Fine Young Cannibals
Encyclopedia
Fine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele
David Steele (musician)
David "Shuffle" Steele is an English musician who was a member of The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals.-Career:...

 and guitarist Andy Cox
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...

 (both formerly of The Beat
The Beat (band)
The 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 Gift
Roland Gift
Roland Lee Gift is a British singer and actor. He was the lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...

 (formerly of the Akrylykz
Akrylykz
The Akrylykz,originally Akrylyk Vyktymz, was a ska band formed by members of Hull school of Art Kingston upon Hull, that featured Roland Gift originally as a tenor saxophonist, but his role later expanded to frontman and lead singer...

). They are best known for their 1989 hit singles "She Drives Me Crazy
She Drives Me Crazy
"She Drives Me Crazy" is a song recorded by the Fine Young Cannibals, included on their 1989 album The Raw and the Cooked. The song peaked at #5 as a single in the band's native UK in January 1989 before hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US on 15 April 1989...

" and "Good Thing".

Their name came from the 1960 film All The Fine Young Cannibals
All the Fine Young Cannibals
All 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 Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...

 and Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood, born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was an American film and television actress. After first working in films as a child, Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old.Wood began acting in movies at the...

.

History

The group was formed in 1984 in Birmingham after the dissolution of The Beat
The Beat (band)
The 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 duo of Steel and Cox spent eight months listening to over 500 cassettes of potential singers before settling on Gift. They had difficulty obtaining a record contract but when a video of their song "Johnny Come Home" appeared on a British TV show called "The Tube," recording contract offers flowed in immediately. The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1985, spawning two UK hit singles, "Johnny Come Home
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....

" and a cover of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

's "Suspicious Minds
Suspicious Minds
"Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned...

" featuring additional vocals by Jimmy Somerville
Jimmy Somerville
James William 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. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...

.

Fine Young Cannibals appeared as the house band
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see 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...

 in a nightclub in the 1987 comedy film Tin Men
Tin Men
Tin Men is a 1987 comedy film written and directed by Barry Levinson, produced by Mark Johnson and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Danny DeVito and Barbara Hershey. It is part of Levinson's series of "Baltimore Films", set in his hometown during the 1940s through the 1960s...

, set in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US 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...

, USA 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 No. 18 in 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 ...

 and was popular on the U.S. dance chart. During this time, Gift appeared in the movie Sammy and Rosie Get Laid
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid is a film directed by Stephen Frears, with a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi; features Fine Young Cannibals singer Roland Gift in one of his earliest screen appearances.-Plot synopsis:...

.

Their highest charting hits were "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing", from the 1989 album The Raw and the Cooked
The Raw and the Cooked (album)
The Raw & the Cooked is the second and final 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 Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk 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)
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)
"Ever Fallen in Love " is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group, Buzzcocks. It was a number twelve hit on the UK Singles Chart.-Background and writing:...

" recorded for the film Something Wild.

In 1990, the band contributed a cover version of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...

's song "Love for Sale" for the album Red Hot + Blue
Red Hot + Blue
Red Hot + Blue is the first in the series of compilation albums from the Red Hot Organization. The recording was the first in the Red Hot Benefit Series...

produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...

, a collection of 20 Cole Porter songs recorded by various artists as a benefit for AIDS research.

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
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...

 compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 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
    Roland Lee Gift is a British singer and actor. He was the lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals.-Biography:...

     (singer) – 28 May 1961
  • Andy Cox
    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...

     (guitarist) – 25 January 1956
  • David Steele
    David Steele (musician)
    David "Shuffle" Steele is an English musician who was a member of The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals.-Career:...

     (bass and synth) – 8 September 1960

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...


(sales threshold)
UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...


US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...


CAN
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...


AUS
ARIA Charts
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...


NZ
NOR
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...


SWE
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....


AUT
SWI
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...


1985 Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals (album)
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...


  • First studio album
  • Release date: 10 December 1985
  • Label: I.R.S. Records
    I.R.S. Records
    I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...

11 49 21 11 17
  • UK
    British Phonographic Industry
    The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...

    : Gold
  • CAN
    Cria
    A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically...

    : Platinum
  • 1988 The Raw and the Cooked
    The Raw and the Cooked (album)
    The Raw & the Cooked is the second and final 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"...


    • Second studio album
    • Release date: 1988
    • Label: I.R.S. Records
    1 1 1 1 2 19 5 1 2
  • UK: 3× Platinum
  • CAN: 6× Platinum
  • US: 2× Platinum
  • "—" denotes releases that did not chart

    Compilation albums

    Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
    (sales threshold)
    UK
    UK Albums Chart
    The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...


    NZ
    BEL
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...


    AUT
    1996 The Finest
    • Release date: 26 November 1996
    • Label: London Records
      London Records
      London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....

    10 21 39 22
  • UK: Platinum
  • 2004 Greatest Hits
    • Release date: 14 September 2004
    • Label: Rhino Records
    2006 The Platinum Collection
    • Release date: 21 March 2006
    • Label: Warner Deluxe
    2009 She Drives Me Crazy
    • Release date: 23 February 2009
    • Label: MC Deluxe
    "—" denotes releases that did not chart

    Remix albums

    Year Album details
    1990 The Raw and the Remix
    • Release date: 11 December 1990
    • Label: I.R.S. Records

    Singles

    Year Single Peak chart positions Album
    UK
    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 ...

    US
    Billboard 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...

    US Mod US Dance AUS
    ARIA Charts
    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...

    IRE
    Irish Singles Chart
    The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's 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 captured...

    1985 "Johnny Come Home
    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
    Fine Young Cannibals (album)
    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...

    "Blue" 41 13
    1986 "Suspicious Minds
    Suspicious Minds
    "Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned...

    "
    8 23 6 9
    "Funny How Love Is" 58 97 27
    1986 "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)
    Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)
    "Ever Fallen in Love " is a 1978 song written by Pete Shelley and performed by his group, Buzzcocks. It was a number twelve hit on the UK Singles Chart.-Background and writing:...

    "
    9 11 20 10 Something Wild (soundtrack)
    1988 "Tired of Getting Pushed Around" † 18 3 20 Non-album song
    1989 "She Drives Me Crazy
    She Drives Me Crazy
    "She Drives Me Crazy" is a song recorded by the Fine Young Cannibals, included on their 1989 album The Raw and the Cooked. The song peaked at #5 as a single in the band's native UK in January 1989 before hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US on 15 April 1989...

    "
    5 1 5 1 1 2 The Raw and the Cooked
    The Raw and the Cooked (album)
    The Raw & the Cooked is the second and final 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"...

    "Good Thing" 7 1 2 20 7 4
    "Don't Look Back
    Don't Look Back (Fine Young Cannibals song)
    "Don't Look Back" is a song by British pop-rock band Fine Young Cannibals. It was released as the third single from the band's 1989 album The Raw & the Cooked...

    "
    34 11 9 38 10
    "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be
    I'm Not the Man I Used to Be
    "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" is a song by British pop-rock band Fine Young Cannibals. It was released as the fourth single from the band's 1989 album The Raw & the Cooked...

    "
    20 54 8 8
    1990 "I'm Not Satisfied
    I'm Not Satisfied
    "I'm Not Satisfied" is a song by British pop-rock band Fine Young Cannibals. It was released as the fifth single from the band's 1989 album The Raw and the Cooked...

    "
    46 90 19
    1991 "It's O.K."
    1996 "The Flame" 17 85 The Finest
    1997 "She Drives Me Crazy 1997" 36
    "—" denotes releases that did not chart


    † – Two Men, A Drum Machine and a Trumpet release

    See also


    External links

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