Red Box are a British pop group founded by Simon Toulson-Clarke and Julian Close. Active from the early 1980s to the present day, they scored two

UK top ten The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

hits with the singles "

Lean on Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) "Lean on Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)" is a song by British group Red Box, released in 1985 as the third single from the debut album '' The Circle & the Square''. It was the band's highest-charting single, reaching No. 3 in the UK in October 1985. The song bo ...

" in 1985 and "For America" in 1986, both of which were included on their debut album, '' The Circle & the Square''. Red Box returned briefly in 1990 with the single "Train" and second album '' Motive'' and again in 2010 with third album ''

Plenty Plenty may refer to: Places * Plenty, Victoria, a town in Australia * Plenty River (Victoria), a river in the Australian state of Victoria *Plenty River (Northern Territory), a river in the Northern Territory of Australia * Plenty, Tasmania, a sma ...

'' released in October 2010. The group is now led by singer-songwriter Simon Toulson-Clarke with a third line-up of supporting players. In February 2019, the band released "This Is What We Came For", the first single from their fourth studio album ''Chase the Setting Sun'', due for release in September 2019. In July 2019, they released their second single "Gods & Kings", also from ''Chase the Setting Sun''.

History

Early years and formation (1978–1984)

Simon Toulson-Clarke formed his first band aged thirteen at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (sc ...

with friend Paddy Talbot (another member of the band was cricketer and insurance executive Matthew Fosh, who recognised "two of the guys were talented and two of us were rubbish. I was one of the rubbish ones"), playing covers of

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are c ...

and Deep Purple as well as some self-penned material. Other early influences are cited as being

Marc Bolan Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted into ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...

and particularly

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American ( Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ...

. On leaving school he moved to

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

and formed another band in the vein of

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial suc ...

. In the late 1970s, he travelled south to study at the

Polytechnic of Central London , mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength , type = Public , established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster , endowment = £5.1 million ...

where he formed a band with Bristolian Julian Close. Initially the band performed under the name Harlequins and comprised Toulson-Clarke (vocals/guitar) and Close (saxophone) together with Paddy Talbot (keyboards), Rob Legge (bass) and Martin Nickson (drums). The band later took the name Red Box, after some deliberation, from a box left behind by the rock group

Slade Slade are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British H ...

following a performance at college (and in which they had since been storing

microphones A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...

). The name was favoured for its political (Red) connotations – Toulson-Clarke describes the band members as 'Student Activists'. He was also attracted to the notion of ''square'' (Box) being an old

North American Indian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

term for 'white man' (''circle'' being the term for 'man' before Europeans were encountered), a concept which would be explored further on the debut '' The Circle & the Square'' album in the song "Heart of the Sun", a line from which gave the album its title. Whilst still students the band regularly sold-out shows at the Marquee and Moonlight Club and released their debut single "Chenko" on the Cherry Red label in 1983. The record was a hit with radio and brought them to the attention of Seymour Stein, who signed the band to Sire in 1984. Soon after this, the band slimmed down to a duo, took on a more

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

direction and re-signed direct to WEA, who released their second single "

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...

" (a cover of the

song), under the Sire imprint.

''The Circle and the Square'' (1985–1987)

In August 1985 the duo had their first UK hit single, "

", a song which reached and stayed at number three in the UK top 40 for over a month. It also reached number 1 in five countries and the top 5 in a further 12 giving worldwide exposure to the band. It was promoted with an unusual

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

(nominated for Best Video at the

Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

1985) in which a

British Sign Language British Sign Language (BSL) is a sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK), and is the first or preferred language among the Deaf community in the UK. Based on the percentage of people who reported 'using British Sign Language at home' o ...

(BSL) interpreter provided a translation of the song's lyrics, which led to a feature on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream ...

's ''Newsweek'' programme. In 1986, the band released their debut album '' The Circle & the Square'', mixing traditional musical styles – brass ensembles,

choral music A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

and

chants A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...

– with modern rock and

. Among the vocalists drafted in to create the multi-tracked backing vocals (or "Box Vox") is English actor

Anthony Head Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and singer. Primarily a performer in musical theatre, he rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé, ...

. The album received praise for its "evocative lyrics" and "global political intelligence" and is notable for introducing 'ethnic rhythms' and elements of World Music into the 1980s pop milieu alongside established artists such as Paul Simon ( ''Graceland'', 1986) and

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...

(''

The Sensual World ''The Sensual World'' is the sixth studio album by the English art rock singer Kate Bush, released on 16 October 1989 by EMI Records. It reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry ( ...

'', 1989). It includes a re-worked version of the 1984

cover "

", as well as "Chenko", which was given a more sombre, stately treatment bringing chants to the fore and featuring

Alexander Balanescu Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

on violin. Toulson-Clarke and Close, however, found themselves at odds with their record company regarding what it perceived as a lack of mainstream appeal in their choice of material, despite the success of " Lean on Me" in the UK and Europe. Toulson-Clarke responded to WEA's request for something to appeal to American radio with the sardonic "For America", which lambasted what he saw as the style-over-content approach of the American media, as well as alluding to American military involvement in Grenada and

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to ...

. The song was not a hit in the United States, though it did worldwide outsell "Lean on Me", reaching number one in six countries and the top ten in several others including the UK, where it spent twelve weeks in the chart peaking at number ten. Two more tracks were released as singles – "Heart of the Sun" and a second re-working of "Chenko" – but both failed to make a significant impact on the charts. Due to increasingly strained working relations between the band and the record company, Close left to work in A & R and Toulson-Clarke took time out from writing and recording to travel.

''Motive'' (1990)

Toulson-Clarke was persuaded back to recording by Max Hole – a former contact at WEA – who had been given charge of the subsidiary company EastWest. He began work on a new album in collaboration with musician and arranger Alastair Gavin, as well as David Motion (who had produced '' The Circle & the Square''), under the proviso that the 'tribal' elements which contributed so strongly to the sound of the earlier record be toned down. '' Motive'' is less tribal than its predecessor, with several tracks built around piano, brass provided by The Kick Horns and full orchestral arrangements. It also displays a more personal style of writing from Toulson-Clarke (the song "Moving" is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Roy Wyles – father of Red Box drummer Chris Wyles – who died during recording), combined with the cultural and political allusions of the previous record. The opening track and first single "Train" begins with the sound of a locomotive gradually picking up speed (and subsequently shunting to a halt at the song's end) and includes samples from the

Voix Bulgares The Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir is an internationally renowned world music ensemble that performs modern arrangements of traditional Bulgarian folk melodies. It is most recognized for its contribution to Marcel Cellier's Le Mys ...

, " O Fortuna" (also known as the theme to the

Old Spice Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, Shower gel, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Old Spice was launched as Early American Old ...

advertisements) and T.Rex. The

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

is provided by singer Jenny Tsao's eccentric vocal refrain during the chorus. "Train" was selected as the first single and released in the autumn of 1990. The

was aired on the ''

ITV Chart Show ''The Chart Show'' (also known as ''The ITV Chart Show'' between 1989 and 1998) was a popular weekly syndicated music video programme which ran in the United Kingdom from April 1986 until August 1998, with revivals in 2003 and 2008–2009. ''T ...

'', and the band performed on the re-vamped ''

Juke Box Jury ''Juke Box Jury'' was a music panel show which ran on BBC Television between 1 June 1959 and 27 December 1967. The programme was based on the American show '' Jukebox Jury'', itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series. The American seri ...

'' hosted by

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric ...

, with the panel proclaiming the song a hit. However, a progressively deteriorating relationship between band and label undermined any efforts to promote the single or album. Despite the positive reception for "Train", and for reasons which remain unclear, the song was recalled from retailers. No further singles were issued and the album was eventually released without further publicity. By 'heartfelt agreement on both sides', the band and label parted and the band went into hiatus.

Reissues

Both '' The Circle & the Square'' and '' Motive'' received only a limited release on CD. Though the first album was widely released on LP and cassette in 1986, a CD issue was limited to Germany, with a

reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Reco ...

in Japan in 1998. In light of continued interest in the Red Box back catalogue, a petition was created to show support for the reissue of both albums on CD. A new recording of "Lean on Me" by Toulson-Clarke and Close was made available through iTunes in September 2007. ''The Circle & the Square'' was re-released on CD by Cherry Red Records on 20 October 2008. It features all 12 tracks from the original album, along with the Cherry Red versions of "Chenko" and "Valley", plus four additional bonus tracks. Second album ''Motive'' was reissued in the UK in March 2011. The album includes 12 tracks in total, two of which are bonus tracks, the B-side to the "Train" single, "Hello, He Lied", as well as "Train (Fantasy Island Version)".

''Plenty'' (2010–present)

'' is the third album from Red Box, released on Cherry Red Records on 11 October 2010. The notion of a new album and subsequent reformation of Red Box was first conceived in 2000. While working for East West, Toulson-Clarke signed a band to the label from the USA called

The Vulgar Boatmen The Vulgar Boatmen are an American rock band, formed in Gainesville, Florida, United States, in 1982 by a group of students at the University of Florida, including John Eder and Walter Salas-Humara, later of The Silos. In its original configura ...

, releasing an album ''Opposite Sex'' in 1996. Interviewed in 2009 he explained: “A bond of friendship producing heartfelt and honest music reminded me of our early days. I missed it, and I suppose the small notion of Red Box ‘riding again’ planted itself then. I suppose ''Plenty'' really began in the woods outside Gainesville, Florida.” Red Box promoted ''Plenty'' with live performances, especially in Poland where the songs "The Sign" and "Hurricane" achieved number one status on the Trójka Radio charts (5 weeks and 4 weeks respectively). The band consists of: * Simon Toulson-Clarke – lead vocals and guitar * Derek Adams – drums, acoustic guitar, backing vocals and

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

* Dave Jenkins – bass * Sally-Jo Seery – acoustic guitar and backing vocals * Jane Milligan – keyboards and backing vocals * Michal Kirmuc – electric guitar and percussion * Ali Ferguson – electric guitar and backing vocals * Karin Tenggren – violin and backing vocals

Other projects

Enjoy

In 1990, Red Box scored a club hit with "Enjoy" which was essentially a remix, by

Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mas ...

, of an old

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

, under the ''Solid Gold Easy Amex'' name. This record charted at Number 75 on

Independent Radio Independent radio indicates a radio station that is run in a manner different from usual for the country it broadcasts in. In countries where there exist government-run radio stations that served as the primary or only the variety of licensed broa ...

's ''Network Chart'' (also used by ''Number One Magazine'') but missed the Gallup

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

as used by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.

Julian Close

Julian Close left the band in 1987 and worked behind the scenes at EMI for several years, eventually becoming Head of A & R. He went on to run the ''Silent Records'' label, and more recently Tube Recordings. He received an acknowledgement in the '' Motive'' sleeve notes as "Sniffy". Nowadays, Julian runs Tube Management, an entertainment company incorporating a record label, music publishing and management.

Simon Toulson-Clarke

Simon Toulson-Clarke has since balanced various roles as a sound engineer, producer and songwriter for other artists and has worked as a music consultant for East West Records' A & R department. In 1992, he collaborated with

Miguel Bosé Luis Miguel González Bosé (born 3 April 1956), usually known as Miguel Bosé, is a Spanish pop new wave singer and actor. Early life Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of Italian actress Lucia Bosè (19 ...

and Ross Cullum on six songs for Bosé's successful first East West album ''Under the Sign of Cain'' (''Bano El Signo de Cain''). He also contributed to two songs on the 2007 Miguel Bosé album '' Papito'', sharing co-writing honours with

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Po ...

on the track "Lo Que Hay Es lo Que Vas". *

SPA A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneothe ...

:In 1997, he collaborated with Phill Brown (who had produced the Cherry Red version of "Chenko") and Alastair Gavin, using the

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in '' NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, a ...

, on a concept album in tribute to American Comedian

Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...

. *Plenty :In 2000, the song "Might As Well Go Home" by Plenty was featured on the soundtrack to the film '' Saving Grace'' starring

Brenda Blethyn Brenda Blethyn (''née'' Bottle; 20 February 1946) is an English actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, and two Academy Award nominations. Blethy ...

and

Craig Ferguson Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-born American comedian, actor, writer, and television host. He is best known for hosting the CBS late-night talk show '' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' (2005–2014), for which he won ...

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

^* Network chart

References

External links

Official Red Box band site
*1990 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd.
Landmark Productions: Depeche Mode – Violator
{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Box (Band) English art rock groups British world music groups English new wave musical groups English pop music groups Musical groups established in 1983 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups reestablished in 2010 Musical groups from London Warner Records artists Cherry Red Records artists Sire Records artists East West Records artists