Matchbox (band)
Matchbox | |
---|---|
General information | |
origin | Middlesex , England |
Genre (s) | Rockabilly , rock 'n' roll |
founding | 1971, 1996 |
resolution | 1985 |
Website | www.rockabillyrebel.co.uk |
Founding members | |
singing |
Wiffle Smith (until 1976) |
guitar |
Steve Bloomfield |
Fred Poke | |
Jimmy Redhead | |
Ian Terry | |
Current occupation | |
singing |
Graham Fenton (since 1977) |
guitar |
Steve Bloomfield (1971–1981, since 1996) |
bass |
Fred Poke (1971–1981 since 1996) |
Drums, vocals |
Jimmy Redhead (1971, 1979–1985, since 1996) |
guitar |
Gordon Scott (1979–1985, since 1996) |
former members | |
piano |
Rusty Lupton (1976) |
Drums |
Bob Burgos (1976-1978) |
guitar |
Dick Callan (1980-1985) |
guitar |
Garry Hogan (1985-1985) |
Matchbox is a British rockabilly band that was formed in 1971. In addition to the Stray Cats, they are considered the fathers of the rockabilly revival in the mid / late 1970s. In addition to rock 'n' roll , the band repeatedly included pop-oriented song material in their repertoire. In the 1980s , the group achieved a total of five top 20 hits with titles such as Rockabilly Rebel , Midnite Dynamos and Over the Rainbow . Her single I Want Out (1983) from the album Crossed Line was co-produced with Kirsty MacColl .
Band history
The instrumental line-up of the band has always remained the same over the years, but there have been several personnel changes. In the beginning and on the first album Riders in the Sky , 1977 the group still consisted of the singer Wiffle Smith, Steve Bloomfield on guitar, the pianist Rusty Lupton, Fred Poke on bass and the drummer Bob Burgos. The following year Smith was replaced by former Hellraisers singer Graham Fenton. Lupton dropped out.
The band had their breakthrough as the accompaniment of Bo Diddley and as support of Carl Perkins . In 1979 Matchbox became known to a wider audience in Germany with the album of the same name. There were German cover versions by Leinemann and Ted Herold . The new wave of rockabilly began. In addition to Bloomfield, Fenton and Poke, the former Cruisers members Gordon Scott could be heard on rhythm guitar and Jimmy Redhead on drums. Bloomfield now liked to use the mandolin too ; a rather untypical instrument for rockabilly, which can be understood as a trademark for Matchbox . In 1980 guitarist Dick Callan joined the line-up. In 1981 the style of music gradually changed. The Flying Colors and Crossed Line albums tended towards pop. The last album Going Down Town was released in 1985 only in Sweden.
Since 1995 Matchbox have been back in the line-up, in which they celebrated their greatest successes in the early 1980s, and have also released a new album. The band still performs regularly across Europe today.
Others
In 1980 the band Lee starred in the musical documentary film Blue Suede Shoes alongside Bill Haley , Crazy Cavan , Freddie Fingers Lee and Ray Campi .
The name of the band goes back to the title of the same name by Carl Perkins and expresses the reminiscence of the classic rockabilly style of the 1950s. Until the late 1970s, Matchbox expressed this bond through their style of clothing and hairstyles; Fred Poke, like Lee Rocker with the Stray Cats , lurched across the stage with a large double bass .
In the mid-1980s, Graham Fenton recorded some tracks under the name Graham Fenton's Matchbox, among others with former Matchbox members Bob Burgos and Ian Terry , but these are not considered official Matchbox albums.
Discography
Albums
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | |||
1976 | Riders In The Sky Rockhouse |
- | - | - | - | |
1979 | Midnite Dynamos magnet |
DE28 (9 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK23
silver
(9 weeks)UK |
|
1980 | Settin 'The Woods On Fire ACE |
- | - | - | - | |
Matchbox magnet |
- | - | - |
UK44 (5 weeks) UK |
||
1981 | Flying Colors Magnet |
- | - | - | - | |
1982 | Crossed line magnet |
- | - | - | - | |
1998 | Comin 'Home self-publication |
- | - | - | - |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
Singles
year | Title B side |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, B-side , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | |||
1975 | Rock 'N' Roll Band Born To Rock 'N Roll |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Dawn
|
1978 | Rock Rollin 'Boogie Troublesome Bay |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Raw
|
1979 | Rockabilly Rebel I Don't Wanna Boogie Alone |
DE17 (29 weeks) DE |
AT12 (8 weeks) AT |
CH9 (5 weeks) CH |
UK18 (12 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
Buzz Buzz a Diddle It Everybody Needs A Little Love |
DE45 (10 weeks) DE |
AT17 (8 weeks) AT |
- |
UK22 (8 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
Black Slacks Mad Rush |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
1980 | Midnite Dynamos Love Is Going Out Of Fashion |
DE8 (24 weeks) DE |
AT15 (8 weeks) AT |
CH4 (9 weeks) CH |
UK14 (12 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
first edition with Scotted Dick on the B-side |
When You Ask About Love You've Made A Fool Of Me |
DE29 (14 weeks) DE |
AT16 (2 weeks) AT |
- |
UK4th
silver
(12 weeks)UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
Over the Rainbow - You Belong to Me (Medley) Don't Break Up The Party / Stay Cool |
DE42 (12 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK15 (11 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
Please Don't Touch All The Boys (Love My Baby) |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Charley
|
|
1981 | Babe's in the Wood Tokyo Joe |
DE44 (9 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK46 (6 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
Love's Made a Fool of You Springheel Jack |
DE66 (3 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK63 (3 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
Matchbox Make Like A Rock And Roll |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Bellaphon
|
|
Only Wanna Rock Riders In The Sky |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Bellaphon
|
|
1982 | One More Saturday Night Rollin 'On |
- | - | - |
UK63 (2 weeks) UK |
Music label: Magnet
|
24 Hours Anabella’s On Her Way |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
Riding The Night Mad, Bad And Dangerous |
- | - | - | - |
Music label: Magnet
|
|
1983 | I Want Out Heaven Can Wait |
DE58 (1 week) DE |
- | - | - |
Music label: Magnet
feat. Kirsty MacColl |
swell
- ↑ Matchbox in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- ↑ Matchbox Official Discography on the artist website , accessed March 1, 2020
- ↑ a b Chart sources: DE AT CH UK
- ↑ a b BPI gold / platinum database (Great Britain)
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Matchbox at Discogs (English)
- Matchbox at Allmusic (English)