentrate to Listen to the Rondo that We Christen King Speed[17] by the American rock band are taken (albeit "wear" paraphrased from "we're" in the former) from lines in the Red Box song "Living in Domes" on The Circle & The Square.[18]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Simon Toulson-Clarke: The Interview. lewisslade.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Blythe, Daniel (2002). The Encyclopaedia of Classic 80s Pop.
- ^ a b Guinness Publishing Limited (1988). Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (7th edition).
- ^ Print Article: Lean Times. lewisslade.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ a b Amazon Music: Red Box - The Circle & The Square (import). amazon.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ 10 Questions and Answers with Ginny Clee. lewisslade.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-0.
- ^ a b Smash Hits: For America lyrics & brief article. starblind.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
- ^ Trouser Press review: The Circle & The Square. trouserpress.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
- ^ Song Listing: Moving (commentary by Simon Toulson-Clarke). starblind.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
- ^ Amazon Music: Red Box - Motive. amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
- ^ The Circle & The Square promo import. hyper-music.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ That Pesky Album Art. kittywompus.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ Miguel Bosé: Papito. billboard.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- ^ SPA. cdvine.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Emily Maguire profile. troubadour.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ Saving Grace: Original Soundtrack. amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Rah Bras profile. emusic.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
- ^ Red Box lyrics: Living in Domes. lewisslade.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
[edit] External links
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