Fine Young Cannibals is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
band formed in
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
, England in 1984, by guitarist
David SteeleDavid "Shuffle" Steele is an English musician who was a member of The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals.-Career:...
and bassist
Andy CoxAndy Cox is a British guitarist, who along with Dave Wakeling, founded The Beat in 1978.The Beat achieved eight Top 40 singles and three hit albums in the UK before announcing their break up in 1983...
(both formerly of
The BeatThe Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics....
), and singer
Roland GiftRoland Gift is a British singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the rock band, Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...
. They are best known for their 1989 hit singles "
She Drives Me Crazy"She Drives Me Crazy" is a song recorded by the Fine Young Cannibals, included on their 1988 album The Raw and the Cooked. The song peaked at #5 in the band's native UK in January 1989 before hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. on April 15, 1989. It also made number 3 on the Dutch Top 40...
" and "
Good Thing"Good Thing" is a song recorded by Fine Young Cannibals, the second single pulled from their album The Raw & the Cooked. The song was their second U.S. number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 1989. It also peaked at #7 on the UK singles chart....
".
Their name came from the 1960
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
All The Fine Young CannibalsAll The Fine Young Cannibals is a 1960 film directed by Michael Anderson, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton, and Pearl Bailey....
starring
Robert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American film and television actor of stage and screen, who starred in movies, soap operas and television...
and
Natalie WoodNatalie Wood was an American actress....
.
The group was formed in 1984 in Birmingham, UK, from the ashes of
The BeatThe Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics....
, with whom Cox and Steele previously played.
Fine Young Cannibals is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
band formed in
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
, England in 1984, by guitarist
David SteeleDavid "Shuffle" Steele is an English musician who was a member of The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals.-Career:...
and bassist
Andy CoxAndy Cox is a British guitarist, who along with Dave Wakeling, founded The Beat in 1978.The Beat achieved eight Top 40 singles and three hit albums in the UK before announcing their break up in 1983...
(both formerly of
The BeatThe Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics....
), and singer
Roland GiftRoland Gift is a British singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the rock band, Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...
. They are best known for their 1989 hit singles "
She Drives Me Crazy"She Drives Me Crazy" is a song recorded by the Fine Young Cannibals, included on their 1988 album The Raw and the Cooked. The song peaked at #5 in the band's native UK in January 1989 before hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. on April 15, 1989. It also made number 3 on the Dutch Top 40...
" and "
Good Thing"Good Thing" is a song recorded by Fine Young Cannibals, the second single pulled from their album The Raw & the Cooked. The song was their second U.S. number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 1989. It also peaked at #7 on the UK singles chart....
".
Their name came from the 1960
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
All The Fine Young CannibalsAll The Fine Young Cannibals is a 1960 film directed by Michael Anderson, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton, and Pearl Bailey....
starring
Robert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American film and television actor of stage and screen, who starred in movies, soap operas and television...
and
Natalie WoodNatalie Wood was an American actress....
.
History
The group was formed in 1984 in Birmingham, UK, from the ashes of
The BeatThe Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics....
, with whom Cox and Steele previously played. The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1985, spawning two UK hit singles, "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
's "
Suspicious Minds"Suspicious Minds" is a song about being trapped in a mistrusting and dysfunctional relationship. Originally, and most notably, a hit for Elvis Presley in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that jump-started Presley's career after his successful 68 Comeback Special. It was...
" featuring additional vocals by
Jimmy SomervilleJimmy Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career....
.
Fine Young Cannibals appeared as the
house bandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which are the regular performers at a nightclub, especially...
in a nightclub in the 1987 comedy film
Tin MenTin Men is a 1987 comedy film directed by Barry Levinson and produced by Mark Johnson. It is part of Levinson's series of "Baltimore Films," set in his hometown during the 40's through the 60's...
, set in
Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding...
in 1963. Steele and Cox released an instrumental house single under the moniker Two Men, a Drum Machine and a Trumpet in 1988, called "Tired Of Getting Pushed Around", which reached #18 in the
UK 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 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
and was popular on the
U.S. danceBillboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. During this time, Gift appeared in the movie
Sammy and Rosie Get LaidSammy and Rosie Get Laid is a film directed by Stephen Frears, with a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi.-Plot synopsis:Sammy and Rosie are husband and wife, both leading a promiscuous bohemian lifestyle until Sammy's father comes to visit to escape "past issues".-Analysis:Sammy and Rosie get laid...
.
Their highest charting hits were "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing", from the 1988 album
The Raw and the CookedThe Raw & the Cooked is the second album by Fine Young Cannibals. A remixed version was also released as The Raw and the Remix. Selling over two million copies, The Raw & the Cooked included two US number one songs "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing"...
. Both reached number one in the U.S. singles charts.
The Raw and the Cooked included three songs the band had recorded for
Tin Men (including "Good Thing"), and their cover of the
BuzzcocksBuzzcocks are an English rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
' "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" recorded for the film
Something Wild.
Fine Young Cannibals broke up in 1992, although they briefly returned to the studio in 1996 to record a new single, "The Flame", which would complement their greatest hits compilation
The Finest released that year. Gift reactivated the band name and toured in the 2000s as Roland Gift and the Fine Young Cannibals.
Band members
- Roland Lee Gift
Roland Gift is a British singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the rock band, Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...
(singer) - May 28, 1962
- Andy Cox
Andy Cox is a British guitarist, who along with Dave Wakeling, founded The Beat in 1978.The Beat achieved eight Top 40 singles and three hit albums in the UK before announcing their break up in 1983...
(guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
ist) - January 25, 1956
- David Steele
David "Shuffle" Steele is an English musician who was a member of The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals.-Career:...
(bassThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
and Synth) - September 8, 1960
Albums
- 1985 — Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals is an album released in 1985 by the band of the same name. The success of their UK #8 debut single "Johnny Come Home" did not continue with the next single, "Blue", which languished at #41 in the UK. The version of "Blue" on the original vinyl LP and cassette was re-mixed for...
UK: #11, U.S. #49
- 1988 — The Raw and the Cooked
The Raw & the Cooked is the second album by Fine Young Cannibals. A remixed version was also released as The Raw and the Remix. Selling over two million copies, The Raw & the Cooked included two US number one songs "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing"...
UK: #1, U.S. #1
- 1990 — The Raw and the Remix
-Track listing:...
(remixA remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. This name is also used for any alterations of medias other than a song ....
collection)
- 1996 — The Finest (compilation album) UK: #10
- 2006 — The Platinum Collection (compilation album)
Singles
| Year |
Title |
Chart positions |
Album |
| UK singles The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
|
U.S. Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
U.S. Modern Rock |
U.S. Dance Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
|
Australian singles The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
|
IRL singles The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data...
|
| 1985 |
"Johnny Come Home "Johnny Come Home" was the debut single release by British band Fine Young Cannibals, taken from their debut album Fine Young Cannibals.It is similar to the style of many other of the band's hits, a mixture of rock and ska with Roland Gift's distinctive vocals, as well as a Jazz-type trumpet solo....
" |
8 |
76 |
- |
9 |
14 |
8 |
Fine Young Cannibals |
| "Blue" |
41 |
- |
- |
- |
13 |
- |
| 1986 |
"Suspicious Minds "Suspicious Minds" is a song about being trapped in a mistrusting and dysfunctional relationship. Originally, and most notably, a hit for Elvis Presley in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that jump-started Presley's career after his successful 68 Comeback Special. It was...
" |
8 |
- |
- |
23 |
6 |
9 |
| "Funny How Love Is" |
58 |
- |
- |
- |
97 |
27 |
| 1987 |
"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" |
9 |
- |
- |
11 |
20 |
10 |
Something Wild soundtrack |
| 1988 |
"Tired of Getting Pushed Around"
(as "Two Men a Drum Machine and a Trumpet") |
18 |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
20 |
— |
| 1989 |
"She Drives Me Crazy "She Drives Me Crazy" is a song recorded by the Fine Young Cannibals, included on their 1988 album The Raw and the Cooked. The song peaked at #5 in the band's native UK in January 1989 before hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. on April 15, 1989. It also made number 3 on the Dutch Top 40...
" |
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
The Raw and the Cooked |
| "Good Thing "Good Thing" is a song recorded by Fine Young Cannibals, the second single pulled from their album The Raw & the Cooked. The song was their second U.S. number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 1989. It also peaked at #7 on the UK singles chart....
" |
7 |
1 |
2 |
20 |
7 |
4 |
| "Don't Look Back" |
34 |
11 |
9 |
- |
38 |
10 |
| "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" is the fourth single from Fine Young Cannibals' hit 1988 album The Raw and the Cooked, which contained the Top 10 UK hits "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing". This song reached the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #20, but did not reach the chart at all in the U.S...
" |
20 |
54 |
- |
8 |
- |
8 |
| 1990 |
"I'm Not Satisfied" |
46 |
90 |
- |
- |
- |
19 |
| 1991 |
"It's O.K. " |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1996 |
"The Flame" |
17 |
- |
- |
- |
85 |
- |
The Finest |
| 1997 |
"She Drives Me Crazy 1997" |
36 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
See also
External links