The Open were an English five-piece
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
who were signed to
Loog Records
Loog Records is a UK-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in 2003 and managed by former NME editor James Oldham. It is named after former Rolling Stones mana ...
. Their sound was heavily influenced by
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles " Talk Talk" (1982), " It's My Life", and " ...
(particularly their ''
Spirit of Eden
''Spirit of Eden'' is the fourth studio album by English band Talk Talk, released in 1988 on Parlophone Records. The songs were written by vocalist Mark Hollis and producer Tim Friese-Greene and the album was compiled from a lengthy recording ...
'' album),
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instr ...
, and early
U2, as well as latterly incorporating
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, such as
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
and ''
Tommy''-era
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
. Their debut album ''The Silent Hours'' was released in July 2004 to positive reviews.
In February 2006 they released their second album ''Statues''. First single, ‘We Can Never Say Goodbye’ was a minor hit before splitting up in May of the same year.
The Open split , News
Nme.com (30 May 2006) A statement from the band regarding the split reads as follows:
"I believe you are waiting for the official word. So here it is. The news is that we have indeed decided to call it a day with The Open. We leave the two records that we are very very proud of and memories that will remain in our hearts forever. Some of us will continue on our path through music. Some of us will not. We all wish each other the greatest of luck. No excuses, no regrets, no big philosophical kiss off, it's just the end of one journey and the start of another. Bless you all for your support over these last years and goodbye. Steve, Jon, Jim, Alan, and Roger."
Members
* Steven Bayley — vocals, guitar
* Jon Winter — guitar
* Jim Reynolds — bass
* Alan Dutton — keyboards
* Roger Westwood — drums, percussion
* Scott Holland — drums, percussion (2002–2004)
Discography
Albums
*''The Silent Hours'' (5 July 2004) UK No. 72Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United State ...
/ Loog 986 616-0 (CD/LP)
*# "Close My Eyes"
*# "Bring Me Down"
*# "Lost"
*# "Forgotten"
*# "Daybreak"
*# "Just Want to Live"
*# "Step Into the Light"
*# "Coming Down"
*# "Can You Hear"
*# "Elevation"
*''Statues'' (6 February 2006)
**Polydor/Loog 987 549-9 (CD/LP)
*# "Forever"
*# "We Can Never Say Goodbye"
*# "Moment in Time"
*# "Lovers in the Rain"
*# "Statues"
*# "My House"
*# "She's Mystery"
*# "Seasons of the Change"
*# "Fallen Tree"
*# "Alone" / "Masquerade" (hidden track)
EPs
*''La Lumiere E.P.'' (13 March 2006)
**Polydor/Loog 987 672-3 (CD/12")
*# "We Can Never Say Goodbye"
*# "The Box"
*# "I Call You"
*# "The Mirror"
*# "We Can Never Say Goodbye" (enhanced video)
Singles
References
External links
The Open's official website (redirects to Polydor's website)
The Open's official MySpace page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Open, The
English indie rock groups
Musical groups from Liverpool