Blue Zoo
Encyclopedia
Blue Zoo were a British
new wave
band
, operating between 1980 and 1985.
"In My Sleep (I Shoot Sheep)" in that year.
Band members were: Mike Ansell on bass
, Matthew Flowers (formerly of new wave band "Sore Throat") on keyboards
, Pete Lancaster on trumpet
, Andy O (Overall) on vocals, Tim Parry on guitar
and Mickey Sparrow on drum
s. Steve Pond from Inner City Unit
played occasional synthesizer
. Parry later went on to become a record producer
.
Blue Zoo had one UK
hit single
. In October 1982 "Cry Boy Cry
" charted
and reached number 13. It stayed on the UK Singles Chart
's Top 40 for eight weeks.
They released an album
Two By Two
(sometimes written as 2x2 or 2By2) in 1983.
Blue Zoo played their first concert
in 28 years at the Ginglik on Shepherd's Bush Green on 22 July 2010.
, distributed by Polydor
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, operating between 1980 and 1985.
Career
Formed in 1980, their original band name was Modern Jazz, and they released a singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"In My Sleep (I Shoot Sheep)" in that year.
Band members were: Mike Ansell on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Matthew Flowers (formerly of new wave band "Sore Throat") on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Pete Lancaster on trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, Andy O (Overall) on vocals, Tim Parry on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and Mickey Sparrow on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. Steve Pond from Inner City Unit
Inner City Unit
Inner City Unit is a British punk/space rock band fronted by ex-Hawkwind founder Nik Turner on saxophone with Judge Trev Thoms or Steve Pond , Dead Fred , Baz Magneto, Dave Anderson or Nazar Ali Khan , and Mick Stupp or Dino Ferari on drums.-History:Thoms and Ferrari were both key members of...
played occasional synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
. Parry later went on to become a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Blue Zoo had one UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
. In October 1982 "Cry Boy Cry
Cry Boy Cry
"Cry Boy Cry" is a 1982 single by British New Wave band Blue Zoo, from their 1983 album Two By Two. The song reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1982....
" charted
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
and reached number 13. It stayed on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
's Top 40 for eight weeks.
They released an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Two By Two
Two By Two (album)
Two by Two was Blue Zoo's 1983 album and featured their October 1982 UK hit "Cry Boy Cry".The album was produced by Talk Talk's Tim Friese-Greene.-Track listing:# "Cry Boy Cry"# "John's Lost"# "Far Cry"...
(sometimes written as 2x2 or 2By2) in 1983.
Blue Zoo played their first concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in 28 years at the Ginglik on Shepherd's Bush Green on 22 July 2010.
Discography
All singles and album released on MagnetMagnet Records
Magnet Records was a record label started in 1973 by Michael Levy and acquired by Warner Bros. Records in 1988 for an estimated £10m.Artists on the label included Alvin Stardust, Matchbox, Adrian Baker, Silver Convention, Guys 'n' Dolls, Darts, Kissing the Pink, Bad Manners, David D'Or, Blue Zoo...
, distributed by Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
.
Singles
- "I'm Your Man" (7") & (12") (1982) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#55 - "Cry Boy CryCry Boy Cry"Cry Boy Cry" is a 1982 single by British New Wave band Blue Zoo, from their 1983 album Two By Two. The song reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1982....
" (7") & (12") (1982) - UK #13 - "Loved One's An Angel" (7") & (12") (1983) - UK #76
- "I Just Can't (Forgive And Forget)" (7") & (12") (1983) - UK #60
- "Love Moves In Strange WaysLove Moves In Strange Ways"Love Moves In Strange Ways" is a 1981 single by British New Wave group Blue Zoo. The song appeared on their 1983 album Two By Two....
" (7") & (12") - "Somewhere In The World (There's A Cowboy Smiling)" (7") & (12")