The Grid
- For other uses of the title The Grid, see Grid (disambiguation).
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The Grid | |
|---|---|
| Origin | England |
| Genres | House Techno Ambient house |
| Years active | 1988–1996 2003–present |
| Labels | East West, Virgin, Deconstruction, Some Bizzare |
| Members | Richard Norris David Ball |
| Past members | Sacha Rebecca Souter (singer/vocals) |
The Grid are an English electronic dance group, consisting of Richard Norris and David Ball (formerly of Soft Cell),[1] with guest contributions from other musicians. They are best known for the hits "Swamp Thing", "Crystal Clear", "Rollercoaster", "Floatation", and "Cybernetic" (with Robert Fripp and Phil Manzanera).
Band members
- Richard Norris (born 23 June 1965, London) - keyboards
- David Ball (born 3 May 1959, Blackpool, Lancashire) - keyboards
- Sacha Rebecca Souter (musician) (born 26 November 1963, Cockerton, County Durham) - Vocals
Biography
The Grid formed in 1988 and had their first success with debut single, "Floatation", released on East West Records in 1990. They went on to release a string of ten UK hit singles and four albums,[1] and toured the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. The group's 1994 album Evolver reached #14 in the UK Albums Chart.[1] The lead single from this album, "Swamp Thing", featuring elaborate banjo lines played by Roger Dinsdale. "Swamp Thing" proved to be a commercial success in the UK, Europe and Australia, reaching #3 in the UK[1] and Australia and selling a total of one million copies.[citation needed]
In 1996, Norris and Ball agreed to a hiatus period in order pursue individual music interests. Norris formed the Droyds, which went on to remix tracks by musicians including Armand Van Helden and Siobhan Fahey, and wrote the official biography of Paul Oakenfold (published in 2007): Ball reformed Soft Cell with Marc Almond, and also wrote music scores for films.[citation needed] Norris has since formed the psychedelic duo, Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve, with DJ Erol Alkan, and has released a number of solo records and remixes under the name The Time and Space Machine.
The duo reunited in 2005, initially playing two gigs under the name GDM with female singer Misty Woods, before writing and recording new material as the Grid. A single, "Put Your Hands Together", was released in 2007 and an album, Doppelgänger, followed in 2008. Both were released on the Some Bizzare label. The album featured vocals by the British musician, Chris Braide.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | UK Albums Chart[1] | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Electric Head | - | East West Records |
| 1992 | 456 | - | Virgin Records |
| 1994 | Evolver [2] | 14 | Deconstruction Records |
| 1995 | Music for Dancing | 67 | Deconstruction Records |
| 2008 | Doppelgänger | - | Some Bizzare Records |
Singles
| Year | Single | UK Singles Chart[1] |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "On the Grid" (promo only) | - |
| 1989 | "Intergalactica" (promo only) | - |
| 1990 | "Floatation" | 60 |
| 1990 | "A Beat Called Love" | 64 |
| 1990 | "Origins of Dance" | - |
| 1991 | "Boom!" | - |
| 1992 | "Figure of 8" | 50 |
| 1992 | "Heartbeat" | 72 |
| 1993 | "Crystal Clear" | 27 |
| 1993 | "Texas Cowboys" | 21 |
| 1993 | "Swamp Thing" | 3 |
| 1994 | "Rollercoaster" | 19 |
| 1994 | "Texas Cowboys" (re-issue) | 17 |
| 1995 | "Diablo" | 32 |
| 2006 | "Slammer" / "Slinker" (promo only) | - |
| 2007 | "Put Your Hands Together" | - |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 236. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Chartstats.com