The Wild Swans (band)
| The Wild Swans | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Genres | Post-punk, new wave |
| Years active | 1980–1982, 1988–1990, 2009–2011 |
| Labels |
Zoo Records Strange Fruit Records Sire/Warner Bros. Records Renascent Records Occultation Records |
| Associated acts |
Care The Lotus Eaters The Icicle Works The Teardrop Explodes |
| Members |
Paul Simpson Les Pattinson Ged Quinn Ricky Maymi Mike Mooney Steve Beswick Richard Turvey |
| Past members | Jeremy Kelly Alan Wills Joseph Fearon Ian McNabb Chris Sharrock Ian Broudie Justin Stavely James Weston Pete de Freitas Rolo McGinty Stuart Mann |
The Wild Swans are a post-punk band from Liverpool, England, which originally formed in 1980 shortly after Paul Simpson (ex-keyboards) left The Teardrop Explodes. The band's personnel has been subject to regular turnover, with vocalist Simpson being the only constant member.
The original incarnation of The Wild Swans lasted until 1982, issuing one single. A reconstituted version of the band issued two albums from 1988 to 1990 before dissolving again. More recently, Simpson put a new lineup together and the group played numerous live dates from 2009-2011, and issued a new studio album in 2011.
The Wild Swans have not to date recorded any charting hits or albums, but they have enjoyed a degree of success and/or cult status in Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and especially the Philippines. The Wild Swans also spun off two charting splinter projects; Care and The Lotus Eaters. Members of The Wild Swans have also been members of such Liverpool-based UK chart acts as Echo & The Bunnymen, The Icicle Works, The Woodentops and The Lightning Seeds.
The brainchild of Paul Simpson, The Wild Swans formed in 1980 when Simpson teamed up (on vocals) with Jeremy Kelly (guitar), Ged Quinn (keyboards), James Weston (bass) and Justin Stavely (drums), and created a unique and distinctive sound based around Kelly's jangling guitars, Quinn's chiming piano and Simpson's post-Romantic lyrics and brooding delivery.
An opportunity arose when Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen (an old friend and flatmate of Simpson's) agreed to fund their first single "The Revolutionary Spirit" (1982, Zoo Records). Stavely had dropped out of the band, so De Freitas ended up financier, drummer and producer for the single; he was credited under his middle names, Louis Vincent. Bassist for the group at the time was Rolo McGinty, who would leave the group shortly after the release of the single, and found The Woodentops.
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