The Blow Monkeys
The Blow Monkeys is a British pop and soul band, consisting of Bruce Robert Howard (guitar, vocals), Mick Anker (bass), Neville Henry (saxophone, keyboard) until 2017 Tony Kiley (drums) and since 2017 Crispin Taylor ( Drums). The most successful singles are Digging Your Scene (1986) and It Doesn't Have to Be This Way (1987).
Band history
The group formed in 1981 around front singer and songwriter Dr. Robert was born Bruce Robert Howard on May 2, 1961 in Haddington, Scotland, after he returned to Great Britain from Australia , where he spent his childhood . The band name comes from Australia and is an ethnophaulistic name for Aborigines who play the didgeridoo .
In 1982 the first single, Live Today, Love Tomorrow was released . In 1984 the band released the debut album Limping for a Generation . The Blow Monkeys had their first hit in 1986 with Digging Your Scene from their second album Animal Magic . The single reached the Top 20 in the UK and the US and was # 7 in Dance Music / Club Play Singles. In addition, the song was the only single chart hit in Germany (25th place).
In January 1987 the band released the album She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter , the most successful of which, It Doesn't Have to Be This Way , reached number 5 in the UK but was not a hit in the US . On the studio album Springtime for the World , The Blow Monkeys experimented with elements from world music and house , but without having any resounding success. The band split at the end of the year. Dr. Robert opened a restaurant on Lanzarote and also dedicated himself to his solo career, which continues to this day.
On November 18, 2007, the band announced their reunion. In September 2008 they released the CD Devil's Tavern , which was followed by a tour in early 2009. The band still have something to say, so the CD is all new material. In addition, one does not want to swim on a wave of 1980s nostalgia, according to band leader Dr. Robert.
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1986 | Animal Magic |
DE50 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK21st  (8 weeks)UK |
US35 (18 weeks) US |
First published: April 1986
Producer: Peter Wilson |
| 1987 | She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter |
DE30 (9 weeks) DE |
AT30 (2 weeks) AT |
CH29 (1 week) CH |
UK20th (8 weeks)UK |
US134 (8 weeks) US |
First published: April 1987
Producer: Michael Baker |
| 1989 | Whoops! There Goes the Neighborhood |
DE64 (3 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK46 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: January 1989
Producer: Dr. Robert, Stephen Hague, Leon F Sylvers III, Julian Mendelsohn |
More albums
- 1984: Limping for a Generation
- 1990: Springtime for the World
- 2008: Devil's Tavern
- 2009: Travelin 'Souls - Live! At the Legendary 100 Club (CD + DVD)
- 2011: Staring at the Sea
- 2012: Live from London
- 2013: Feels Like a New Morning (2 CDs)
- 2015: If Not Now, When?
- 2017: The Wild River
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1989 | Choices - The Singles Collection | - | - | - |
UK5  (9 weeks)UK |
- |
First published: August 1989
Producers: Dr. Robert, Peter Wilson |
More compilations
- 1994: The Best of Blow Monkeys
- 1996: For the Record
- 1999: Atomic Lullabies: Very Best of the Blow Monkeys (2 CDs)
- 2000: Digging Your Scene
- 2000: Complete Singles
- 2000: Rare & Unreleased
- 2008: Digging Your Scene: The Best of the Blow Monkeys (2 CDs)
- 2013: Halfway to Heaven: The Best of the Blow Monkeys & Dr. Robert (with Robert Howard; 3 CDs)
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1985 | Forbidden Fruit Animal Magic |
- | - | - |
UK94 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: September 1985
Author: Robert Howard |
| 1986 | Digging Your Scene Animal Magic |
DE25 (12 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK12 (11 weeks) UK |
US14 (19 weeks) US |
First published: February 1986
Author: Robert Howard |
| Wicked Ways Animal Magic |
- | - | - |
UK60 (5 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: April 1986
Author: Robert Howard |
|
| Don't Be Scared of Me Animal Magic |
- | - | - |
UK77 (4 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: June 1986
Author: Robert Howard |
|
| 1987 | It Doesn't Have to Be This Way She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter |
- | - | - |
UK5 (8 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: January 1987
Author: Robert Howard |
| Out with Her She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter |
- | - | - |
UK30 (6 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: March 1987
Author: Robert Howard |
|
| (Celebrate) The Day After You She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter |
- | - | - |
UK52 (3 weeks) UK |
- | ||
| Some Kind of Wonderful She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter |
- | - | - |
UK67 (3 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: July 1987
Author: Robert Howard |
|
| 1988 | This Is Your Life Whoops! There Goes the Neighborhood |
- | - | - |
UK32 (9 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: July 1988
Author: Robert Howard |
| It Pays to Belong Choices - The Singles Collection |
- | - | - |
UK76 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: October 1988
Author: Robert Howard |
|
| 1989 | Choice Choices - The Singles Collection |
- | - | - |
UK22 (6 weeks) UK |
- |
First release: July 1989
feat. Sylvia Tella Author: Robert Howard |
| Slaves No More Choices - The Singles Collection |
- | - | - |
UK73 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First release: October 1989
feat. Sylvia Tella Author: Robert Howard |
|
| 1990 | Springtime for the World Springtime for the World |
- | - | - |
UK69 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: May 1990
Author: Robert Howard |
More singles
- 1982: Live Today, Love Tomorrow
- 1984: Go Public
- 1984: The Man from Russia
- 1984: Atomic Lullaby
- 1984: Wildflower
- 1985: Forbidden Fruit
- 1985: Sweet Murder (The Smile on Her Face)
- 1986: Don't be Scared of Me
- 1988: This Is Your Life
- 1988: It Pays to Belong
- 1988: Wait (The Blow Monkeys performed by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle )
- 1990: If You Love Somebody
- 1990: La passionara (feat. Quan-T and Berzerk)
- 2008: The Bullet Train
- 2008: Travelin 'Soul
- 2011: Steppin 'Down
- 2011: Hangin 'On to the Hurt (Let It Go Now)
- 2011: The Killing Breeze
- 2013: Oh My
- 2013: Feels Like a New Morning
- 2013: Shake It Off
- 2014: Chained
- 2015: OK! Have it your way
- 2017: Crying for the Moon
- 2017: The Wild River
Video albums
- 1985: Video Magic
- 1986: Digging Your Scene
- 1989: Choices - The Video Collection
- 2005: Live in London
- 2006: Animal Magic: Blow Monkeys Live
- 2009: Travelin 'Souls - Live! At the Legendary 100 Club
- 2012: Live from London
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Web links
- Official website
- The Blow Monkeys at Allmusic (English)
- The Blow Monkeys at Discogs (English)
- Robert Howard's biography