Marillion are a British
neo-prog
Neo-progressive rock (commonly abbreviated neo-prog) is a subgenre of progressive rock that developed in the UK in the early 1980s. The genre's most popular band, Marillion, achieved mainstream success in the decade. Several bands from the ge ...
band, formed in
Aylesbury
Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
and classic
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
,
becoming the most commercially successful neo-prog band of the 1980s.
Marillion released their debut single "
Market Square Heroes
"Market Square Heroes" is the debut single by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in October 1982 with "Three Boats Down from the Candy" as the B-side. The 12-inch single included an additional track, the 17:15-minute-long "Grendel". ...
" in 1982, followed by their first album ''
Script for a Jester's Tear
''Script for a Jester's Tear'' is the debut studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1983 by EMI Records. The album reached number seven and spent 31 weeks in the UK Albums Chart, eventual ...
'' in 1983. They have released 20 studio albums in total. The band achieved eight Top 10 UK albums between 1983 and 1994, including a
No. 1 album in 1985 with ''
Misplaced Childhood
''Misplaced Childhood'' is the third studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1985. It is a concept album loosely based on the childhood of Marillion's lead singer, Fish, who was inspired by a brief incident that occurre ...
''. The album also produced two UK Top 10 singles in "
Kayleigh
"Kayleigh" is a song by British neo-prog band Marillion. It was released as the first single from the concept album '' Misplaced Childhood''. It is the band's most successful single in the UK, where it peaked at number two and stayed on the U ...
" (No. 2) and "
Lavender
''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...
" (No. 5), while the follow-up album, 1987's ''
Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'', included another UK Top 10 single "
Incommunicado" (No. 6). ''Clutching at Straws'' was the band's last studio album with original lead singer
Fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
, who left for a solo career in late 1988. Altogether, during the Fish era, Marillion scored 11 Top 40 hits on the
UK Singles Chart. "Kayleigh" also entered the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States.
In early 1989, Marillion announced
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth (born Ronald Stephen Hoggarth, 14 May 1956), also known as "h", is an English musician. Since 1989, he has been the lead singer of the rock band Marillion, for which he also performs additional keyboards and guitar. Hogarth was f ...
as their new lead singer. The first album with him, ''
Seasons End
''Seasons End'' is the fifth studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1989. The album was the first to feature current lead vocalist Steve Hogarth, following the departure of former vocalist Fish in late 1988. It reached numb ...
'', was another Top 10 hit, and albums continued to chart well until their departure from
EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...
, following the release of their 1996 live album ''
Made Again'', and the dissipation of the band's mainstream popularity in the late 1990s; save for a resurgence in the mid- to late-2000s, they have essentially been a
cult act since then. Since the arrival of Hogarth, Marillion have achieved a further 12 Top 40 hit singles in the UK, including 2004's "
You're Gone" from the album ''
Marbles
A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. These toys can be used for a variety of games called marbles, as well being placed in marble runs or races, or created as a form of art. They are ofte ...
'', which charted at No. 7 and is the biggest hit of the Hogarth era. In 2016, the album ''
Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)
''Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)'' is the eighteenth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 2016.
Production
As with many of their recent recordings, Marillion, who are widely considered crowdfunding pioneers, turned ...
'' returned them to the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
Top 10 for the first time since 1994's ''
Brave
Brave(s) or The Brave(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Brave, an adjective for one who possesses courage
* Braves (Native Americans), a Euro-American stereotype for Native American warriors
Film and television
* ''Brave'' (1994 film), a concept ...
''. Their most recent album, 2022's ''
An Hour Before It's Dark'', entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 2, their highest chart position since ''Clutching at Straws'' in 1987. Marillion continue to tour internationally, becoming ranked 38th in
''Classic Rock'''s "50 Best Live Acts of All Time" in 2008.
Despite unpopularity in the mainstream media and a consistently unfashionable status within the British music industry, Marillion have maintained a loyal international fanbase, becoming widely acknowledged as playing a pioneering role in the development of
crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
and
fan-funded music
Fan-funded music is crowdfunding for music. Often, fan-funded music occurs in conjunction with direct-to-fan marketing. Fans of music have the option to donate and collectively raise money with the goal of jump-starting the career of a given musica ...
. They have sold over 15 million albums worldwide.
History
The Fish era
Formation and early years (1978–1982)
In 1977, drummer
Mick Pointer
Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-prog bands Marillion and Arena.
Career
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP '' Ma ...
joined Electric Gypsy, which also included Doug Irvine on bass, Alan King on vocals and Andy Glass (later of
Solstice
A solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly sun path, excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around 20–22 June and 20–22 December. In many countries ...
) on guitar. Pointer and Irvine left to form their own band, Silmarillion, named after
J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...
's book ''
The Silmarillion
''The Silmarillion'' () is a book consisting of a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited, partly written, and published posthumously by his son Christopher in 1977, assisted by G ...
'', in late 1978. They played one London show as an instrumental band with Neil Cockle (keys) and Martin Jenner (guitar). 1979 saw a new line-up of Mick Pointer,
Steve Rothery
Steven Rothery (born 25 November 1959) is an English musician who is the original guitarist and the longest continuous member of the progressive rock band Marillion. Outside Marillion, Rothery has recorded two albums as part of the duo The Wis ...
(guitar), Doug Irvine (bass/vocals) and Brian Jelliman (keys). They played their first concert at
Berkhamsted Civic Centre,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
, on 1 March 1980. According to Pointer, it was at this stage that the name was shortened to Marillion.
Other sources have that the band name was shortened to Marillion in 1981 to avoid potential copyright conflicts, at the same time as singer
Fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
and bassist William 'Diz' Minnitt replaced original bassist/vocalist Doug Irvine following an audition at Leyland Farm Studios in Buckinghamshire on 2 January 1981. The line-up of Rothery, Pointer, Jelliman, Fish, and Minnitt performed their first gig at the Red Lion Pub at 35 Market Square in
Bicester
Bicester ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of Oxfordshire, England, north-west of Oxford. The town is a notable tourist attraction due to the Bicester Village shopping centre. The historical town centre � ...
on 14 March 1981. Many years after his departure from Marillion, Irvine eventually joined the band Steam Shed.
By the end of 1981,
Mark Kelly
Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, retired astronaut, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he ha ...
had replaced Jelliman on keyboards, with
Pete Trewavas
Peter Trewavas (born 15 January 1959) is an English musician, best known as the bassist of the progressive rock band Marillion. He joined in 1982, replacing Diz Minnitt, while acting as a backing vocalist and occasional guitarist.
Biography
...
replacing Minnitt on bass in 1982. Minnitt later formed Pride of Passion and went on to perform with Zealey and Moore.
Marillion's first recordings were two demos recorded in March and the summer of 1980, before Fish and Minnitt joined the band. Two versions of the Spring demo circulate amongst collectors; the first has four tracks; "The Haunting of Gill House", "Herne the Hunter", an untitled track known as "Scott's Porridge", and "Alice". The second version has an instrumental version of "Alice" in place of "Scott's Porridge". All tracks are instrumental apart from "Alice", with vocals by Doug Irvine. The summer demo has three tracks; "Close" (parts of which were later rewritten into "The Web", "He Knows You Know" and "Chelsea Monday"), "Lady Fantasy" (an original based on an earlier Electric Gypsy song), and another version of "Alice". Both were recorded at
The Enid
The Enid are a British progressive rock band founded by keyboardist and composer Robert John Godfrey. Godfrey received his main musical education from The Royal College of Music. He is previously known for his work with Barclay James Harvest ...
's studio in Hertfordshire. Following Irvine's departure and replacement by Fish and Minnitt, the band recorded another demo tape, produced by Les Payne, in July 1981 that included early versions of "He Knows You Know", "Garden Party", and "Charting the Single".
The group attracted attention with a radio session for the ''
Friday Rock Show
The ''Friday Rock Show'' was a radio show in the United Kingdom that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 10pm to midnight on Friday nights, from 17 November 1978 until 2 April 1993. For most of its existence, it was hosted by Tommy Vance.
Vance ...
''. They were subsequently signed by
EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...
. They released their first single, "
Market Square Heroes
"Market Square Heroes" is the debut single by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in October 1982 with "Three Boats Down from the Candy" as the B-side. The 12-inch single included an additional track, the 17:15-minute-long "Grendel". ...
", in 1982, with the 17-minute epic "Grendel" on the B-side of the 12" version. Following the single, the band released their first full-length album in 1983.
''Script for a Jester's Tear'' and ''Fugazi'' (1983–1984)
The music on their debut album, ''
Script for a Jester's Tear
''Script for a Jester's Tear'' is the debut studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1983 by EMI Records. The album reached number seven and spent 31 weeks in the UK Albums Chart, eventual ...
'', was born out of the intensive performances of the previous years. Featuring a dark progressive rock sound, the album was a commercial success, peaking at No. 7 on the UK album chart and producing the singles "
He Knows You Know
"He Knows You Know" is a song by the British neo-prog band Marillion. It was their second single, with "Charting the Single" as the B-side. It was released from their first album, '' Script for a Jester's Tear'', and peaked at number 35 on the ...
" (No. 35) and "
Garden Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
" (No. 16).
Although they were accused of being
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
soundalikes,
the album reached the
Platinum certification
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
and has been credited with giving a second life to progressive rock bands from the previous era.
In April 1983, following the UK tour to promote ''Script for a Jester's Tear'', Mick Pointer was dismissed due to Fish's dissatisfaction with what he later described as the drummer's "awful" timing and failure to develop as a musician with the rest of the band. Over the next six months, three drummers passed through the band - original
Camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
drummer
Andy Ward, followed by John 'Martyr' Marter, followed by
Jonathan Mover
Jonathan Mover, a.k.a. "Mover", is an American drummer. He is a former member of the bands Marillion and GTR.
Early life and career
Mover was raised in the Boston area and began playing drums at age thirteen. Primarily self-taught, he stu ...
- before
Ian Mosley
Ian F. Mosley (born 16 June 1953) is an English drummer. He is best known for his long-time membership of the neo-prog band Marillion, which he joined for their second album, ''Fugazi'', released in 1984. He had previously been an in-demand ses ...
, who had played for acts including
Darryl Way's Wolf,
Trace
Trace may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Trace'' (Son Volt album), 1995
* ''Trace'' (Died Pretty album), 1993
* Trace (band), a Dutch progressive rock band
* ''The Trace'' (album), by Nell
Other uses in arts and entertainment
* ...
,
Gordon Giltrap
Gordon Giltrap, MBE (born 6 April 1948) is an English guitarist and composer. His music crosses several genres. He has been described as "one of the most revered guitarists of his generation", and has drawn praise from fellow musicians including ...
, and
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English guitarist who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis (band), Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three l ...
, was secured in October 1983. The second album ''
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
'', released in early 1984, was written during this period of upheaval in the band's lineup, with the recording beset by production problems. Despite this, the album built upon the success of ''Script for a Jester's Tear'', with a more streamlined
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
sound. It improved on the chart placing of its predecessor by reaching the Top 5 and produced the singles "
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Mr Punch and one other ...
" (No. 29) and "
Assassing" (No. 22).
In November 1984, Marillion released their first live album, ''
Real to Reel'', featuring songs from ''Fugazi'' and ''Script for a Jester's Tear'', as well as "Cinderella Search" (B-side to "Assassing") and the debut single "Market Square Heroes", which had not been available on album until that point. ''Real to Reel'' entered the UK album charts at No. 8.
''Misplaced Childhood'' and international success (1985–1986)
Their third and commercially most successful studio album was ''
Misplaced Childhood
''Misplaced Childhood'' is the third studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1985. It is a concept album loosely based on the childhood of Marillion's lead singer, Fish, who was inspired by a brief incident that occurre ...
'', which had a more mainstream sound. The lead single from the album, "
Kayleigh
"Kayleigh" is a song by British neo-prog band Marillion. It was released as the first single from the concept album '' Misplaced Childhood''. It is the band's most successful single in the UK, where it peaked at number two and stayed on the U ...
", received major promotion by EMI and gained heavy rotation on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
and
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom.
As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act 1990, and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2 ...
stations as well as television appearances, bringing the band to the attention of a much wider audience. "Kayleigh" reached No. 2 in the UK and "
Lavender
''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...
" reached No. 5; these remain the only singles by the band to enter the Top 5.
Following the exposure given to "Kayleigh" and its subsequent chart success, the album became their only
No. 1 in the UK, knocking
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...
's ''
Boys and Girls'' off the top spot and holding off a challenge from
Sting
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene.
STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
, whose first solo album, ''
The Dream of the Blue Turtles
''The Dream of the Blue Turtles'' is the debut solo album by English musician Sting, released on 17 June 1985. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200.
Five singles were released from ...
'', entered the chart in the same week. The third single from the album, "
Heart of Lothian", became another Top 30 hit for the band, reaching No. 29. The album came sixth in ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1985. "Kayleigh" also gave Marillion its sole entry on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, reaching No. 74. In the summer of 1986, the band played to their biggest ever audience as special guests to
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
at a festival in Germany attended by a crowd of over 150,000 people. They were also offered the ''
Highlander'' soundtrack but turned it down because of their world tour, a missed opportunity which Rothery later said he regretted.
''Clutching at Straws'' and the departure of Fish (1987–1988)
The fourth studio album, ''
Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'', shed some of its predecessor's pop stylings and retreated into a darker exploration of excess, alcoholism, and life on the road, representing the strains of constant touring that would result in the departure of Fish to pursue a solo career. It did continue the group's commercial success, however; lead single "
Incommunicado" charted at No. 6 in the UK, gaining the band an appearance on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
'', and the album entered the UK album chart at No. 2. "
Sugar Mice
"Sugar Mice" is a song by British neo-prog band Marillion. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Clutching at Straws'' (1987). Released on 13 July 1987, it peaked at number 22 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming ...
" and "
Warm Wet Circles" also became hit singles, both reaching No. 22. Fish has also stated in interviews since that he believes this was the best album he made with the band. The album came sixth in ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1987, equalling the ranking given to ''Misplaced Childhood''. It was also included in ''
Q'' magazine's "50 Best Recordings of the Year". Fish made the decision to leave the group after this tour, explaining his reasons for departing in a 2003 interview:
"By 1987 we were over-playing live because the manager was on 20 per cent of the gross. He was making a fantastic amount of money while we were working our asses off. Then I found a bit of paper proposing an American tour. At the end of the day the band would have needed a £14,000 loan from EMI as tour support to do it. That was when I knew that, if I stayed with the band, I'd probably end up a raging alcoholic and be found overdosed and dying in a big house in Oxford with Irish wolfhounds at the bottom of my bed."
Fish gave the band a choice to continue with either him or the manager,
John Arnison.
They sided with the manager and Fish left for a solo career.
[ His last live performance with Marillion was at Craigtoun Country Park on 23 July 1988. The band's second live album, '']The Thieving Magpie
''La gazza ladra'' (, ''The Thieving Magpie'') is a ''melodramma'' or opera semiseria in two acts by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Giovanni Gherardini based on ''La pie voleuse'' by Théodore Baudouin d'Aubigny and Louis-Charles Caigniez ...
'', was released in late 1988, marking the end of an era.
Aftermath
Owing to lengthy legal battles, informal contact between Fish and the other four band members apparently did not resume until 1999. Fish would disclose in the liner notes to the remastered edition of ''Clutching at Straws'' that he and his former bandmates had met up, discussed the demise of the band and renewed their friendship. They had come to the consensus that an excessive touring schedule and too much pressure from the band's management led to the rift.
Although reportedly now on good personal terms, both camps had always made it very clear that the oft-speculated-upon reunion would never happen. When Fish headlined the 'Hobble on the Cobbles' free concert in Aylesbury's Market Square on 26 August 2007, the attraction of playing their debut single in its spiritual home proved strong enough to overcome any lingering bad feeling between the former bandmates, and Kelly, Mosley, Rothery, and Trewavas replaced Fish's backing band for an emotional encore of "Market Square Heroes".
In a press interview following the event, Fish denied this would lead to a full reunion, saying that: " Hogarth does a great job with the band. We forged different paths over the 19 years."
The Steve Hogarth era
''Seasons End'' and ''Holidays in Eden'' (1989–1992)
After the split, the band found Steve Hogarth, the former keyboardist and vocalist of the Europeans
''The Europeans: A sketch'' is a short novel by Henry James, published in 1878. It is a comedy contrasting the behaviour and attitudes of two visitors from Europe with those of their relatives living in the "new" world of New England. The nov ...
and the duo How We Live. Hogarth first sang with the band in Pete Trewavas' garage on 24 January 1989, and the first public pictures together were released in ''Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' magazine issue 230 on 18 March 1989. Hogarth was a significant contrast to Fish, coming from a new wave musical background instead of progressive rock, and possessing a very different vocal style, image and stage presence. He had also never owned a Marillion album before joining the band.[
The group had already recorded some demos of the next studio album, which was eventually titled '']Seasons End
''Seasons End'' is the fifth studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1989. The album was the first to feature current lead vocalist Steve Hogarth, following the departure of former vocalist Fish in late 1988. It reached numb ...
'', just prior to the split. With Fish taking his lyrics with him, Hogarth set to work crafting new words to existing songs, collaborating with lyricist and author John Helmer. The demo sessions of the songs from ''Seasons End'' with Fish vocals and lyrics can be found on the bonus disc of the remastered version of ''Clutching at Straws'', while those lyrics found their way into various Fish solo albums, such as his first album ''Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors
''Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors'' is the debut solo album by Scottish neo-prog singer Fish, released in 1990.
Fish had departed Marillion in 1988. Although the recordings for this album finished as early as June 1989, EMI Records decided to ...
'', some snippets on his second album '' Internal Exile'', and even a line or two found its way to his third album '' Suits''.
The first time Marillion would appear in public with Steve Hogarth as the new singer was under the banner of Low Fat Yoghurts, at the Crooked Billet pub in Stoke Row
Stoke Row is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills, about west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire and about north of Reading. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 651.
History
The earliest known surviving recor ...
, on 8 June 1989. Only about 100 fans attended that Crooked Billet show, while considerably more attended Hogarth's official introduction to fans at the recording of the promo video for "Hooks in You
"Hooks in You" is the first single from British rock band Marillions fifth album '' Seasons End'', released in 1989. It was the first single to feature lead singer Steve Hogarth, who joined the band the same year, replacing Fish.
"Hooks in You ...
" at London's Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Lon ...
on 1 August that year. Hogarth's first proper concert with Marillion was at the Palais des Sports Palais des Sports (French: Palace of Sports) is a generic name of comprehensive indoors sports venue, mostly in the French-speaking world, including:
; France:
*Palais des Sports de Beaulieu, Nantes
* Palais des sports Ghani-Yalouz, Besançon
* Pal ...
in Besançon, France on 5 October following the release of ''Seasons End''. The band ended 1989 with their traditional Christmas show at London's Hammersmith Odeon
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...
, and kicked off 1990 with the beginning of the ''Seasons End'' world tour, in front of 180,000 people at Hollywood Rock
Hollywood Rock was a music festival which took place in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, from 1988 to 1996, featuring both Brazilian and international acts. The festival was sponsored and organised by the Souza Cruz tobacco company, owner ...
Festival in Rio de Janeiro in January, then rolling through Canada and North America before returning to Europe. The tour would prove to be the longest that Hogarth has thus far undertaken with Marillion. The tour ended in the UK in July, with a sold out show at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
, highlighting how successful the shift from Fish to the new frontman Hogarth had been.
Hogarth's second album with the band, ''Holidays in Eden
''Holidays in Eden'' is the sixth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1991. Recorded at Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire and Westside Studios in London, it was the band's second album with vocalist Steve Hogarth and t ...
'', was the first he wrote in partnership with the band from the beginning, and includes the song "Dry Land", which Hogarth had written and recorded with his earlier duo, How We Live. As quoted from Steve Hogarth, "''Holidays in Eden'' was to become Marillion's "pop"est album ever, and was greeted with delight by many, and dismay by some of the hardcore fans". EMI also wanted Marillon to deliver three hit singles from the album.
Marillion returned to their pseudonym Low Fat Yoghurts in December 1990 to preview their forthcoming album at the Moles club in Bath, Somerset
Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...
. ''Holidays in Eden'' wouldn't be released until June 1991, and was followed by a headlining appearance at the second and final Cumbria Rock Festival at Derwent Park
Derwent Park is a Rugby League Stadium and former motorcycle speedway in Workington, England situated beside the Cumbrian River Derwent. It is used mostly for rugby league matches and is the home stadium of Workington Town who play in Leagu ...
in Workington 13 July 1991. The Cumbria appearance kick-started another lengthy world tour that would see the band course through the UK, before venturing through Europe and returning to the UK for some Christmas shows. At the beginning of 1992 the band built their own recording and rehearsal studio, The Racket Club, in Buckinghamshire. March and April 1992 saw Marillion back touring Canada and America, before returning to the UK for an exclusive and intimate 10th Anniversary show at London's Borderline for members of their The Web fan club on 9 May 1992, followed by another European tour in August.
Marillion returned to the UK to headline Wembley Arena, for what would ultimately be the final time for the band, on 5 September 1992. The 1992 tour wound up in Baltimore, USA on 23 October. 1992 also saw the release of a 10th anniversary compilation album, '' A Singles Collection: Six of One, Half A Dozen of the Other'', so-titled as it included six tracks from the Fish era and six from the two albums with Hogarth. It also included two new recordings, "I Will Walk on Water" and a cover of Rare Bird
Rare Bird were an English progressive rock band, formed in 1969. They released five studio albums between 1969 and 1974. In the UK, the organ-based single "Sympathy" reached number 27 in February 1970, selling an estimated one million globall ...
's "Sympathy
Sympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and reaction to the Mental distress, distress or need of another life form.
According to philosopher David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspe ...
". "Sympathy" was also released as a single and it reached No. 17 in the UK charts, the first time the band had been inside the singles Top 20 since "Incommunicado". Marillion would play only one live show in 1993, a fan club gig at Tivoli Theatre in Utrecht on 19 June, as a duo with only Hogarth and Trewavas. The band spent most of 1993 recording what would become one of the most significant albums of their history.
''Brave'', ''Afraid of Sunlight'' and split with EMI Records (1993–1995)
''Brave
Brave(s) or The Brave(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Brave, an adjective for one who possesses courage
* Braves (Native Americans), a Euro-American stereotype for Native American warriors
Film and television
* ''Brave'' (1994 film), a concept ...
'' was released on 7 February 1994. A dark and richly complex concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
inspired by a true news story, it took the band 18 months to write and record and marked the start of their longtime relationship with producer Dave Meegan
Dave Meegan is an Irish record producer, born in Dublin in 1963. Meegan is best known for his work with Marillion.
Meegan's association with Marillion began when he worked as an assistant engineer on their second album, ''Fugazi'' in 1984. He go ...
.
Some of the material had been aired at that sole 1993 show in Utrecht, and was also previewed at low-key gigs in the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany before Marillion kicked off the ''Brave'' world tour at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...
on 20 February 1994. The ''Brave'' tour was another lengthy one, and the band undertook the move to perform the whole of their new album in its entirety (as they had done with ''Misplaced Childhood'' just under a decade earlier). However, this meant the inevitable relegating of some Fish-era songs from the set. After a series of summer shows in Japan, the ''Brave'' tour wound its way down to Mexico in September. An independent film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
based on the album, which featured the band, was also released in February 1995. The film was directed by Richard Stanley.
The band's next album, ''Afraid of Sunlight
''Afraid of Sunlight'' is Marillion's eighth studio album, released in 1995. It was their last for EMI (who would, however, continue to release back-catalogue material on compilations and re-issues, as well as distribute some later recordings).
...
'', was released June 1995. It would be Marillion's last studio album with EMI Records. It received limited promotion, no mainstream radio airplay and the sales were disappointing for the band. Despite this, it was one of their most critically acclaimed albums and was included in '' Q'' 50 Best Albums of 1995. A particularly notable track on the album is "Out of This World", a song about Donald Campbell
Donald Malcolm Campbell, (23 March 1921 – 4 January 1967) was a British speed record breaker who broke eight absolute world speed records on water and on land in the 1950s and 1960s. He remains the only person to set both world land a ...
, who died in January 1967 whilst trying to set his eighth world water speed record on Coniston Water
Coniston Water is a lake in the Lake District in North West England. It is the third largest by volume, after Windermere and Ullswater, and the fifth-largest by area. The lake has a length of , a maximum width of , and a maximum depth of . Its ou ...
, in the English Lake District
The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...
. The song inspired an initiative by Bill Smith, aka Bluebird Bill, Bill Smith, an underwater surveyor and amateur diver, to recover both Campbell's body and ''Bluebird K7'', the Hydroplane (boat), hydroplane in which Campbell had crashed, from the lakebed. The recovery was finally undertaken in 2001, with both Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery invited. Steve Rothery produced a photographic record of the event. In 1998, Steve Hogarth said he considered ''Afraid of Sunlight'' the best album he made with the band.
On 2 August 1995, Marillion began their ''Afraid of Sunlight'' tour in USA at the Bayou in Washington DC. They returned to the UK and Europe before ending the tour in Krakow, Poland on 21 November 1995.
''This Strange Engine'', ''Radiation'' and ''marillion.com'' (1996–1999)
The band's independent status was confirmed with signing a deal to the UK-based Castle Records, Castle. The first album to be released through Castle was the band's third live album (the first with Hogarth) '' Made Again''. Not only did it release Marillion from its obligations with EMI (as the fifth album in a five-album deal), as well as paying off the debts without creating new ones, it marked a certain symmetry with the first seven years of the band. Mark Kelly noted: "Our first four studio albums were followed by a double live album that signalled the end of a chapter. Now, after another four studio albums, followed by a live album, we move from EMI." Featuring ''Brave'' in its entirety, ''Made Again'' was released 25 March 1996 as the final EMI-era Marillion release in the UK, with Castle handling the release in mainland Europe and the US. The release was followed by a brief tour with four dates in Europe at the end of April.
In the months prior, Rothery, Hogarth and Mosley used the break from Marillion to record separate solo projects. Mosley's project, IRIS, with French guitarist Sylvian Gouvernaire and Trewavas, released ''Crossing the Desert,'' on 22 April 1996. Rothery's project with the female singer Hannah Stobart, drummer Paul Craddick (from Enchant (band), Enchant) and Trewavas, called The Wishing Tree (band), The Wishing Tree, released their album ''Carnival of Souls (The Wishing Tree album), Carnival of Souls'' in September 1996. Hogarth released his solo album ''Ice Cream Genius'' in February 1997.
''This Strange Engine (Album), This Strange Engine'' was the following Marillion album released in April 1997 in the UK, and in October in the US, with limited promotion from their new label Castle. Marillion could not afford to make tour stops in the United States. Their dedicated US fan base decided to solve the problem by raising some $60,000 themselves online to give to the band to come to the US. The band's loyal fanbase (combined with the Internet) would eventually become vital to their existence. Following the completion of the extensive 1997 tour (including Marillion's one-thousandth gig, on 27 October at the Amsterdam Paradiso (Amsterdam), Paradiso), the band returned to their own studio, The Racket Club, in November. During 1997 to 1999, EMI issued 2-CD remastered editions of Marillion's first eight studio albums (''Script for a Jester's Tear'' through ''Afraid of Sunlight''), each with a second CD of non-album tracks and other archival recordings.
The band's tenth album, ''Radiation (Marillion album), Radiation,'' released on 21 September 1998, saw them taking a different approach and was received by fans with mixed reactions. The short ''Radiation'' tour, with only dates in the UK and mainland Europe, ended on 18 November 1998 at the Élysée Montmartre in Paris.
''marillion.com'' was the follow-up, released on 18 October 1999, and showed progression in a new musical direction. However, the band were still unhappy with their record label situation. Under the terms of the deal, this was to be the third and final album distributed on the Castle label. The ''Dot Com'' tour, again with dates only in the UK and mainland Europe, started on 13 October at the MCM Cafe in Paris, and ended with a special Christmas show for the Web fanclubs worldwide in Aachen, Germany on 5 December 1999. For the whole of 2000, the band were writing Anoraknophobia, the next album at the Racket Club and in November 2000 they played 2 Charity gigs at Bass Brewery, Bass Museum in Burton-on-Trent, before playing some more Christmas shows for their European fan clubs. Marillion needed a new strategy, and following the release of three albums via Castle, they came up with a novel approach for their next album.
''Anoraknophobia'' and ''Marbles'' (2000–2006)
The band decided that they would try a radical experiment by asking their fans if they would help fund the recording of the next album by pre-ordering it before recording even started. The result was 12,674 pre-orders, which raised enough money to record and release ''Anoraknophobia'' in the beginning of May 2001. As a 'thank-you' gesture to the fans who pre-ordered it, their names were credited in the sleeve notes and the pre-order "Special Edition" came in a deluxe 48-page hard-bound case with an extra enhanced CD. The band was able to strike a deal with EMI to also help distribute the album. This allowed Marillion to retain all the rights to their music while enjoying commercial distribution. The band went on tour which started in May 2001. A second leg of the tour (with a setlist largely decided by a poll of the fans) reached places that had never been played before, such as in the Azores at Ponta Delgada 22 September 2001. A US Tour was still not a possibility. A four-part BBC documentary 'The Future Just Happened' aired in the UK on BBC2 in the Summer 2001. Featured in Episode 3 was Marillion's revolutionary internet pre-order campaign for ''Anoraknophobia''. The band released its fourth live album, entitled ''Anorak in the UK'', in 2002.
April 2002 marked a new era of Marillion fandom. The band decided to book out a holiday camp and invite their fanbase to enjoy three entire days of Marillion with three concerts, signing sessions, and more. The hallmark of the weekend was the first night which hosts the entire rendition of an album of Marillion's choice. The Marillion weekends began at Pontins, Pontin's Holiday Park, Brean Sands in the West Country, to which fans would fly in from all over the world. In March 2003 they continued and held the Marillion weekend at Butlin's Minehead.
The success of ''Anoraknophobia'' allowed the band to start recording their next album, but they decided to leverage their fanbase once again to help raise money towards marketing and promotion of a new album. The band put up the album for pre-order in mid-production. This time fans responded by pre-ordering 18,000 copies.
''Marbles
A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. These toys can be used for a variety of games called marbles, as well being placed in marble runs or races, or created as a form of art. They are ofte ...
'' was released at the end of April 2004 with a 2-CD version that was only available at Marillion's website. The pre-order version (known as the Deluxe Campaign Edition) of ''Marbles'' was packaged as a 128-page hard-bound book, packed in a rigid slip case. Those who purchased the Deluxe Campaign Edition by the end of 31 December 2003 were directly helping the Campaign Fund, and as a "Thank You" their name was printed in the album credits (like with the previous album, ''Anoraknophobia'').
The band's management organised the biggest promotional schedule since they had left EMI and Steve Hogarth secured interviews with prominent broadcasters on BBC Radio, including Matthew Wright (television presenter), Matthew Wright, Bob Harris (radio), Bob Harris, Stuart Maconie, Simon Mayo and Mark Lawson. ''Marbles'' also became the band's most critically acclaimed album since ''Afraid of Sunlight'', prompting many positive reviews in the press.[Jon Hotten ''Classic Rock'', May 2004, Issue 66.] The band released " You're Gone" as the lead single from the album. Aware that it was unlikely to gain much mainstream radio airplay, the band released the single in three separate formats and encouraged fans to buy a copy of each to get the single into the UK Top Ten. The single reached No. 7, making it the first Marillion song to reach the UK Top 10 since " Incommunicado" in 1987 and the band's first Top 40 entry since "Beautiful" in 1995. The second single from the album, "Don't Hurt Yourself", reached No. 16. Following this, they released a download-only single, "The Damage (live)", recorded at the band's sell-out gig at the London Astoria. All of this succeeded in putting the band back in the public consciousness, making the campaign a success. In September 2004, Marillion returned for shows in Mexico, USA and ended in Canada Quebec City on 13 October 2004.
Marillion continued to tour throughout 2005, playing several summer festivals and embarking on acoustic tours of both Europe and the United States, followed up by the "Not Quite Christmas Tour" of Europe throughout the end of 2005.
A new DVD, ''Colours and Sound'', was released in February 2006, documenting the creation, promotion, release, and subsequent European tour in support of the album ''Marbles''.
''Somewhere Else'' and ''Happiness is the Road'' (2007–2008)
In February 2007, the Marillion weekend was held abroad for the first time in the Netherlands at Center Parcs Europe, Center Parcs, Port Zélande.
April 2007 saw Marillion release their fourteenth studio album ''Somewhere Else (Marillion album), Somewhere Else'', their first album in 10 years to make the UK Top 30. The success of the album was further underscored by that of the download-only single "See it Like a Baby", making UK No. 45 (March 2007) and the traditional CD release of "Thankyou Whoever You Are" / "Most Toys", which made UK No. 15 and No. 6 in the Netherlands during June 2007. The ''Somewhere Else'' tour started in Gibraltar 14 April 2007, and they also played in some places they had never been before like Bratislava.
In July 2008, the band posted a contest for fans to create a music video for the soon-to-be released single "Whatever is Wrong with You", and post it on YouTube. The winner would win £5,000.
''Happiness Is the Road'', released in October 2008, again featured a pre-order Deluxe Edition with a list of the fans who bought in advance, and a more straightforward regular release. It is another double album, with one disc based on a concept and the second containing the other songs that are not a part of the theme. Before the album's release, on 9 September 2008, Marillion pre-released their album via p2p networks themselves. Upon attempting to play the downloaded files, users were shown a video from the band explaining why they had taken this route. Downloaders were then able to opt to purchase the album at a user-defined price or select to receive DRM-free files for free, in exchange for an email address. The band explained that although they do not support piracy, they realised their music would inevitably be distributed online anyway, and wanted to attempt to engage with p2p users and make the best of the situation.
''Less is More'' and ''Sounds That Can't Be Made'' (2009–2014)
In April 2009, they took their Marillion weekend to Montreal for the first time.
The band's sixteenth studio album (released 2 October 2009) was an acoustic album featuring new arrangements of previously released tracks (except one, the new track "It's Not Your Fault") entitled ''Less Is More (Marillion album), Less Is More''. In October Marillion started an acoustic European tour which ended with a show in Istanbul 4 March 2010.
Their seventeenth studio album, titled ''Sounds That Can't Be Made'', was released in September 2012. Two versions of the album were released: A two-disc Deluxe Edition that included a DVD with 'making-of' features and sound-check recordings and a single CD jewel case version. The Deluxe Edition also included a 128-page book that incorporated lyrics, artwork and, as was the case with ''Anoraknophobia'', ''Marbles
A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. These toys can be used for a variety of games called marbles, as well being placed in marble runs or races, or created as a form of art. They are ofte ...
'' and ''Happiness is the Road'', the names of people who pre-ordered the album. Parts of the album were recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in 2011.
Marillion were awarded "Band of the Year" at the annual Prog (magazine), Progressive Music Awards in 2013.
''Fuck Everyone And Run (F E A R)'' and ''An Hour Before It's Dark'' (2015–present)
In September 2015, Marillion announced that they were working on a new album, provisionally titled ''M18'' and later confirmed as ''Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R), Fuck Everyone And Run (F E A R)''. As with several of their previous releases, the recording of the album was to be funded by fan pre-orders, this time through direct-to-fan website PledgeMusic. The album was released on 23 September 2016 debuting at No. 4 in the official UK charts of 30 September 2016, their highest placing since ''Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'' nearly three decades earlier. In November 2016, they announced their first ever show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, in October 2017. The gig sold out in just 4 minutes and was filmed for DVD release. They also won "UK Band of the Year" at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards.
In May 2017, Marillion took their Marillion Weekend to Santiago, Chile for the first time. In February 2018 Marillion returned to tour in the US and also played shows in Japan in September. In March 2018, the film of the Royal Albert Hall gig was premiered at cinemas around the UK, before the DVD launch, with the band attending the showing in London. On 6 April the concert was released as ''All One Tonight – Live at the Royal Albert Hall''.
In March 2018, Hogarth was involved with fellow musician Howard Jones (English musician), Howard Jones in helping to unveil a memorial to David Bowie, which is situated close to Aylesbury
Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
's Market Square. The memorial was the inspiration of promoter David Stopps, who booked Bowie to appear at the Friars Aylesbury where he debuted his Ziggy Stardust Tour, Ziggy Stardust persona. The bulk of the funds for the memorial were raised at a gig held at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury on the evening of the unveiling which Marillion headlined, alongside Jones, John Otway and the Dung Beatles, all of whom have close association to Aylesbury and in particular, the Friars.
In early 2019, Marillion entered the studio with the intention to record songs from their catalogue with friends from the orchestra who played with the band at the Royal Albert Hall shows in 2017. ''With Friends from the Orchestra'' was recorded at The Racket Club and Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios and features reimagined versions of songs accompanied by the In Praise of Folly String Quartet with Sam Morris on French horn and Emma Halnan on flute. The album was released 29 November 2019. In November and December 2019, the orchestra followed Marillion on tour in the UK, returning for two nights at the Royal Albert Hall, and they also played shows in the Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany.
On 3 August 2021, Marillion announced their new pre-order campaign for a new studio album, entitled '' An Hour Before It's Dark''. The album was released on 4 March 2022.
In 2021, Marillion asked their fans to insure their 10-date Light at the End of the Tunnel Tour in November. Manager Lucy Jordache said: "We're asking our fans to pledge money that will be held in escrow and if it all goes Covid free, it will be returned to them at the end of the tour. But if we do have to cancel, then their money will be used to pay the band's unavoidable expenses." The band had already invested more than £150,000 on preparations, but risked losing it all if just one member tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to isolate. The tour was a success, and the donations were refunded to the fans who were named "Lightsavers".
Line-up, influences and sound changes
Marillion's music has changed stylistically throughout their career. The band themselves stated that each new album tends to represent a reaction to the preceding one, and for this reason their output is difficult to 'pigeonhole'. Although the band has featured two very distinct and different vocalists, the core instrumental line-up of Steve Rothery
Steven Rothery (born 25 November 1959) is an English musician who is the original guitarist and the longest continuous member of the progressive rock band Marillion. Outside Marillion, Rothery has recorded two albums as part of the duo The Wis ...
(lead guitar, and the sole 'pre-Fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
' original member), Pete Trewavas
Peter Trewavas (born 15 January 1959) is an English musician, best known as the bassist of the progressive rock band Marillion. He joined in 1982, replacing Diz Minnitt, while acting as a backing vocalist and occasional guitarist.
Biography
...
(bass), Mark Kelly
Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, retired astronaut, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he ha ...
(keyboards) and Ian Mosley
Ian F. Mosley (born 16 June 1953) is an English drummer. He is best known for his long-time membership of the neo-prog band Marillion, which he joined for their second album, ''Fugazi'', released in 1984. He had previously been an in-demand ses ...
(drums) has been unchanged since 1984.
Their 1980s sound (with Fish on vocals) was guitar and keyboard-led neo-prog
Neo-progressive rock (commonly abbreviated neo-prog) is a subgenre of progressive rock that developed in the UK in the early 1980s. The genre's most popular band, Marillion, achieved mainstream success in the decade. Several bands from the ge ...
. They have been described at their outset as "a bridge between punk rock, punk and classic progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
". Guitarist Steve Rothery wrote most of the music during the period Fish was in the band. Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers commented, "What I love so much about Marillion is that they could be very strong and powerful and have very quiet passages, but the powerful stuff was really edgy and heavy... I just thought he (Fish) wrote good lyrics, and they wrote good music, and it fit together effortlessly."
They were often compared unfavourably by critics during the Fish era with the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
, although the band had many other influences. Fish was influenced by a wide range of artists and his favourite albums were by artists such as Van der Graaf Generator, Joni Mitchell, the Who, Pink Floyd, John Martyn, Yes (band), Yes, Lowell George, Led Zeppelin, Roy Harper (singer), Roy Harper, the Faces (band), Faces, the Beatles and Supertramp. Rothery's main influences were Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, David Gilmour, Andrew Latimer of Camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
, Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English guitarist who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis (band), Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three l ...
, Jeff Beck and Joni Mitchell, with Gordon Giltrap
Gordon Giltrap, MBE (born 6 April 1948) is an English guitarist and composer. His music crosses several genres. He has been described as "one of the most revered guitarists of his generation", and has drawn praise from fellow musicians including ...
also an early influence on the development of his playing style. Kelly's biggest inspiration was Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and Trewavas' favourite bass player was Paul McCartney. Original drummer Mick Pointer
Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-prog bands Marillion and Arena.
Career
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP '' Ma ...
was a huge fan of Neil Peart's drumming in his favourite band, Rush (band), Rush.
During the Steve Hogarth era, their sound has been compared, on various albums, to more contemporary acts such as U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, Muse (band), Muse, Talk Talk, Elbow (band), Elbow, and Massive Attack. In 2016, Hogarth himself was quoted as describing the band: "If Pink Floyd and Radiohead had a love child that was in touch with their feminine side, they would be us." According to an interview with Rothery in 2016, many of their later albums with Hogarth had been written by Jam session, jamming.
In the media
The chief music critic of ''The Guardian'', Alexis Petridis, has described Marillion as "perennially unfashionable prog-rockers". On the subject of joining the band in 1989, Steve Hogarth said in a 2001 interview: "At about the same time, Matt Johnson (singer), Matt Johnson of The The asked me to play piano on his tour. I always say I had to make a choice between the most Hip (slang), hip band in the world, and the least." In the same conversation, he said: "We're just tired of the opinions of people who haven't heard anything we've done in ten years. A lot of what's spread about this band is laughable."[Dave Ling (May 2001]
''Classic Rock Magazine''
Much of the band's enduring and unfashionable reputation stems from their emergence in the early 1980s as the most commercially successful band of the neo-prog
Neo-progressive rock (commonly abbreviated neo-prog) is a subgenre of progressive rock that developed in the UK in the early 1980s. The genre's most popular band, Marillion, achieved mainstream success in the decade. Several bands from the ge ...
movement, an unexpected revival of the progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
musical style that had fallen out of critical favour in the mid-1970s. Some early critics were quick to dismiss the band as clones of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
due to musical similarities, such as their extended songs, a prominent and Mellotron-influenced keyboard sound, vivid and fantastical lyrics and the equally vivid and fantastical artwork by Mark Wilkinson used for the sleeves of their albums and singles. Lead singer Fish was also often compared with Gabriel due to his early vocal style and theatrical stage performances, which in the early years included wearing face paint.
As Jon Wilde summarised in ''Melody Maker'' in 1989: At the end of a strange year for pop music, Marillion appeared in November 1982 with "Market Square Heroes
"Market Square Heroes" is the debut single by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in October 1982 with "Three Boats Down from the Candy" as the B-side. The 12-inch single included an additional track, the 17:15-minute-long "Grendel". ...
". There were many strange things about 1982, but Marillion were the strangest of them all. For six years, they stood out of time. Marillion were the unhippest group going. As punk rock, punk was becoming a distant echo, they appeared with a sound and an attitude that gazed back longingly to the age of Seventies pomp. When compared to Yes (band), Yes, Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, ELP, they would take it as a compliment. The Eighties have seen some odd phenomena. But none quite as odd as Marillion. Along the way, as if by glorious fluke, they turned out some singles that everybody quietly liked – "Garden Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
", "Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Mr Punch and one other ...
" and " Incommunicado". By this time, Marillion did not need the support of the hip-conscious. They were massive. Perhaps the oddest thing about Marillion was that they became one of the biggest groups of the decade. They might have been an anomaly but they were monstrously effective.
The band's unfashionable reputation and image has often been mentioned in the media, even in otherwise positive reviews. In '' Q'' in 1987, David Hepworth wrote: "Marillion may represent the inelegant, unglamorous, public bar end of the current Rock Renaissance but they are no less part of it for that. ''Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'' suggests that they may be finally coming in from the cold." In the same magazine in 1995, Dave Henderson wrote: "It's not yet possible to be sacked for showing an affinity for Marillion, but has there ever been a band with a larger stigma attached?" He also argued that if the album ''Afraid of Sunlight
''Afraid of Sunlight'' is Marillion's eighth studio album, released in 1995. It was their last for EMI (who would, however, continue to release back-catalogue material on compilations and re-issues, as well as distribute some later recordings).
...
'' "had been made by a new, no baggage-of-the-past combo, it would be greeted with open arms, hailed as virtual genius." In ''Record Collector'' in 2002, Tim Jones argued they were "one of the most unfairly berated bands in Britain" and "one of its best live rock acts." In 2004, ''Classic Rock (magazine), Classic Rock'' Jon Hotten wrote: "That genre thing has been a bugbear of Marillion's, but it no longer seems relevant. What are Radiohead if not a progressive band?" and said Marillion were "making strong, singular music with the courage of their convictions, and we should treasure them more than we do." In the '' Q'' & ''Mojo (magazine), Mojo'' Classic Special Edition ''Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock'', an article on Marillion written by Mick Wall described them as "probably the most misunderstood band in the world".
In 2007, Stephen Dalton of ''The Times'' stated: The band have just released their 14th album, ''Somewhere Else (Marillion album), Somewhere Else'', which is really rather good. Containing tracks that shimmer like Coldplay, ache like Radiohead and thunder like Muse (band), Muse, it is better than 80 per cent of this month's releases. But you are unlikely to hear Marillion on British radio, read about them in the music press or see them play a major festival. This is largely because Marillion have – how can we put this kindly? – an image problem. Their music is still perceived as bloated, bombastic mullet-haired prog-rock, even by people who have never heard it. In fairness, they did once release an album called ''Script for a Jester's Tear
''Script for a Jester's Tear'' is the debut studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1983 by EMI Records. The album reached number seven and spent 31 weeks in the UK Albums Chart, eventual ...
''. But, come on, we all had bad hair days in the 1980s.
Despite publishing a very good review for their 1995 album ''Afraid of Sunlight
''Afraid of Sunlight'' is Marillion's eighth studio album, released in 1995. It was their last for EMI (who would, however, continue to release back-catalogue material on compilations and re-issues, as well as distribute some later recordings).
...
'' and including it in their 50 Best Albums of 1995, '' Q'' refused to interview the band or write a feature on them. Steve Hogarth later said: "How can they say, this is an amazing record... no, we don't want to talk to you? It's hard to take when they say, here's a very average record... we'll put you on the front cover."[
In 2001, the television critic of ''The Guardian'', Gareth McLean, used his review of the Michael Lewis BBC Two documentary, ''Next: The Future Just Happened'', to concentrate on launching a scathing attack on the band, whose appearance only constituted one segment of the programme. He described them as "once dodgy and now completely rubbish" and he characterised their fans as "slightly simple folks". He also dismissed the band's efforts to continue their career without a label by dealing directly with their fans on the Internet, writing: "One suspects that their decision occurred round about the time that the record industry decided to shun Marillion."
Rachel Cooke, a writer for ''The Observer'' and ''New Statesman'', has repeatedly referred negatively to the band and insulted their fans in her articles.
In an interview in 2000, Hogarth expressed regret about the band retaining their name after he joined: ]If we had known when I joined Marillion what we know now, we'd have changed the name and been a new band. It was a mistake to keep the name, because what it represented in the mid-Eighties is a millstone we now carry. If we'd changed it, I think we would have been better off. We would have been judged for our music. It's such a grave injustice that the media constantly calls us a 'dinosaur prog band'. They only say that out of ignorance because they haven't listened to anything we've done for the last 15 bloody years. If you hear anything we've done in the last five or six years, that description is totally irrelevant... It's a massive frustration that no-one will play our stuff. If we send our single to BBC Radio 1, Radio 1 they say: 'Sorry, we don't play music by bands who are over so-many years old... and here's the new U2 single.' I suppose it's something everyone has to cope with – every band are remembered for their big hit single, irrespective of how much they change over the years. But you can only transcend that by continuing to have hits. It's Catch-22 (logic), Catch 22. You know, at some stage, someone has to notice that we're doing interesting things. Someday someone will take a retrospective look at us and be surprised.
The 2013 film ''Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa'' includes a joke reference to a former drummer of the band. The band were quoted: "We know Marillion are seen as 'uncool' but we were delighted to be a part of it."
Crowdfunding pioneers
Marillion are widely considered to have been one of the first mainstream acts to have fully recognised and tapped the potential for commercial musicians to interact with their fans via the internet, starting in around 1996, and are nowadays often characterised as a rock & roll 'Web Cottage Industry'. The history of the band's use of the Internet is described by Michael Lewis in the book ''Next: The Future Just Happened'' as an example of how the Internet is shifting power away from established elites, such as multinational record labels and record producers.
The band are renowned for having an extremely dedicated following (often self-termed 'Freaks'), with some fans regularly travelling significant distances to attend single gigs, driven in large part by the close fan base involvement which the band cultivate via their website, podcasts, biennial conventions and regular fanclub publications. The release of their 2001 album ''Anoraknophobia'', which was funded by their fans through advance orders instead of by the band signing to a record company, gained significant attention and was called "a unique funding campaign" by the BBC. Writing for ''The Guardian'', Alexis Petridis described Marillion as "the undisputed pioneers" of fan-funded music
Fan-funded music is crowdfunding for music. Often, fan-funded music occurs in conjunction with direct-to-fan marketing. Fans of music have the option to donate and collectively raise money with the goal of jump-starting the career of a given musica ...
.
Members
Current
Former
{, class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
! width="75" , Image
! width="140" , Name
! width="90" , Years active
! width="160" , Instruments
!Studio albums release contributions
, -
,
, Mick Pointer
Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-prog bands Marillion and Arena.
Career
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP '' Ma ...
, 1979–1983
,
, {{flatlist, ''Script for a Jester's Tear'' (1983)
, -
,
, Brian Jelliman
, 1979–1981
, keyboards
, none
, -
,
, Doug 'Rastus' Irvine
, 1979–1980
, {{Hlist, bass guitars, lead vocals
, -
, {{CSS image crop, Image=Fish_-_Wacken_Open_Air_2018_06.jpg, bSize=150, cWidth=75, cHeight=75, oTop=35, oLeft=40
, Fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
, 1981–1988
, {{Hlist, lead vocals, percussion
, {{flatlist, all releases from ''Script for a Jester's Tear'' (1983) to ''Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'' (1987)
, -
,
, William 'Diz' Minnitt
, 1981–1982
, bass guitars
, rowspan="5" , none
, -
, {{CSS image crop, Image=Camel - Andy Ward (1977).png, bSize=120, cWidth=75, cHeight=75, oTop=32, oLeft=20
, Andy Ward
, rowspan="3" , 1983
, rowspan="2" , {{Hlist, drums, percussion
, -
,
, John 'Martyr' Marter
, -
,
, Jonathan Mover
Jonathan Mover, a.k.a. "Mover", is an American drummer. He is a former member of the bands Marillion and GTR.
Early life and career
Mover was raised in the Boston area and began playing drums at age thirteen. Primarily self-taught, he stu ...
, drums
, -
,
, Dave Lloyd
, rowspan="1" , 1988
, lead vocals
, -
Touring
* Cori Josias – backing vocals (1987)
* Leon Parr – drums (2014)
* Riccardo Romano – keyboards (2018)
* Luís Jardim – percussion (2022-2023)
* Nick Beggs – bass guitar, backing vocals (2024)[{{Cite web , last=Ewing , first=Jerry , date=2024-02-08 , title=Marillion announce Nick Beggs to replace Pete Trewavas for Cruise To The Edge , url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/marillion-announce-nick-beggs-to-replace-pete-trewavas-for-cruise-to-the-edge , access-date=2024-02-09 , website=louder , language=en]
Timeline
{{#tag:timeline,
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:18
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Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1979 till:{{#time:m/d/Y
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1979
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1979
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitars value:green legend:Guitars
id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:backing value:pink legend:Backing_vocals
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:perc value:claret legend:Percussion
id:albums value:black legend:Studio_Releases
id:bars value:gray(0.92)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
LineData =
at:03/14/1983 color:black layer:back
at:03/12/1984 color:black layer:back
at:06/17/1985 color:black layer:back
at:06/22/1987 color:black layer:back
at:09/25/1989 color:black layer:back
at:06/24/1991 color:black layer:back
at:02/07/1994 color:black layer:back
at:06/26/1995 color:black layer:back
at:04/09/1997 color:black layer:back
at:09/18/1998 color:black layer:back
at:10/18/1999 color:black layer:back
at:05/07/2001 color:black layer:back
at:05/03/2004 color:black layer:back
at:04/09/2007 color:black layer:back
at:10/10/2008 color:black layer:back
at:10/02/2009 color:black layer:back
at:09/17/2012 color:black layer:back
at:09/23/2016 color:black layer:back
at:11/29/2019 color:black layer:back
at:03/04/2022 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:Fish text:Fish
bar:Lloyd text:Dave Lloyd
bar:Hogarth text:Steve Hogarth
bar:Rothery text:Steve Rothery
bar:Irvine text:Doug 'Rastus' Irvine
bar:Minnitt text:Diz Minnitt
bar:Trewavas text:Pete Trewavas
bar:Jelliman text:Brian Jelliman
bar:Kelly text:Mark Kelly
bar:Pointer text:Mick Pointer
bar:Ward text:Andy Ward
bar:Marter text:John 'Martyr' Marter
bar:Mover text:Jonathan Mover
bar:Mosley text:Ian Mosley
PlotData=
width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Rothery from:01/01/1979 till:end color:guitars
bar:Jelliman from:01/01/1979 till:11/21/1981 color:keys
bar:Kelly from:12/01/1981 till:end color:keys
bar:Kelly from:12/01/1981 till:end color:backing width:3
bar:Minnitt from:01/02/1981 till:03/27/1982 color:bass
bar:Trewavas from:03/25/1982 till:end color:bass
bar:Trewavas from:03/25/1982 till:end color:backing width:3
bar:Trewavas from:07/23/1988 till:end color:guitars width:7
bar:Trewavas from:11/12/1988 till:11/12/1988 color:vocals width:9
bar:Pointer from:01/01/1979 till:05/01/1983 color:drums
bar:Pointer from:01/01/1979 till:05/01/1983 color:Perc width:3
bar:Ward from:05/01/1983 till:06/30/1983 color:drums
bar:Ward from:05/01/1983 till:06/30/1983 color:perc width:3
bar:Ward from:08/25/1983 till:08/27/1983 color:perc
bar:Marter from:08/25/1983 till:08/27/1983 color:drums
bar:Marter from:08/25/1983 till:08/27/1983 color:perc width:3
bar:Mover from:10/01/1983 till:10/10/1983 color:drums
bar:Mosley from:10/27/1983 till:end color:drums
bar:Mosley from:10/27/1983 till:end color:perc width:3
bar:Irvine from:01/01/1979 till:11/14/1980 color:vocals width:3
bar:Irvine from:01/01/1979 till:11/14/1980 color:bass
bar:Fish from:01/02/1981 till:09/15/1988 color:vocals
bar:Fish from:01/02/1981 till:09/15/1988 color:perc width:3
bar:Lloyd from:12/10/1988 till:12/10/1988 color:vocals
bar:Hogarth from:01/26/1989 till:end color:vocals
bar:Hogarth from:01/01/1993 till:end color:guitars width:5
bar:Hogarth from:01/26/1989 till:end color:keys width:9
bar:Hogarth from:01/26/1989 till:end color:perc width:3
Line-ups
{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" style="width:20em;" , Period
! scope="col" style="width:25em;" , Members
! scope="col" style="width:22em;" , Studio albums Releases
, -
!August 1979 – November 1980
,
* Steve Rothery
Steven Rothery (born 25 November 1959) is an English musician who is the original guitarist and the longest continuous member of the progressive rock band Marillion. Outside Marillion, Rothery has recorded two albums as part of the duo The Wis ...
– electric and acoustic guitars
* Doug 'Rastus' Irvine – bass guitars, lead vocals
* Brian Jelliman – keyboards
* Mick Pointer
Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-prog bands Marillion and Arena.
Career
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP '' Ma ...
– drums
, rowspan="4", none
, -
!November 1980 – January 1981
,
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Brian Jelliman – keyboards
* Mick Pointer – drums
, -
!January – November 1981
,
* Fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
– lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* William 'Diz' Minnitt – bass guitars
* Brian Jelliman – keyboards
* Mick Pointer – drums
, -
!November 1981 – March 1982
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* William 'Diz' Minnitt – bass guitars
* Mark Kelly
Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, retired astronaut, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he ha ...
– keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Mick Pointer – drums
, -
!March 1982 – April 1983
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas
Peter Trewavas (born 15 January 1959) is an English musician, best known as the bassist of the progressive rock band Marillion. He joined in 1982, replacing Diz Minnitt, while acting as a backing vocalist and occasional guitarist.
Biography
...
– bass guitars, backing vocals, additional studio samples and effects
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Mick Pointer – drums
,
* ''Script for a Jester's Tear
''Script for a Jester's Tear'' is the debut studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1983 by EMI Records. The album reached number seven and spent 31 weeks in the UK Albums Chart, eventual ...
'' (1983)
, -
!April – May 1983
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
, rowspan="5", none
, -
!May – August 1983
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Andy Ward – drums
, -
!August 1983
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* John 'Martyr' Marter – drums
* Andy Ward – percussion
, -
!September 1983
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* John 'Martyr' Marter – drums
, -
!September – October 1983
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Jonathan Mover – drums
, -
!October 1983 – September 1988
,
* Fish – lead vocals, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Ian Mosley
Ian F. Mosley (born 16 June 1953) is an English drummer. He is best known for his long-time membership of the neo-prog band Marillion, which he joined for their second album, ''Fugazi'', released in 1984. He had previously been an in-demand ses ...
– drums, percussion
,
* ''Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
'' (1984)
* ''Misplaced Childhood
''Misplaced Childhood'' is the third studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1985. It is a concept album loosely based on the childhood of Marillion's lead singer, Fish, who was inspired by a brief incident that occurre ...
'' (1985)
* ''Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'' (1987)
, -
!September 1988 – December 1988
,
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Ian Mosley – drums, percussion
, rowspan="3", none
, -
!December 1988
,
* Dave Lloyd – lead vocals
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional studio guitars, additional studio samples and effects
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Ian Mosley – drums, percussion
, -
!December 1988 – January 1989
,
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Ian Mosley – drums, percussion
, -
!January 1989 – present
,
* Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth (born Ronald Stephen Hoggarth, 14 May 1956), also known as "h", is an English musician. Since 1989, he has been the lead singer of the rock band Marillion, for which he also performs additional keyboards and guitar. Hogarth was f ...
– lead vocals, additional keyboards, additional live guitars, percussion
* Steve Rothery – electric and acoustic guitars
* Pete Trewavas – bass guitars, backing vocals, additional studio guitars, additional studio samples and effects
* Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming
* Ian Mosley – drums, percussion
,
* ''Seasons End
''Seasons End'' is the fifth studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1989. The album was the first to feature current lead vocalist Steve Hogarth, following the departure of former vocalist Fish in late 1988. It reached numb ...
'' (1989)
* ''Holidays in Eden'' (1991)
* ''Brave
Brave(s) or The Brave(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Brave, an adjective for one who possesses courage
* Braves (Native Americans), a Euro-American stereotype for Native American warriors
Film and television
* ''Brave'' (1994 film), a concept ...
'' (1994)
* ''Afraid of Sunlight
''Afraid of Sunlight'' is Marillion's eighth studio album, released in 1995. It was their last for EMI (who would, however, continue to release back-catalogue material on compilations and re-issues, as well as distribute some later recordings).
...
'' (1995)
* ''This Strange Engine'' (1997)
* ''Radiation (album), Radiation'' (1998)
* ''marillion.com'' (1999)
* ''Anoraknophobia'' (2001)
* ''Marbles
A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. These toys can be used for a variety of games called marbles, as well being placed in marble runs or races, or created as a form of art. They are ofte ...
'' (2004)
* ''Somewhere Else (Marillion album), Somewhere Else'' (2007)
* ''Happiness Is the Road'' (2008)
* ''Less Is More (Marillion album), Less Is More'' (2009)
* ''Sounds That Can't Be Made'' (2012)
* ''Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)
''Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)'' is the eighteenth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 2016.
Production
As with many of their recent recordings, Marillion, who are widely considered crowdfunding pioneers, turned ...
'' (2016)
* ''With Friends from the Orchestra'' (2019)
* '' An Hour Before It's Dark'' (2022)
Discography
{{Main, Marillion discography
;Studio Albums
*''Script for a Jester's Tear
''Script for a Jester's Tear'' is the debut studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1983 by EMI Records. The album reached number seven and spent 31 weeks in the UK Albums Chart, eventual ...
'' (1983)
*''Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
'' (1984)
*''Misplaced Childhood
''Misplaced Childhood'' is the third studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1985. It is a concept album loosely based on the childhood of Marillion's lead singer, Fish, who was inspired by a brief incident that occurre ...
'' (1985)
*''Clutching at Straws
''Clutching at Straws'' is the fourth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released on June 22, 1987. It was the last album with lead singer Fish, who left the band in 1988, and is a concept album.
Although ''Clutching at Straw ...
'' (1987)
*''Seasons End
''Seasons End'' is the fifth studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 1989. The album was the first to feature current lead vocalist Steve Hogarth, following the departure of former vocalist Fish in late 1988. It reached numb ...
'' (1989)
*''Holidays in Eden'' (1991)
*''Brave
Brave(s) or The Brave(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Brave, an adjective for one who possesses courage
* Braves (Native Americans), a Euro-American stereotype for Native American warriors
Film and television
* ''Brave'' (1994 film), a concept ...
'' (1994)
*''Afraid of Sunlight
''Afraid of Sunlight'' is Marillion's eighth studio album, released in 1995. It was their last for EMI (who would, however, continue to release back-catalogue material on compilations and re-issues, as well as distribute some later recordings).
...
'' (1995)
*''This Strange Engine'' (1997)
*''Radiation (album), Radiation'' (1998)
*''marillion.com'' (1999)
*''Anoraknophobia'' (2001)
*''Marbles
A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. These toys can be used for a variety of games called marbles, as well being placed in marble runs or races, or created as a form of art. They are ofte ...
'' (2004)
*''Somewhere Else (Marillion album), Somewhere Else'' (2007)
*''Happiness Is the Road'' (2008)
*''Less Is More (Marillion album), Less Is More'' (2009)
*''Sounds That Can't Be Made'' (2012)
*''Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)
''Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)'' is the eighteenth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in 2016.
Production
As with many of their recent recordings, Marillion, who are widely considered crowdfunding pioneers, turned ...
'' (2016)
*''With Friends from the Orchestra'' (2019)
*'' An Hour Before It's Dark'' (2022)
References
{{Reflist
External links
{{commons category, Marillion
* {{official website, https://marillion.com/
* {{allmusic
*{{discogs artist
{{Marillion
{{Authority control
Marillion,
Articles which contain graphical timelines
British art rock groups
British progressive rock groups
Musical groups established in 1979
Musical groups from Buckinghamshire
Neo-progressive rock groups