Felt (band)

Felt
Origin	Birmingham, England
Genres	Post-punk, indie pop, jangle pop, dream pop, alternative rock
Years active	1979–1989
Labels	Cherry Red, Creation
Associated acts	Denim, Go Kart Mozart, Primal Scream
Past members	Lawrence Maurice Deebank Gary Ainge Nick Gilbert Mick Lloyd Marco Thomas Martin Duffy Tony Willé Neil Scott John Mohan Richard Left Robert Young

Felt was a British indie band led by Lawrence Hayward, whose surname was never listed in any credits or press; the band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus". Lawrence and drummer Gary Ainge were the only constant members, though Ainge is not featured on Felt's first release, recorded solo by Lawrence before the band formed.

Felt are often cited as a major influence by Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, as well as by Manic Street Preachers, Christopher Owens of Girls, and American alternative rock group The Tyde. The band released ten albums and ten singles in ten years and then disbanded.

History

Over the course of its ten-year existence, the band included classically-trained guitarist and co-songwriter Maurice Deebank (who left in 1986), keyboard player Martin Duffy and bassist-turned-lead guitarist Marco Thomas.

Felt recruited the services of Robin Guthrie as producer for their album Ignite the Seven Cannons, which remains one of the group's most popular albums. Deebank left the band after this album to pursue a solo career. The single "Primitive Painters" features backing vocals from Guthrie's Cocteau Twins partner Elizabeth Fraser.

With the arrival of Martin Duffy (later of Primal Scream), keyboards (especially the electronic organ) became a more important part of the band's sound, and they dominate the band's two instrumental albums, Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death and Train Above the City (the latter not featuring Lawrence in any capacity except for naming the tracks). It was during this period that the band recorded Forever Breathes the Lonely Word and the follow-up Poem of the River.

In 1989 Lawrence declared it had been his intention all along to release ten singles and ten albums in ten years and, having done so, announced the end of Felt. After releasing their last album and undertaking a short tour the band split up. Lawrence went on to form Denim and, later, Go Kart Mozart.

Discography

Studio albums

• Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty (Cherry Red, 1981)
• The Splendour of Fear (Cherry Red, 1984)
• The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories (Cherry Red, 1984)
• Ignite the Seven Cannons (Cherry Red, 1985)
• Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death (Creation Records, 1986)
• Forever Breathes the Lonely Word (Creation Records, 1986)
• Poem of the River (Creation Records, 1987)
• The Pictorial Jackson Review (Creation Records, 1988)
• Train Above the City (Creation Records, 1988)
• Me and a Monkey on the Moon (Cherry Red, 1989)

Compilations

• Gold Mine Trash (Cherry Red, 1987)
• Bubblegum Perfume (Creation Records, 1990)
• Absolute Classic Masterpieces (Cherry Red, 1992)
• Absolute Classic Masterpieces Volume II (Creation Records, 1993)
• Stains on a Decade (Cherry Red, 2003)

Singles

• Index (Shanghai Records, September 1979)

7" "Index" / "Break It"

Released as by Felt though recorded solo by Lawrence before band formed.

• Something Sends Me to Sleep (Cherry Red, July 1981)

7" "Something Sends Me to Sleep" / "Red Indians" / "Something Sends Me to Sleep" (different version) / "Red Indians"

Both "Red Indians" tracks are identical. It is an earlier version of the song later appearing on the band's second album.

• My Face Is on Fire (Cherry Red, September 1982)

7" "My Face Is on Fire" / "Trails of Colour Dissolve"

• Penelope Tree (Cherry Red, June 1983)

7" "Penelope Tree" / "A Preacher in New England"

12" "Penelope Tree" / "A Preacher in New England" / "Now Summer's Spread Its Wings Again"

"A Preacher in New England" is a shorter version of the song from the band's second album.

• Mexican Bandits (Cherry Red, March 1984)

7" "Mexican Bandits" / "The World Is as Soft as Lace"

• Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow (Cherry Red, July 1984)

7" "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" / "Fortune"

12" "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" / "Fortune" / "Sunlight Strings"

The title track is different from the album version. "Fortune" is a new recording of the song from the band's first album.

• Primitive Painters (Cherry Red, August 1985)

12" "Primitive Painters" / "Cathedral"

CD "Primitive Painters" / "Cathedral" (August 1988)

"Cathedral" is a new recording of the song from the band's first album.

• Ballad of the Band (Creation Records, May 1986)

7" "Ballad of the Band" / "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You"

12" "Ballad of the Band" / "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You" / "Candles in a Church" / "Ferdinand Magellan"

• Rain of Crystal Spires (Creation Records, September 1986)

7" "Rain of Crystal Spires" / "I Will Die with My Head in Flames"

12" "Rain of Crystal Spires" / "Gather Up Your Wings and Fly" / "Sandman's on the Rise Again" / "I Will Die with My Head in Flames"

• The Final Resting of the Ark (Creation Records, September 1987)

12" "The Final Resting of the Ark" / "Autumn" / "Fire Circle" / "There's No Such Thing as Victory" / "Buried Wild Blind"

• Space Blues (Creation Records, August 1988)

7" "Space Blues" / "Be Still"

12" "Space Blues" / "Be Still" / "Female Star" / "Tuesday's Secret"

"Be Still" originally by The Beach Boys; the only cover recorded by Felt.

• Get out of My Mirror (Cherry Red, October 1989)

7" "Get out of My Mirror"

Free one-sided flexidisc.

• Primitive Painters reissue (Cherry Red, March 1992)

12" "Primitive Painters" / "Dismantled King Is Off the Throne" (demo) / "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" (demo)

CD "Primitive Painters" / "Dismantled King Is Off the Throne" (demo) / "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" (demo)

The two demos first appeared on the Gold Mine Trash compilation album.

Videos

• A Declaration - Live in Concert, London, February 1987 (DVD, Cherry Red, 2003)

External links

• Felt - a tribute - News on Felt, Denim, Lawrence, etc.
• Felt discography
• The Felt, Denim & Go Kart Mozart reviews page
• History of Felt in Spanish
• Foxtrot Echo Lima Tango - Felt fanzine and blog
• Felt : Ballad of the fan - A book about Felt
• Felt - The Book - Photo book with annotations by Lawrence