The Siddeleys
Encyclopedia
The Siddeleys were a London
-based indie pop
band, active during the late 1980s. Although they were relatively short-lived, they were influential.
The band formed in 1986, comprising female singer Johnny Johnson, Andrew Brown (bass), Allan Kingdom (guitar), and Phil Goodman (drums). Andy Wake signed the band to his Medium Cool
label on the strength of one of their three demo tapes, releasing their first single, "What Went Wrong This Time?" in 1987, described by The Legend in NME
as "A gentle teasing lament with cool female vocals and a lilting backing which trickles around the back of the nervous system with deceptive charm". Goodman left in 1987, to be replaced by former Jamie Wednesday
and Bob
drummer Dean Leggett, who was himself replaced by David Clynch. They moved to Sombrero Records for the follow-up, the John Parish
-produced Sunshine Thuggery EP (1988), which caught the ear of John Peel
who invited the band to record a session for his BBC Radio 1
programme. Peel commented "the woman who's in charge of the band has a terrific way with words in almost the manner of Morrissey
. There are lines in here which make me laugh out loud".
After a second Peel session, they had planned to release "You Get What You Deserve" as a third single, but this fell through when Sombrero ran out of money. The band remained popular with fans of indie pop, and a collection of all of their recordings, Slum Clearance was released in 2001. "What Went Wrong This Time?" was included on the CD86 album, a collection of definitive indie pop compiled by Bob Stanley
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band, active during the late 1980s. Although they were relatively short-lived, they were influential.
The band formed in 1986, comprising female singer Johnny Johnson, Andrew Brown (bass), Allan Kingdom (guitar), and Phil Goodman (drums). Andy Wake signed the band to his Medium Cool
Medium Cool Records
Medium Cool was a United Kingdom independent record label that existed between 1986 and 1989. Specializing in jangly guitar-pop, it released records by bands such as The Raw Herbs, The Siddeleys, The Rain, The Waltones, The Popguns, and The Corn Dollies....
label on the strength of one of their three demo tapes, releasing their first single, "What Went Wrong This Time?" in 1987, described by The Legend in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
as "A gentle teasing lament with cool female vocals and a lilting backing which trickles around the back of the nervous system with deceptive charm". Goodman left in 1987, to be replaced by former Jamie Wednesday
Jamie Wednesday
Jamie Wednesday were a British 1980s jangle pop band, formed in Streatham, South London in 1984, that released eight songs on two records between 1985 and 1986...
and Bob
BOB (band)
-History:The initial line-up was Richard Blackborow , Simon Armstrong . Jem Morris , joined the duo in 1986, and, augmented with a drum machine, they recorded the band's first release, a flexi disc, released in 1986 on their own House Of Teeth label, and containing three short songs: "Prune ",...
drummer Dean Leggett, who was himself replaced by David Clynch. They moved to Sombrero Records for the follow-up, the John Parish
John Parish
John Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey,. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.-Partial discography:Solo*Rosie *How Animals Move...
-produced Sunshine Thuggery EP (1988), which caught the ear of John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
who invited the band to record a session for his BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
programme. Peel commented "the woman who's in charge of the band has a terrific way with words in almost the manner of 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,...
. There are lines in here which make me laugh out loud".
After a second Peel session, they had planned to release "You Get What You Deserve" as a third single, but this fell through when Sombrero ran out of money. The band remained popular with fans of indie pop, and a collection of all of their recordings, Slum Clearance was released in 2001. "What Went Wrong This Time?" was included on the CD86 album, a collection of definitive indie pop compiled by Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne)
Bob Stanley is a UK musician, film producer and journalist.-Saint Etienne:Stanley is best known as a member of the pop/dance group Saint Etienne for which he co-writes songs and produces...
.
Singles
- "What Went Wrong This Time?" (1987, Medium Cool)
- Sunshine Thuggery 12" EP (1988, Sombrero)
- Wherever You Go (flexi) (1987, Shalala)
- Sunshine Thuggery 7" EP (2000, Unknown Japanese label)
Compilation appearances
- "Bedlam On The Mezzanine" on Hoopla (1987, La Di Da)
- "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" on Alvin Lives (in Leeds) - Anti Poll Tax Trax (1990, Spasm/Midnight Music)
- "Sunshine Thuggery" on The Sound of Leamington Spa (2000, Firestation Towers/TweeNet/Bilberry)
- "What Went Wrong This Time?" on CD86 (2007, Castle)