The Hit Parade

The Hit Parade
left-right Cath Carroll and Julian Henry.
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Indie pop/Pop/C86
Years active	1984–present
Labels	JSH Records, UK Minty Fresh, US Vinyl Japan, Japan Polystar, Japan Sarah Records, UK
Website	Official website
Members	Raymond Watts Matthew Moffatt Julian Henry

The Hit Parade is a bedroom pop group, based in London, England that formed in 1984 when three school friends Raymond Watts, Matthew Moffatt and Julian Henry recorded music in Watt's home studio. The group has remained active since and has released seven albums, eleven 7" vinyl 45 rpm records as well as manifestos and pamphlets.

The Hit Parade recorded their first singles in Watt's Building Site Studio in the 1980s working alongside experimental groups Psychic TV and Einstürzende Neubauten. The Hit Parade's early records "My Favourite Girl" and "The Sun Shines In Gerrards Cross" were played on BBC Radio 1 by DJs John Peel, David "Kid" Jensen and Janice Long.

The Hit Parade has never been commercially successful in part because the three members have pursued other careers. Watts moved to Berlin in 1989 to work with KMFDM, Henry developed a business in marketing and journalism, while Moffatt founded his own film lighting company. But they have continued to release records to the current day. They proclaim the Latin motto "Semper Eadem" ("alvvays the same") on their records.

The Hit Parade records for JSH UK record label producing 7" vinyl singles in limited editions, each self-financed with artwork designed by the band. The first Hit Parade single 'Forever' was released in 1984 with a mock-vorticist manifesto, making claims "No song shall last for more than 3 minutes" and "facial hair including moustaches will not be tolerated". It was ignored by the music press but played on BBC Radio 1 by John Peel. A sequence of more 3 minute pop songs followed each with a garage sound influenced by 60s artists The Monkess, The Byrds, Phil Spector and others.

In 1985, The Hit Parade signed to Stiff Records but the label went out of business before anything (other than a track on a compilation album) was released. The first pressing of the band's 1985 single 'See You In Havana' JSH5 with Stiff Records logo is now collectible. The record was the first Hit Parade single to attract reviews and airplay.