The Bible (band)
| The Bible | |
|---|---|
| Origin | UK |
| Genres | New wave, indie, rock, pop |
| Years active | 1985–1989, 1993–1994, 2011–present |
| Labels | Backs, Chrysalis, Ensign, Cooltempo, Haven Records, Red Grape Records, Cherry Red Records |
| Associated acts | The Great Divide, Liberty Horses, Danny Wilson, Gary Clark, Eddi Reader, David Gray, Kathryn Williams |
| Members |
Boo Hewerdine Tony Shepherd Neill MacColl Leroy Lendor Martyn Barker Kate St. John |
| Past members | Kevin Flanagan Clive Lawson David Larcombe Constance Redgrave Greg Harewood Callum MacColl |
The Bible are an English rock band. The band released two critically acclaimed albums in the mid-1980s and are best known for the independent chart hits "Graceland" and "Mahalia". Since The Bible's first split in 1990, lead singer Boo Hewerdine has maintained a solo career while the band itself has been intermittently active.
The Bible was formed in 1985 in Cambridge, when former Great Divide frontman Boo Hewerdine teamed up with keyboard player/drummer Tony Shepherd (who'd played with jazz bands and drummed for Cambridge bands The Wobbly Jellies and Somewhere in the Foreign Office, the latter of which had featured future satirist Chris Morris on bass). Using Hewerdine's savings and several budget-rate studios, the duo recorded The Bible's debut album Walking the Ghost Back Home with the assistance of bass player Clive Lawson, jazz saxophonist Kevin Flanagan and drummer Dave Larcombe (the latter of failed "Oxbridge Duran Duran" band Roaring Boys).
Walking the Ghost Back Home was released in 1986 on the independent record label Backs Records. The album was well received by music pundits, giving The Bible a top-ten hit on the UK Independent Chart and staying in the chart for ten weeks. This was followed by the first release of "Graceland" as a single, which gave them a minor hit in the UK. After follow-up single "Mahalia" (which reached number 15 on the UK Independent Chart) The Bible was consolidated as a five piece group. Dave Larcombe was recruited as a full-time drummer (allowing Shepherd to concentrate on keyboards), Larcombe's former Roaring Boys bandmate Neill MacColl (brother of Kirsty MacColl) was recruited as lead guitarist after performing on various Bible B-sides, and Clive Lawson was replaced by a full-time bass guitarist, Leroy Lendor.
On the strength of Walking the Ghost Back Home, The Bible signed to Chrysalis Records. "Graceland" was re-mixed for single re-release in February 1987 (though it eventually charted only slightly higher than the original release). Leroy Lendor had left the band at this point, and to cover for him the band brought in former Christian Death bass player Constance Redgrave to play on the remaining tracks on the "Graceland" EP and on 1987 live dates. By the time The Bible began recording tracks for a second album (initially self-producing with Pete Smith and Owen Morris), the band were without a bass player again. Neill MacColl’s brother Calum - a respected multi-instrumentalist from the folk music scene - guested on bass guitar for the sessions.
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