The Members are a British
punk band that originated in
Camberley,
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
, England. In the UK, they are best known for their single "The Sound of the Suburbs", reaching No. 12 in 1979, and in Australia, "Radio" which reached No. 5 in 1982.
Career
The Members were formed by lyricist
Nicky Tesco
Nick Lightowlers (1955 – February 26, 2022) was a British performer, lyricist, producer, and music industry professional better known to many by his stage name Nick Tesco, the lead singer of the Members.
Career
As a founding member and co-song ...
(Nick Lightowlers) in 1976, through an invited
audition at a recording studio at
Tooley Street, London.
The original personnel, with Tesco (vocals), was Gary Baker (guitar), and Steve Morley (bass guitar), initially with Steve Maycock then
Clive Parker (drums). Morley and Parker were later replaced by Chris Payne and Adrian Lillywhite.
In 1976, the band performed for its first engagements at The Red Cow (
London W6), The Windsor Castle (
London W9) and The Nashville Rooms (
London W14). In that year composer Jean Marie Carroll (aka
JC Carroll
Jean-Marie "JC" Carroll is an English composer, songwriter and musician. He has been a members of the post-punk group The Members for over 40 years, and is an established film composer.
Biography
JC Carroll was born in Camberley on 9 February ...
) joined the band to complement Tesco's
lyrics.
The Members had
recorded a number of songs, but the first released recording was "Fear on the Streets", produced by Lillywhite's brother
Steve Lillywhite.
This song was included on the first
record released by the
Beggars Banquet label, the
punk compilation ''Streets'' (1977).
The song-writing collaboration between Tesco and Carroll moved The Members' sound towards an incorporation of
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, shown in the first single released for
Stiff Records, "Solitary Confinement", produced by
Larry Wallis.
Following these releases, band personnel became Tesco (vocals), Carroll (vocals and guitar), Nigel Bennett (guitar), Payne (bass) and Lillywhite (drums).
In 1978/79, the Members continued to play the London
pub and
club circuit, became a feature in the
music press and were championed by John Peel. They signed to
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a world ...
in 1978, for which label they recorded "The Sound of the Suburbs", again produced by Steve Lillywhite.
This became The Members' biggest
chart success and their best-known song in the UK. The follow-up single, "Offshore Banking Business", a reggae tune written by Carroll,
based on his experiences working in
offshore banking
An offshore bank is a bank regulated under international banking license (often called offshore license), which usually prohibits the bank from establishing any business activities in the jurisdiction of establishment. Due to less regulation and ...
at the private bank
Coutts, did not achieve the same popularity. A version of "Offshore Banking Business" was recorded for the early 1980s film ''
Urgh! A Music War'', produced by
Michael White, distributed by
Filmways and
Lorimar Productions.
The Members' first album, ''
At the Chelsea Nightclub'', was followed by a second for Virgin, ''
1980 – The Choice Is Yours''.
Augmented by saxophonists Steve (Rudi) Thomson and Simon Lloyd (the latter of whom also provided horns and additional keyboards), the group recorded what would turn out to be their final album. This last album was first issued in the US as ''
Uprhythm, Downbeat'' in 1982,
and it surfaced in the UK a year later, retitled ''
Going West
The Going West Books & Writers Festival is a New Zealand literary festival which began in 1996 in West Auckland. It was Auckland's first literary festival, and is one of the longest-running literary festivals in New Zealand. Going West predomi ...
''.
The album featured the singles "Radio," which made no. 5 in Australia, and ''Working Girl'', the music video for which gave the band exposure in North America via
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
.
The band broke up in 1983, when Tesco left the band after the last
tour of the US. JC Carroll formed the UK Fashion House "The Dispensary with his then Wife Sophy Lynn and Began working on film sound tracks most notably with Producer Stephen Malit and Director Julien Temple Lillywhite went on to join the band
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
in the mid-1980s in time for their
second album. Lloyd soon joined the Australian band
Icehouse
Icehouse or ice house may refer to:
* Ice house (building), a building where ice is stored
* Ice shanty, a shelter for ice fishing also known as an ''Icehouse''
* Ice skating rink, a facility for ice skating.
* Ice hockey arena, an area where i ...
, remaining with them for their international smash hits "
Electric Blue" and "
Crazy
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...
." In 1989, Tesco appeared in ''
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
''Leningrad Cowboys Go America'' is a 1989 road movie by Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki about the adventures of the Leningrad Cowboys, an eccentric band that travels to the United States to become successful, and combines their brand of p ...
'', written and directed by
Aki Kaurismäki, a film about a fictional
Russian rock band touring the US. This fictional band then toured as an actual band, and recorded the Tesco song "Thru the Wire". Kaurismäki directed a
video
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) sy ...
for "Thru the Wire", featuring Tesco. As well as working as a
music journalist for the magazine ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'', Tesco has been a commentator on new releases for
BBC 6 Music's "Roundtable".
Reunion incarnation
In 2008 the original line up of the band reformed to play two concerts , then a line up of Carroll, Payne and Nick Cash resumed touring, In 2009 a new single "International Financial Crisis" (a re-write of "Offshore Banking Business") was released, recorded by Tesco, Carroll, Payne and Bennett, with
artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
by the original Members'
album sleeve designer,
Malcolm Garrett. This line up played Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals. The Members line-up of Carroll, Payne and
Rat Scabies (drums) performed from 2010 to 2013, playing over 90 Shows including 3 European Tours and New Zealand and Australian Tours. Nick Cash rejoined the band in 2014.
In March 2012, the Members released their fourth studio album, ''InGrrLand'', featuring Carroll, Payne, Bennett, Cash and
Rat Scabies. in December 2013 Nigel Bennett rejoined the Members. In 2014 The Members (comprising Carroll, Bennett and Cash), mounted a 23-date tour of the US; Carroll on bass guitar and lead vocals, Bennett on lead guitar, and Cash on drums. This was the band's first tour of the US for 32 years.
In 2015, the band began work on their fifth studio album in studios in London and West Byfleet featuring a nucleus of Carroll, Cash, Payne and Bennett together with guest appearances from
Guy Pratt and former
Jam guitarist Steve Brookes. ''One Law'', released in early 2016, was produced by Carroll, and received reviews in
Louder Than War, ''The Aberdeen Voice'', ''
Record Collector'' and ''
Vive Le Rock''.
In 2021 The Band released their 7th Studio Album "Bedsitland" to critical acclaim and JC's Carroll definitive story of the Band (Still) Annoying the Neighbours was published
Since Reforming the Members have performed all over the World; apart from a break for the pandemic, they continue to perform.
On 26 February 2022, it was announced that Tesco had died, at the age of 67. The BBC's Johnny Walker and JC Carroll pay tribute to Tesco on the ever popular Sounds of the 70's Radio show.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Compilation appearances
*''Streets'' (
Beggars Banquet
''Beggars Banquet'' is the 7th British and 9th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Ro ...
1977 Track: "Fear on the Streets")
*''The Moonlight Tapes'' (Danceville Records 1977 Track: "Rat Up a Drainpipe")
*''The Sound of the Suburbs'' (Columbia Records MOOD18 (1991) Track: "The Sounds of the Suburbs")
Line-ups
Timeline
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id:voc value:red legend:Vocals
id:wi value:gray(0.5) legend:Horns
id:g value:green legend:Guitar
id:key value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:b value:blue legend:Bass
id:dr value:orange legend:Drums
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at:01/02/2015
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bar:Nicky Tesco from:01/07/2007 till:01/01/2008 color:voc
bar:Nicky Tesco from:01/01/2009 till:01/07/2009 color:voc
bar:Steve ''Rudi'' Thompson from:01/05/1981 till:01/09/1983 color:wi
bar:Steve ''Rudi'' Thompson from:01/07/2013 till:01/12/2013 color:wi
bar:Adam Maitland from:01/05/1981 till:01/09/1981 color:wi
bar:Simon Lloyd from:01/09/1981 till:01/09/1983 color:wi
bar:Simon Lloyd from:01/09/1981 till:01/09/1983 color:key width:3
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bar:JC Carroll from:01/05/1977 till:01/09/1983 color:g
bar:JC Carroll from:01/07/2007 till:end color:g
bar:JC Carroll from:01/06/2014 till:01/08/2014 color:b
bar:JC Carroll from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2009 color:voc width:3
bar:JC Carroll from:01/07/2009 till:end color:voc width:3
bar:Nigel Bennett from:01/07/1978 till:01/09/1983 color:g
bar:Nigel Bennett from:01/07/2007 till:01/01/2008 color:g
bar:Nigel Bennett from:01/12/2013 till:01/08/2014 color:g
bar:Nigel Bennett from:01/01/2016 till:01/05/2016 color:g
bar:Paddy Carroll from:01/11/2014 till:01/01/2016 color:g
bar:Steve Morley from:start till:01/09/1977 color:b
bar:Chris Payne from:01/09/1977 till:01/09/1983 color:b
bar:Chris Payne from:01/07/2007 till:01/03/2014 color:b
bar:Chris Payne from:01/08/2014 till:01/09/2016 color:b
bar:Chris Payne from:01/01/2017 till:end color:b
bar:Calle Engelmarc from:01/03/2014 till:01/06/2014 color:b
bar:Calle Engelmarc from:01/09/2016 till:01/01/2017 color:b
bar:Calle Engelmarc from:01/01/2017 till:end color:g
bar:Calle Engelmarc from:01/01/2017 till:end color:key width:3
bar:Steve Maycock from:start till:01/07/1976 color:dr
bar:Clive Parker from:01/07/1976 till:01/01/1977 color:dr
bar:Adrian Lillywhite from:01/01/1977 till:01/05/1983 color:dr
bar:Adrian Lillywhite from:01/07/2007 till:01/01/2008 color:dr
bar:Chuck Sabo from:01/05/1983 till:01/09/1983 color:dr
bar:Nick Cash from:01/01/2008 till:01/07/2010 color:dr
bar:Nick Cash from:01/12/2013 till:01/05/2016 color:dr
bar:Nick Cash from:01/09/2016 till:end color:dr
bar:Rat Scabies from:01/07/2010 till:01/12/2013 color:dr
bar:Dan Heatly from:01/05/2016 till:01/09/2016 color:dr
References
External links
The Members Official YouTube ChannelThe Members web siteNick Tesco music review blog.Review of The Members in Sacramento 2014Record Collector Article September 2015J C Carroll Official SiteNicky Tesco filmographyNick (Nicky) Tesco biographical videos.Guardian Newspaper April 2021.Vive Le Rock Magazine JC Carroll Book Review April 2021.Louder then War Magazine - JC Carroll Book Review April 2021.*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Members, The
English punk rock groups
English new wave musical groups
Musical groups established in 1975
Musical groups disestablished in 1983
Musical groups reestablished in 2007
Reggae rock groups
People from Camberley