She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter

Studio album by The Blow Monkeys

Released

January 5, 1987

Recorded

1986-1987

Genre

Pop rock, new wave, blue-eyed soul

Length

50:48 (LP) / 64:13 (CD)

Label

RCA/Ariola (1987);
BMG/Camden (2002)

Producer

Michael Baker
for Simple Simon Inc.
with help from
The Axeman

The Blow Monkeys chronology

Animal Magic
(1986)

She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter
(1987)

Whoops! There Goes the Neighbourhood
(1988)

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She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter is the third album from British band, The Blow Monkeys, originally released in 1987.

The album title was a reference to the then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, whose Conservative government was unpopular with left wing, pro-Labour Party music acts of the 1980s (including The Blow Monkeys), some of whom joined the Red Wedge movement as part of their political activism.

Some titles and lyrics on this album reflected the dissatisfaction of Dr Robert and The Blow Monkeys with the then political situation in the UK. After a gradual shift towards a slicker, Pop-oriented style, The Blow Monkeys also introduced a dance beat, which became a defining feature of the band's later releases.

Their record label RCA invested heavily in the promotion of She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter by issuing in several different editions (e.g. the vinyl LP included 10 songs and a thick photo book, while the CD was released in two versions, with bonus tracks and alternative track listings, as well as slightly modified song titles).

She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter peaked at No. 20 in the UK Album Chart in April 1987 (only their 1989 greatest hits compilation, Choices - The Singles Collection, fared better, getting to No. 5). It was also their only album which spawned four UK Top 75 singles. The popular opening track, "It Doesn't Have to Be This Way", proved to be their most successful single ever, reaching No. 5 in the UK.

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Wikipedia