Matthew Seligman
Encyclopedia
Matthew Seligman is an English
bassist
who took part of the new wave
scene in the 1970s and the 1980s, best known as a member of the Soft Boys.
, England
where he still lives. Influenced by Paul McCartney
, Free
’s Andy Fraser
(mainly), and Tina Weymouth
of Talking Heads
, he learned bass and subsequently moog. After a short spell with The Camera Club
, recording English Garden for CBS Records in 1979, he joined the Soft Boys for their 1980 album Underwater Moonlight
with whom he subsequently recorded Invisible Hits (1981), Nextdoorland (2002) and Side 3 (2002).
In addition to the Soft Boys, Seligman was a member of Local Heroes SW9 and played on the first album, Drip Dry Zone with guitarist Kevin Armstrong, The Camera Club
, the Thompson Twins
and The Fallout Club
. He also played bass with Robyn Hitchcock
, Thomas Dolby
(She Blinded me with Science, The Flat Earth
, Amerikana), the post-Japan
outfit The Dolphin Brothers
, Stereo MC's, The Waterboys
, David Bowie
(Live Aid
, Absolute Beginners
), Sinéad O'Connor
, Transvision Vamp
(Tell That Girl To Shut Up
, Baby I Don't Care), Morrissey
(Ouija Board, Ouija Board
, Yes I Am Blind), Nan Vernon
, Tori Amos
, Kimberley Rew
and Alex Chilton
among others. Production credits include a single with Brighton jangle pop
outfit The Popguns
(Crazy, 1991) and Gravy Deco
for Robyn Hitchcock
.
More recently, Seligman has been a member of Snail, along with Chris Bell and Jonathan Klein
, and the Fire Escapes.
In his personal life, Matthew is a human rights barrister in London and a lifelong Fulham F.C.
fan. His family currently lives in Japan
, whilst he divides his time between Japan and the UK.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
who took part of the 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...
scene in the 1970s and the 1980s, best known as a member of the Soft Boys.
Biography
Born in Pendaya, Cyprus, he grew up in WimbledonWimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he still lives. Influenced by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
’s Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser is an English songwriter and bass guitarist whose career has lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members, in 1968, at age 15, of the rock band Free.-Peak years :...
(mainly), and Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth
Martina Michèle "Tina" Weymouth is an American musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the New Wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club .-Profile:Weymouth is of French heritage on her mother's side. Weymouth was a cheerleader in high school...
of Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, he learned bass and subsequently moog. After a short spell with The Camera Club
Bruce Woolley
Bruce Woolley is an English writer, performer, record producer and composer.- Early years :Bruce Woolley was born in Loughborough, England on 11 November 1953 and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School where he learned electric guitar, began to write songs and where he met his future wife,...
, recording English Garden for CBS Records in 1979, he joined the Soft Boys for their 1980 album Underwater Moonlight
Underwater Moonlight
Underwater Moonlight is a 1980 album by English band The Soft Boys. The album was re-released in 2001 as an expanded edition with nine outtakes from the main recording sessions and a bonus disc comprising seventeen tracks from the Underwater Moonlight rehearsals at the Boathouse, a rowing-team...
with whom he subsequently recorded Invisible Hits (1981), Nextdoorland (2002) and Side 3 (2002).
In addition to the Soft Boys, Seligman was a member of Local Heroes SW9 and played on the first album, Drip Dry Zone with guitarist Kevin Armstrong, The Camera Club
Bruce Woolley
Bruce Woolley is an English writer, performer, record producer and composer.- Early years :Bruce Woolley was born in Loughborough, England on 11 November 1953 and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School where he learned electric guitar, began to write songs and where he met his future wife,...
, the Thompson Twins
Thompson Twins
The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives...
and The Fallout Club
The Fallout Club
The Fallout Club was a British synthpop and New Wave band formed by Irish singer Trevor Herion, the experimental drummer Paul Simon, future successful Thomas Dolby on keyboards, and bassist Matthew Seligman in 1981...
. He also played bass with Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
(She Blinded me with Science, The Flat Earth
The Flat Earth
The Flat Earth is Thomas Dolby's followup LP to The Golden Age of Wireless. It was recorded in 1983 and released in early 1984. It peaked at #14 in the UK Albums Chart. The first single from the album was "Hyperactive!", which peaked at #17 in the UK Singles Chart, making it Dolby's...
, Amerikana), the post-Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
outfit The Dolphin Brothers
The Dolphin Brothers
The Dolphin Brothers was a new wave/alternative band featuring Steve Jansen, and Richard Barbieri, both previously of the band Japan. The band released one album Catch the Fall in 1987, featuring Steve Jansen on drums, percussion, keyboards and lead vocals, and Richard Barbieri on keyboards and...
, Stereo MC's, The Waterboys
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
(Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
, Absolute Beginners
Absolute Beginners
Absolute Beginners is a novel by Colin MacInnes, written and set in 1958 London, England. It was published in 1959. The novel is the second of MacInnes' London Trilogy, coming after City Of Spades and before Mr. Love and Justice...
), Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, Transvision Vamp
Transvision Vamp
Transvision Vamp were a British alternative rock group. Formed in 1986 by Nick Christian Sayer and Wendy James the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s...
(Tell That Girl To Shut Up
Tell That Girl to Shut Up
"Tell That Girl to Shut Up" was the second single from UK pop/rock band Transvision Vamp, released in 1988. It is taken from their debut album Pop Art and was originally recorded by Holly and the Italians and was written by Holly Beth Vincent....
, Baby I Don't Care), Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
(Ouija Board, Ouija Board
Ouija Board, Ouija Board
"Ouija Board, Ouija Board" was a single released by Morrissey in November 1989, catalogue number HMV POP 1622. The single was poorly received by the music press and the public: its highest chart position was No. 18, making it the first Morrissey single not to reach the British top 10. It appeared...
, Yes I Am Blind), Nan Vernon
Nan Vernon
Nan Vernon is a Canadian singer and actress". She is notable for providing the end credit music of both of Rob Zombie's Halloween films and for being part of the "singer-songwriter trend" of women nurturing folk music's rebirth.-Early career:The Eurythmic's Dave Stewart discovered Vernon...
, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, Kimberley Rew
Kimberley Rew
Kimberley Rew is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as a member of Katrina and the Waves 1981 to 1999 and of Robyn Hitchcock's Soft Boys 1978 to 1981...
and Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
among others. Production credits include a single with Brighton jangle pop
Jangle pop
Jangle pop is a genre of alternative rock from the mid-1980s that "marked a return to the chiming or jangly guitars and pop melodies of the '60s" bands such as The Byrds, with their electric twelve-string guitars and power pop song structures. Mid-1980s jangle pop was a non-mainstream "pop-based...
outfit The Popguns
The Popguns
The Popguns were an indie rock band which played a part in the British jangle pop scene. Originally from Brighton, East Sussex, they formed in 1986 by vocalist Wendy Morgan, guitarists Simon Pickles and Greg Dixon plus bassist Pat Walkington and were joined by Shaun Charman, the former drummer for...
(Crazy, 1991) and Gravy Deco
Gravy Deco
Gravy Deco is an album by Robyn Hitchcock, issued during a spell of intense re-issuing of his work in the mid-1990s...
for Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
.
More recently, Seligman has been a member of Snail, along with Chris Bell and Jonathan Klein
Jonathan Klein
Jon or Jonathan Klein may refer to:* Jonathan Klein , former president of the American television news network CNN* Jonathan Klein , founder of Getty Images...
, and the Fire Escapes.
In his personal life, Matthew is a human rights barrister in London and a lifelong Fulham F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
fan. His family currently lives in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, whilst he divides his time between Japan and the UK.