Then Jerico
Encyclopedia
Then Jerico are a British
rock
band
who became popular in the late 1980s.
Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer
Steve Wren and poaching guitarist
Scott Taylor from Belouis Some
.
The band played The Limelight Club in NYC in 1983 and signed to London Records
in 1984. The single
"The Big Sweep" was recorded for London but they objected to the lyrical subject matter (an anti-Robert Maxwell
/Rupert Murdoch
statement). It was initially released by the track's producer Martin Rushent
on his own Immaculate label in 1985 and then, subsequently, as a limited edition by London Records
along with the new song, "Fault", both of which attracted attention in the clubs
.
A handful of subsequent singles and a growing live following continued to raise Then Jerico's profile and the band's first real chart
success came in early 1987 with the song "Muscle Deep". "The Motive", a melodramatic slice of rock
and soul
, followed that single into the Top 40. They enjoyed success with two album
s, First (The Sound Of Music) (1987) co-produced by Mark Shaw
and Owen Davies
, which reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart
, followed by The Big Area in 1989 that went gold
and reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart. It was no big surprise, since famous producer Rick Nowels
(Belinda Carlisle
) took care of about more than half of the tracks on that album which also lead to the appearances of Belinda as side vocals on the single "What Does It Take".
The single "Big Area" was produced by top producer Gary Langan
(who was also a member of Art of Noise), and preceded the album The Big Area selling 35,000 pre-release copies. It was a huge radio and club hit throughout Europe.
The album itself featured several producers including Mark Shaw.
"Big Area" was the greatest success the group would have, peaking at number 13 in the UK Singles Chart
. It was featured in the 1989 science fiction
film
, Slipstream
(starring Mark Hamill
), and was used by Irish national broadcaster RTE
as the theme music for its televised golf programming throughout the 1990s. The singles "Big Area" and "Sugar Box
" were the best known songs taken from the album.
Mark Shaw left the band in 1990 and signed to EMI
who released the solo album Almost in 1991. It was co-produced by Mark Shaw and Duran Duran
guitarist Andy Taylor
spawning two singles "Love So Bright" and "Under Your Spell".
Mark Shaw re-activated, wrote and co-produced the Then Jerico Orgasmaphobia album released on Eagle Rock
in 1998.
Mark Shaw has since continued to play gigs
with Then Jerico, as well as occasional shows with Spandau Ballet
frontman, Tony Hadley
, and the SAS Band, a loose collection of 1980s stars that includes Roger Taylor
of Queen
, Paul Young
, and former Marillion
vocalist
, Fish
.
Their live shows featured the talents of backing vocalist Bari Goddard
(who also worked with Cliff Richard, Madonna and Jimmy Somerville among others) and Steve Lee (Joan Armatrading); some of these performances are available on the double CD release "Radio Jerico" which showcase some Radio 1 sessions and the full Hammersmith Odeon Show of 1989.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
who became popular in the late 1980s.
Career
Mark Shaw formed the band at the age of 21, recruiting bassistBassist
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...
Jasper Stainthorpe and 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...
Steve Wren and poaching guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Scott Taylor from Belouis Some
Belouis Some
Belouis Some is a British New Wave musician. He had hits in the 1980s with "Some People", "Round Round", , plus "Imagination" which also achieved success on the European and , and can be heard in the films Ghost Chase and The Business...
.
The band played The Limelight Club in NYC in 1983 and signed to 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....
in 1984. The single
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 Big Sweep" was recorded for London but they objected to the lyrical subject matter (an anti-Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
/Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
statement). It was initially released by the track's producer Martin Rushent
Martin Rushent
Martin Rushent was an English record producer, best known for his work with The Human League, The Stranglers and The Buzzcocks.- Early life :Rushent was born on 11 July 1948 in Enfield, Middlesex. His father was a car salesman...
on his own Immaculate label in 1985 and then, subsequently, as a limited edition by 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....
along with the new song, "Fault", both of which attracted attention in the clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
.
A handful of subsequent singles and a growing live following continued to raise Then Jerico's profile and the band's first real chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success came in early 1987 with the song "Muscle Deep". "The Motive", a melodramatic slice of 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...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, followed that single into the Top 40. They enjoyed success with two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, First (The Sound Of Music) (1987) co-produced by Mark Shaw
Mark Shaw
Mark Shaw is an English singer who formed the successful 1980s rock band Then Jerico which he continues to front to this day and, whose last studio album to date was 1998's ORGASMAPHOBIA which features the song "Some People" seen here in a on the hugely popular late night ITV James Whale Radio Show...
and Owen Davies
Owen Davies
Owen Davies is a reader in Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. His main field of research is on the history of modern and contemporary witchcraft and magic....
, which reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart
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...
, followed by The Big Area in 1989 that went gold
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,...
and reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart. It was no big surprise, since famous producer Rick Nowels
Rick Nowels
Richard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
(Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
) took care of about more than half of the tracks on that album which also lead to the appearances of Belinda as side vocals on the single "What Does It Take".
The single "Big Area" was produced by top producer Gary Langan
Gary Langan
Gary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...
(who was also a member of Art of Noise), and preceded the album The Big Area selling 35,000 pre-release copies. It was a huge radio and club hit throughout Europe.
The album itself featured several producers including Mark Shaw.
"Big Area" was the greatest success the group would have, peaking at number 13 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 ...
. It was featured in the 1989 science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Slipstream
Slipstream (1989 film)
Slipstream is a 1989 post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure film. The plot has an emphasis on aviation and contains many common science-fiction themes, such as taking place in a dystopian future in which the landscape of the Earth itself has been changed and is windswept by storms of great power...
(starring Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
), and was used by Irish national broadcaster RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
as the theme music for its televised golf programming throughout the 1990s. The singles "Big Area" and "Sugar Box
Sugar Box
"Sugar Box" is a hit song by UK band Then Jerico. It is the second single from the band's 1989 album Big Area and is the follow-up to the album's hit title track. The single peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. It is the band's third biggest hit, after "Big Area" and their 1987 song "The...
" were the best known songs taken from the album.
Mark Shaw left the band in 1990 and signed to EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
who released the solo album Almost in 1991. It was co-produced by Mark Shaw and Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
guitarist Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor (guitarist)
Andy Taylor is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station....
spawning two singles "Love So Bright" and "Under Your Spell".
Mark Shaw re-activated, wrote and co-produced the Then Jerico Orgasmaphobia album released on Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock Entertainment
Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...
in 1998.
Mark Shaw has since continued to play gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
with Then Jerico, as well as occasional shows with Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
frontman, Tony Hadley
Tony Hadley
Tony Hadley is an English pop singer-songwriter, occasional stage actor and radio presenter who gained celebrity as the lead vocalist for the 1980s band Spandau Ballet.-Early life:...
, and the SAS Band, a loose collection of 1980s stars that includes Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Paul Young
Paul Young (singer and guitarist)
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
, and former Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Fish
Fish (singer)
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
.
Original band members
- Mark Shaw - (born Mark Robert Tiplady, 10 June 1961, ChesterfieldChesterfieldChesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
, DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
) - singerSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- (1983–present) - Cliff Lawrence - guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
(1983) - Scott Taylor - (born 31 December 1961) - guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
- (1984–1989) - Keith Airey (replaced Scott Taylor on guitar for the The Big Area tour - 1989)
- Rob Downes - guitarist (born 7 December 1961) - (1987–1989)
- Ben Angwin - keyboardistKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
- (1984–1985) - Alex Mungo - keyboardist - (1985–1988)
- Chris Youdell - keyboardist - (1988–1989)
- Jasper Stainthorpe - (born 18 February) - bassistBassistA 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...
- (1983–1989) - Steve Wren - (born 26 October 1962) - drummerDrummerA 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...
- (1983–1989) - Mark Sanderson - (born 1961) - keyboardist (1983)
Their live shows featured the talents of backing vocalist Bari Goddard
Bari Goddard
Bari Goddard is an avant garde and controversial Welsh singer-songwriter, artist and photographer. Born in Pontypridd South Wales February 9, 1958....
(who also worked with Cliff Richard, Madonna and Jimmy Somerville among others) and Steve Lee (Joan Armatrading); some of these performances are available on the double CD release "Radio Jerico" which showcase some Radio 1 sessions and the full Hammersmith Odeon Show of 1989.
Current band members
- Mark ShawMark ShawMark Shaw is an English singer who formed the successful 1980s rock band Then Jerico which he continues to front to this day and, whose last studio album to date was 1998's ORGASMAPHOBIA which features the song "Some People" seen here in a on the hugely popular late night ITV James Whale Radio Show...
- Vocals - PJ Phillips - Bass
- John Miller - Drums
- Ryan Phillips - Guitar
- Paul Davis - Drums
- Magnus Box - Bass
- Steve Woodman - Percussion
- Foli Ybovi - Guitar
Albums
- First (The Sound of Music) (1987)
- The Big Area (1989)
- Almost... [Mark Shaw - Solo] (1991)
- Electric (1994)
- Radio Jerico [2xcd] (1997)
- Orgasmaphobia (1998)
- The Best Of... (1999)
- Alive & Exposed (2000)
Singles
- "The Big Sweep" (1985)
- "Fault" (1985)
- "Muscle Deep" (1986)
- "Let Her Fall" (1986) - UKUK 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 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 ...
#65 - "Prairie Rose" (1987)
- "The Motive (Living Without You)" (1987) - #18
- "Muscle Deep" (1987) - #48
- "Big Area" (1988) - #13
- "What Does It Take" (1989) (featuring Belinda CarlisleBelinda CarlisleBelinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
) - #33 - "Sugar BoxSugar Box"Sugar Box" is a hit song by UK band Then Jerico. It is the second single from the band's 1989 album Big Area and is the follow-up to the album's hit title track. The single peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. It is the band's third biggest hit, after "Big Area" and their 1987 song "The...
" (1989) - #22 - "Love So Bright" (Mark Shaw solo - 1990)
- "Under Your Spell" (Mark Shaw solo - 1991)
- "The Motive" (1996) (Eurohouse Remix - Bol Beat Records)
- "The Motive" (1997) (ItaloDance Remix - Contraseña Records)