The Soup Dragons
Encyclopedia
The Soup Dragons were a Scottish alternative rock
band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television show Clangers
, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones
' song "I'm Free
."
, a town near Glasgow
, in 1985. The line up was Sean Dickson (vocals, lead guitar
), Jim McCulloch (guitar
, second voice) who replaced Ian Whitehall and Sushil K. Dade (bass
). The original drummer
, Ross A. Sinclair, left the group after the first proper album, This Is Our Art, to pursue a career in art, and was replaced by Paul Quinn. Most of their songs were written by Dickson, while some were co-written with McCulloch.
The band recorded their first demo tape, You Have Some Too, after playing a few local gigs, and this was followed by a flexi disc
single "If You Were the Only Girl in the World". Originally inspired by Buzzcocks
and lumped in with the C86
movement, along with fellow members of the Bellshill Sound, such as the BMX Bandits
and Teenage Fanclub
, they went through a number of stylistic changes in their career.
The band signed to The Subway Organization
in early 1986 and their first proper single (The Sun in the Sky EP
) was Buzzcocks-inspired pop punk
. The band's big breakthrough came with their second single for Subway, "Whole Wide World", which reached #2 on the UK Independent Chart in 1986. Dickson and McCulloch also moonlighted in BMX Bandits at this time. The band were signed by former Wham!
co-manager Jaz Summers' label Raw TV with further indie hits (and minor UK Singles Chart
hits) following during 1987 and 1988. Over the course of six singles
(the first three collected in 1986 on a U.S. only compilation, Hang Ten), they gradually developed a more complex rock
guitar sound, which culminated in their first album proper This Is Our Art, now signed to major label Sire Records
. After one single from the album "Kingdom Chairs" failed to chart, the band were dropped by Sire and returned to Raw TV.
In the year following This Is Our Art their sound underwent a change from an indie rock
sound, to the rock-dance crossover baggy
sound, popular at the time with the release of the album Lovegod
. This change mirrored that of fellow Scottish band Primal Scream
, and can be attributed to the rise of the ecstasy
-fueled acid house
rave
scene in the UK. In 1990, they released their most successful hit single in the UK, "I'm Free
", an up-tempo cover of a Rolling Stones song with an added toasting overdub by reggae star Junior Reid
, which reached number five. This single featured on the Happy Daze
compilation.
Subsequent albums continued the rock-dance crossover sound. In 1992 they enjoyed their biggest U.S. hit with "Divine Thing" which reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It also hit number three on the Modern Rock
chart and its video was nominated by MTV as one of the year's best, though beaten by Nirvana's
Smells Like Teen Spirit
.
The band split in 1995 with Quinn joining fellow Bellshill band, Teenage Fanclub
. Sushil K. Dade formed the experimental post rock group Future Pilot A.K.A.
, and singer Sean Dickson formed The High Fidelity
. Jim McCulloch joined fellow Glaswegians Superstar
, and has since formed musical collective Green Peppers. He writes and records with Isobel Campbell
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television show Clangers
Clangers
Clangers is a popular British stop-motion animated children's television series of short stories about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and in, a small blue planet . They speak in whistles, and eat green soup supplied by the Soup Dragon...
, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' song "I'm Free
I'm Free (The Rolling Stones song)
"I'm Free" is a song by The Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, first released as the final track on the UK Out of Our Heads album on 24 September 1965...
."
History
The Soup Dragons formed in BellshillBellshill
Bellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, 10 miles south east of Glasgow city centre and 37 miles west of Edinburgh. Other nearby towns are Motherwell , Hamilton and Coatbridge . Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area...
, a town near Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, in 1985. The line up was Sean Dickson (vocals, lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), Jim McCulloch (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...
, second voice) who replaced Ian Whitehall and Sushil K. Dade (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
). The original drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, Ross A. Sinclair, left the group after the first proper album, This Is Our Art, to pursue a career in art, and was replaced by Paul Quinn. Most of their songs were written by Dickson, while some were co-written with McCulloch.
The band recorded their first demo tape, You Have Some Too, after playing a few local gigs, and this was followed by a flexi disc
Flexi disc
The flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...
single "If You Were the Only Girl in the World". Originally inspired by 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...
and lumped in with the C86
C86 (music)
C86 is a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine NME in 1986, featuring new bands licensed from independent labels of the time. As a phrase, C86 quickly evolved into shorthand for a guitar-based musical genre characterised by "jangly" guitars and fey melodies, although other...
movement, along with fellow members of the Bellshill Sound, such as the BMX Bandits
BMX Bandits (band)
BMX Bandits are a Scottish 1960s-influenced guitar pop band who have been making music from 1986 to the present day. They have shared members with other Bellshill bands Teenage Fanclub and The Soup Dragons....
and Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
, they went through a number of stylistic changes in their career.
The band signed to The Subway Organization
The Subway Organization
The Subway Organization was an independent music label founded in 1985 in Bristol, by Martin Whitehead.-Indie Pop and C86:The label was associated with the Indie Pop movement and the seminal NME cassette tape C86, that included the track It's Up To You by the Shop Assistants, from the label's first...
in early 1986 and their first proper single (The Sun in the Sky EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) was Buzzcocks-inspired pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
. The band's big breakthrough came with their second single for Subway, "Whole Wide World", which reached #2 on the UK Independent Chart in 1986. Dickson and McCulloch also moonlighted in BMX Bandits at this time. The band were signed by former Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
co-manager Jaz Summers' label Raw TV with further indie hits (and minor 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 ...
hits) following during 1987 and 1988. Over the course of six singles
Single (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...
(the first three collected in 1986 on a U.S. only compilation, Hang Ten), they gradually developed a more complex rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
guitar sound, which culminated in their first album proper This Is Our Art, now signed to major label Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. After one single from the album "Kingdom Chairs" failed to chart, the band were dropped by Sire and returned to Raw TV.
In the year following This Is Our Art their sound underwent a change from an indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
sound, to the rock-dance crossover baggy
Baggy
Baggy was a British dance-oriented music genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.The scene was heavily influenced by Madchester, although it was not geographically confined to Manchester. Many Madchester bands could also be described as Baggy, and vice versa...
sound, popular at the time with the release of the album Lovegod
Lovegod
Lovegod is an album by the Soup Dragons, released on July 12th 1990. Four songs from the album were released as singles—"Backwards Dog", "Crotch Deep Trash", "Mother Universe" and "I'm Free". There seems to be some confusion over the copyright year, with 1989 stamped on the disc. However, the...
. This change mirrored that of fellow Scottish band Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, and can be attributed to the rise of the ecstasy
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
-fueled acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
scene in the UK. In 1990, they released their most successful hit single in the UK, "I'm Free
I'm Free (The Rolling Stones song)
"I'm Free" is a song by The Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, first released as the final track on the UK Out of Our Heads album on 24 September 1965...
", an up-tempo cover of a Rolling Stones song with an added toasting overdub by reggae star Junior Reid
Junior Reid
Delroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
, which reached number five. This single featured on the Happy Daze
Happy Daze (Madchester album)
Happy Daze is a compilation album of songs linked to the Madchester music genre distributed by Island Records in 1990.-Influence:The Madchester sound had been developing during the later 1980s, from its nascent jangy sounds originally showcased on the NME's classic C86 cassette...
compilation.
Subsequent albums continued the rock-dance crossover sound. In 1992 they enjoyed their biggest U.S. hit with "Divine Thing" which reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
. It also hit number three on the Modern Rock
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart and its video was nominated by MTV as one of the year's best, though beaten by Nirvana's
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
.
The band split in 1995 with Quinn joining fellow Bellshill band, Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
. Sushil K. Dade formed the experimental post rock group Future Pilot A.K.A.
Future Pilot A.K.A.
Future Pilot A.K.A. is the nom de plume of Glasgow indie musician Sushil K. Dade, a former member of the Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits and Telstar Ponies...
, and singer Sean Dickson formed The High Fidelity
The High Fidelity
The High Fidelity are a British rock band, formed in 1995 by Sean Dickson, formerly of The Soup Dragons.-History:Dickson started the group when High Times magazine asked him to record a track for a cannabis-themed covers compilation album, Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML...
. Jim McCulloch joined fellow Glaswegians Superstar
Superstar (band)
-History:The band was formed in 1991 by Joe McAlinden, a former member of The Groovy Little Numbers and the BMX Bandits, who also arranged strings for the band Teenage Fanclub. They first appeared on Creation Records in 1992 with the album Greatest Hits vol. 1, which was followed in 1994 by the...
, and has since formed musical collective Green Peppers. He writes and records with Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell is a Scottish singer, cellist and composer in the indie and rock genres.-History:Campbell was a member of Belle & Sebastian from their formation in Glasgow in 1996 until 2002, when she departed the band for personal reasons. She played cello and keyboards with the band, and sang...
.
Albums
- Hang Ten! (compilation, 1987)
- This Is Our Art (1988) [#60 UKUK Albums ChartThe 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...
] - LovegodLovegodLovegod is an album by the Soup Dragons, released on July 12th 1990. Four songs from the album were released as singles—"Backwards Dog", "Crotch Deep Trash", "Mother Universe" and "I'm Free". There seems to be some confusion over the copyright year, with 1989 stamped on the disc. However, the...
(1990) [#7 UK / #88 U.S. / #27 NZNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... - HotwiredHotwiredHotwired is the third studio album from The Soup Dragons. Recorded in 1991 and 1992 at Livingston Studios and Advision Brighton, it was released April 21, 1992....
(1992) [#74 UK / #97 U.S.] - HydrophonicHydrophonic (Soup Dragons album)Hydrophonic is the fourth and final studio album from The Soup Dragons. By this stage, lead singer Sean Dickson was the only original member of the band, working with a variety of session musicians including Bootsy Collins, Lynval Golding, Neville Staples, Tina Weymouth, The Kick Horns and the...
(1994)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 ... |
UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
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... |
Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
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| 1986 | The Sun Is In The Sky EP | |
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| 1986 | "Whole Wide World" | |
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| 1986 | "Hang-Ten" | |
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| 1987 | "Head Gone Astray" | |
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Hang-Ten! |
| 1987 | "Can't Take No More" | |
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This Is Our Art |
| 1987 | "Soft As Your Face" | |
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This Is Our Art |
| 1988 | "The Majestic Head" | |
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This Is Our Art |
| 1988 | "Kingdom Chairs" | |
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This Is Our Art |
| 1988 | 4-Track Live E.P. | |
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This Is Our Art |
| 1989 | "Backwards Dog" | |
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Lovegod Lovegod Lovegod is an album by the Soup Dragons, released on July 12th 1990. Four songs from the album were released as singles—"Backwards Dog", "Crotch Deep Trash", "Mother Universe" and "I'm Free". There seems to be some confusion over the copyright year, with 1989 stamped on the disc. However, the... |
| 1989 | "Crotch Deep Trash" | |
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Lovegod |
| 1990 | "Mother Universe Mother Universe Mother Universe was a single taken from the Soup Dragons album Lovegod. The original version, hinging on a Marc Bolan riff, was initially ignored and regarded according to Rage Magazine as 'weird'... " |
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Lovegod |
| 1990 | "I'm Free I'm Free (The Rolling Stones song) "I'm Free" is a song by The Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, first released as the final track on the UK Out of Our Heads album on 24 September 1965... " |
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Lovegod |
| 1990 | "Mother Universe Mother Universe Mother Universe was a single taken from the Soup Dragons album Lovegod. The original version, hinging on a Marc Bolan riff, was initially ignored and regarded according to Rage Magazine as 'weird'... remixed version" |
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Lovegod |
| 1991 | "Electric Blues" | |
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| 1992 | "Divine Thing" | |
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Hotwired Hotwired Hotwired is the third studio album from The Soup Dragons. Recorded in 1991 and 1992 at Livingston Studios and Advision Brighton, it was released April 21, 1992.... |
| "Pleasure" | |
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Hotwired | |
| 1994 | "One Way Street" | |
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Hydrophonic Hydrophonic (Soup Dragons album) Hydrophonic is the fourth and final studio album from The Soup Dragons. By this stage, lead singer Sean Dickson was the only original member of the band, working with a variety of session musicians including Bootsy Collins, Lynval Golding, Neville Staples, Tina Weymouth, The Kick Horns and the... |
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External links
- The Soup Dragons at the BBC
- Soup Dragons interview on set of Mother Universe video, Oct 1990 by Chris HuntChris HuntChris Hunt is a magazine editor, journalist and author. He has worked in journalism for over twenty years, most often writing about football or rock music. He was managing editor of Match from 1993 to 2001, a period that saw the weekly title become Britain's biggest selling football magazine...
- trouserpress entry
- The Soup Dragons page at VH1