The House of Love
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| The House of Love | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Camberwell, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1986–1993, 2005-present |
| Labels | Creation Fontana Spectrum Strange Fruit Art & Industry |
| Members | |
| Guy Chadwick (1986-93 & 2005 -) Terry Bickers (1986-89 & 2005 -) Pete Evans (1986-93 & 2005 -) Matt Jury (2005 -) |
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| Former members | |
| Chris Groothuizen (1986-93) (bass) Andrea Heukamp (1986-88 & 1991) (vocals, guitar) Simon Mawby (1992) (Guitar) Simon Walker (1989-92) (Guitar) |
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The House of Love are an English rock band initially active between 1986 and 1993. They reformed in 2005 and released a new album, Days Run Away.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Formation and early years
The House of Love formed in 1986 in Camberwell, London, the initial line-up comprising ex-Kingdoms singer/guitarist Guy Chadwick, Terry Bickers (formerly of Colenso Parade - guitar), Andrea Heukamp (guitar, vocals), Chris Groothuizen (bass), and Pete Evans (drums).[1] Signing to Creation Records, they released three singles before their untitled 1988 debut album (none of the LP releases had titles until 1991). A German compilation (also untitled) that collected their first two non-album singles (excluding "Christine", which had been featured on the debut album) and their b-sides was also issued.
[edit] Signing to Fontana, and the Butterfly album
The success of the band's debut album, led the group to sign to Fontana Records. The first release on Fontana, "Never" was issued against the band's wishes, stalling just outside the Top 40, as did the follow-up, "I Don't Know Why I Love You", and the debut album for the label was beset with problems, finally released nearly two years after their first album, by which time Terry Bickers had left the band.[1] The album was preceded by a new version of their first single, Shine On, and saw them break into the top 20 in 1990, and the album, House of Love (or, as it became known, the Butterfly album, or simply Fontana) reached the Top Ten. A third single from the album, "Beatles and the Stones" also reached the top 40 on the singles chart in March 1990.
Drugs had created tension between Chadwick and Bickers, and Bickers left the band in 1989 to form Levitation, he was replaced by Simon Walker (formerly with The Dave Howard Singers). Heukamp had left the band in 1987, but returned in 1990, providing backing vocals.[1]
A compilation, A Spy in the House of Love, consisting of older scrapped material and a sampling of the band's large backlog of b-sides, was released in late 1990 as a stopgap measure while the band recorded new music, but failed to match the sales of the group's Fontana debut.
[edit] Babe Rainbow
It would be October 1991 before the band re-emerged with new material, with the single "The Girl With the Loneliest Eyes". While the band were recording the next album, Walker left, to be replaced by Simon Mawbey. A single, "You Don't Understand" preceded the album, but like the single before it, failed to break into the top 40.[1] Babe Rainbow was released in July 1992, and despite the time spent on it in the studio, failed to garner much critical acclaim, although it sold respectably, peaking at number 34 on the UK Album Chart.[1] A fourth single from the album, "Feel", was the band's lowest placing release on Fontana, peaking at number 67 in the UK.[1]
[edit] Audience With the Mind, and break up
A third album, 1993's Audience With the Mind also scraped into the top 40 of the album chart, but was again poorly received by critics. The band split in 1993, with Chadwick reappearing as a solo artist in 1997, and releasing one album, 1998's Lazy Soft and Slow.[1]
[edit] Reformation - Days Run Away
Considering the previous animosity between Chadwick and Bickers, there was some surprise when in 2005, the two reformed the House of Love. They went on to tour throughout the UK. Ireland and Sweden, and released an album, Days Run Away, to some praise. The band's self-titled debut album was reissued in 2007.
[edit] Original line-up
- Guy Chadwick (vocals, guitar)
- Terry Bickers (guitar)
- Andrea Heukamp (vocals, guitar)
- Pete Evans (drums)
- Christian Groothuizen (bass)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The House of Love (singles collection) - 1987 - Creation/Rough Trade
- The House of Love - 1988 - Creation
- The House of Love - 1990 - Fontana
- A Spy in the House of Love - 1990 - Fontana
- Babe Rainbow - 1992 - Fontana
- Audience With the Mind - 1993 - Fontana/Mercury
- Best of The House of Love - 1998 - Fontana/Mercury/Chronicles
- The John Peel Sessions 88-89 - 2000 - Strange Fruit
- 1986-88 The Creation Recordings - 2001 - PLR
- The Fontana Years - 2004 - Spectrum
- Days Run Away - 2005 - Art & Industry
- Live at the BBC - 2009 - Mercury
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | UK Singles Chart[2] | U.S. Modern Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Shine On | |||
| "Real Animal" | ||||
| 1988 | "Christine" | 8 | The House of Love | |
| "Destroy the Heart" | ||||
| 1989 | "Never" | 41 | The House of Love | |
| "I Don't Know Why I Love You" | 41 | 2 | ||
| 1990 | "Shine On (remix)" | 20 | ||
| "Beatles and the Stones" | 36 | |||
| 1991 | "Marble" | 5 | A Spy in the House of Love | |
| "The Girl With The Loneliest Eyes" | 58 | Babe Rainbow | ||
| 1992 | "Feel" | 45 | Babe Rainbow | |
| "You Don't Understand" | 46 | 8 | ||
| "Crush Me" | 67 | |||
| 1993 | "Hollow" | Audience With the Mind | ||
| 2005 | "Love You Too Much" | 73 | Days Run Away |
