Scorpio Rising (band)

Scorpio Rising were an English rock band from Birkenhead active from 1989 to 1994.

History

Scorpio Rising were formed in Birkenhead in 1989. The group's first live performances took place in small clubs in Liverpool, with several shows at Liverpool Planet X and Cosmos Clubs in late 1989. Scorpio Rising's definitive line up and sound was created when the band were joined by Parliament/Funkadelic influenced bass player Steve Soar in 1990.

Scorpio Rising signed to Chapter 22 Records (UK) and Sire / Elektra (USA).

The unique Scorpio Rising sound was driven from a diverse set of influences, combining breakbeat driven rhythms, strong pop melodies and funk influenced basslines sandblasted with pychedelic and experimental guitar distortion techniques. Earliest recordings feature heavy use of wah-wah pedals and breakbeat/baggy drum patterns contemporary with the early nineties.

Scorpio Rising came to the attention of the UK music press in 1991 with the release of "Watermelon" their first major backed single on Chapter 22 records. For a brief period their combination of infectious breakbeat flavoured drums, swirling distorted rock guitars and "new lad superstar" (NME 1991) frontman Mickey Banks was hailed as a new direction for UK indie/rock music. At this time the band recorded the six track mini album If.... It featured a new rock sound different from the bands contemporaries, with funk influenced bass lines, soft pychedelic guitars on the slower tracks and stooges style rock guitars backed with "baggy" rhythms for the first time on the faster tracks. The album was well received by the UK music press, leading to sold out headlining dates across the UK and rave reviews of the live shows, which started to feature stage diving by the audiences.

Scorpio Rising toured the UK with Smashing Pumpkins, PWEI, Neds Atomic Dustbin, Eat, Senseless Things and other contemporary bands of the early 1990s, culminating with appearances at Finsbury Park and Reading Festival in 1992.

Scorpio Rising then recorded their one and only full-length album, Pig Symphony.

Scorpio Rising took the sound of the electric guitar into new territory with the prodigious use of ripped speakers, metal pipe acoustics and vintage film studio recording equipment when recording Breathing Underwater/Zero for Chapter 22 in Eds Garage, (now defunct vintage recording studio in Camden Town, London) in 1992. This session (co-produced by Teo Miller who also produced Daisy Chainsaw led to "Pig Symphony" for Sire/Elektra when the band were signed to the label by the legendary Seymour Stein, who flew from New York to see the band headline the Marquee club in London in 1992.

Pig Symphony was recorded over Christmas 1992 at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, and was produced by Teo Miller and Scorpio Rising.

During the 1993 PWEI tour preceding Pig Symphony the band lost bassist Steve Soar, and went into the studio as a four piece. Steve Soar appears on "Breathing Underwater" and "Fountain Of You" both recorded during the Breathing Underwater sessions at Ed's Garage.

Having recruited bass player Mandi Morgan, Scorpio Rising returned to the studio to record the follow-up for Sire, titled Brutal Deluxe, the new album was produced by Steve Osborne of Perfecto, producer of Happy Mondays Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches and U2. Recorded and mixed in 1993 at Orinoco and Battery Studio's in London, Brutal Deluxe took Scorpio Rising in a new direction, and included the totally unique thrash / trance track "Bugcatcher" which was later remixed by Steve Osborne and included in Paul Oakenfold's legendary Goa trance sets for Radio 1.

The album was never released by Sire.

Members

• Mickey Banks - Singer
• Sploote Lead - Lead Guitar
• Martin Atherton - Guitar
• Steve Soar/Mandi Morgan - Bass
• Colin Owens - Drums

Discography

Albums

• IF.. (1992), Chapter 22
• Zodiac Killers (1992), Sire - USA compilation
• Pig Symphony, Sire
• Brutal Deluxe (unreleased)

Singles, EPs

• Stranges Times EP (1991), Chapter 22 - "The Strangest Things Turn You On" / "Burn Out" / "Bliss"
• The Watermelon EP (1991), Chapter 22 - "Watermelon" / "Beautiful People" / "Malicious"
• "Saturnalia" / "Disturbance" / "Peace Frog" (1992), Chapter 22
• "Silver Surfing" / "Fountain of You" / "Zero" (1993), Chapter 22
• "Evelyn" / "Its Obvious" / "Find Your Own Way" / "Brutal Deluxe" (1993), Sire
• 12" white label single: to radio only: Bugcatcher/Dubcatcher