The Stranglers

The Stranglers are an English rock music group, formed on September 11 1974 in Guildford, Surrey. They were originally called The Guildford Stranglers and operated from an off-licence in the town. They also based themselves in the nearby village of Chiddingfold for a while. Original personnel were singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell (from Kentish Town, London), keyboardist/guitarist Hans Warmling (from Sweden, replaced within two years by Brighton-born keyboardist Dave Greenfield), London-born bass guitarist Jean Jacques Burnel and drummer Jet Black (a.k.a. Brian Duffy), a native of Ilford, Essex.

They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edged pub rock group, but eventually branched out to explore other styles of music. The Stranglers were, beginning in 1976, tangentially assocated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music as well as gothic rock, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within any musical genre.

History

The group's members came from some very different backgrounds: Cornwell had been a blues musician prior to forming the band, bassist Jean Jacques Burnel had been a classical guitarist who had performed with symphony orchestras, Jet Black was a former jazz drummer, and Dave Greenfield had played at military bases in Germany. One of their early touchstones was a considerable influence from pre-punk psychedelic rock bands, especially The Doors, and The Music Machine.

However, despite their association with punk rock, the Stranglers were generally not regarded as punks by their musical peers. They wrote a string of top ten hits, including "No More Heroes" and "Peaches", which placed the band at the forefront of the New Wave movement - a branch one step removed from the more confrontational punks - not to mention that The Stranglers' material was fiercely intellectual. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. It was their frequent run-ins with the law and their strong following amongst British street gangs like the Finchley Boys that gave them a menacing persona. A nationwide UK tour in May 1977 where they were supported by the four piece band London did nothing but strengthen their credibility and fanbase.

Their early albums are critically acclaimed. Although initially received with mixed reaction because of their supposedly sexist and racist innuendo, the Stranglers employed a sort of dog-humour in their lyrics that won over many music critics. Indeed, Dave Thompson wrote that "the Stranglers themselves reveled in an almost Monty Python-esque grasp of absurdity (and, in particular, the absurdities of modern 'men's talk')." [1] These early albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) built a strong fan-following.

The picture cover of the March 1980 Bear Cage single - a double-A side with Shah Shah A Go Go

The Raven, their 1979 album, clearly illustrates the band's separation from 'traditional' punk and a transition towards a more melodic, less aggressive sound. The songs are multi-layered and musically complicated, and deal with such subjects as a Viking's lonely voyage, heroin addiction, genetic engineering, and more contemporary political events in Iran and Australia.

The following album, The Gospel According to The Meninblack, a concept album exploring religion and the supposed connection between religious phenomena and extra-terrestrial visitors, was widely considered an artistic and commercial failure in 1980.

The Stranglers recovered their commercial and critical status with La Folie (1981) (including the hit "Golden Brown") and "Strange Little Girl" (1982). La Folie was another concept album, this time exploring the subject of love. By 1990 The Stranglers had had more British chart hits (28) than any other artist never to reach the number one spot. "Golden Brown" demonstrated the extent to which the group had changed; it features a lilting harpsichord and organ riff throughout.

The keyboards were notable on "Skin Deep", the best-known song from their 1984 album Aural Sculpture.

Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, concerned itself with environmental issues, and contained the memorable "Always the Sun". Dreamtime was also the only Stranglers album to chart in the USA.

The group's failure to gain success in America is often attributed to the band's mischievous attitude during interviews coupled with protests held by feminist groups.

New line-up

In August 1990, founding member Cornwell left the band to pursue a solo career. In his autobiography, Cornwell states that he felt the band was a spent force creatively, and cited various examples of his increasingly acrimonious relationship with his fellow band-members, particularly Burnel. The remaining members recruited two replacements, including John Ellis, who had opened for the band in the 1970s as a member of The Vibrators, and singer Paul Roberts.

Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 2001, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on Strange Little Girls. "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie and extensively in the Australian film He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. Their hit "No More Heroes" was covered by Violent Femmes and used for the film Mystery Men. "Peaches", finally, also appears prominently in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer.

The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years - "Big Thing Coming") with the acclaimed Norfolk Coast album and a subsequent sell-out tour. They are currently preparing a follow-up album for release in early 2006.

Celebrity Stranglers fans include the chef Keith Floyd, who used 'Peaches', 'Waltzinblack' and other tracks as title and background music for his TV cookery programmes.

A version of The Stranglers piece "Midnight Summer Dream" was also used in the BBC Micro computer game, Spellbinder.

As of May 2006 Paul Roberts has left the band. The lead vocals are currently being handled by the guitarist Baz Warne, and also Burnel, who has began to sing more of the songs live that he originally recorded the vocals to.

Personnel

* Jet Black (real name Brian Duffy): drums (1974 - present)
* Hugh Cornwell: guitars, vocals (1974 - 1990)
* Jean-Jacques Burnel: bass guitar, vocals (1974 - present)
* Dave Greenfield: keyboards, vocals (1975 - present)
* Hans Warmling: guitar, keyboards, vocals (1974 - 1975)
* John Ellis: guitar, backing vocals (1990 - 2000)
* Paul Roberts: lead vocals (1990 - 2006)
* Baz Warne: guitar, lead vocals (2000 - present)

In the latter half of the 1980s, the Stranglers regularly featured a 3-piece brass section in their live line-up.

Discography

Studio albums

Rattus Norvegicus (1977)
No More Heroes (1977)
Black and White (1978)
The Raven (1979)
The Gospel According to The Meninblack (1981)
La Folie (1981)
Feline (1983)
Aural Sculpture (1984)
Dreamtime (1986)
10 (1990)
Stranglers In the Night (1992)
About Time (1995)
Written in Red (1997)
Coup de Grace (1998)
Norfolk Coast (2004)
Suite XVI (2006)

Live albums

The Stranglers have always toured regularly. The official albums listed below chronicle the changing face of these performances over the years.
* Live (X Cert)
* The Early Years '74 '75 '76 Rare Live and Unreleased
* Access All Areas
* All Live and All of the Night
* Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
* Live at the Hope and Anchor
* Friday The Thirteenth
* Live at the Hammersmith Odeon '81
* 5 Live 01
* Live at the Apollo
* The Stranglers & Friends Live in Concert
* Coast to Coast: Live on Tour

Compilations

* The Collection 1977-1982
* Off The Beaten Track
* Rarities
* Singles (The UA Years)
* Greatest Hits 1977-1990
* All Twelve Inches
* Strangled From Birth and Beyond
* The Sessions
* The Hit Men
* The Collection
* The Best of the Epic Years
* The Masters
* Collection
* Hits Collection
* Hits & Heroes
* Always the Sun
* The Stranglers
* Lies and Deception
* Peaches: The Very Best of The Stranglers
* The Rarities
* Out of the Black
* Sweet Smell of Success - Best of the Epic Years
* Live 'n' Sleazy
* Miss You
* Gold
* The Very Best of the Stranglers

Special projects

* Laid Black

Singles

* (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) (1977) UK #44
* Peaches/Go Buddy Go (1977) UK #8
* Something Better Change/Straighten Out (1977) UK #9
* No More Heroes (1977) UK #8
* Five Minutes (1978) UK #11
* Nice 'N' Sleazy (1978) UK #18
* Walk On By (1978) UK #21
* Duchess (1979) UK #14
* Nuclear Device (The Wizard Of Aus) (1979) UK #36
* Don't Bring Harry/Wired/Crabs {Live}/In The Shadows {Live} EP (1979) UK #41
* Bear Cage (1980) UK #36
* Who Wants The World (1980) UK #39
* Thrown Away (1981) UK #42
* Let Me Introduce You To The Family (1981) UK #42
* Golden Brown (1982) UK #2
* La Folie (1982) UK #47
* Strange Little Girl (1982) UK #7
* European Female (1983) UK #9
* Midnight Summer Dream (1983) UK #35
* Paradise (1983) UK #48
* Skin Deep (1984) UK #15
* No Mercy (1984) UK #37
* Let Me Down Easy (1985) UK #48
* Nice In Nice (1986) UK #30
* Always The Sun (1986) UK #30
* Big In America (1986) UK #48
* Shakin' Like A Leaf (1987) UK #58
* All Day And All Of The Night (1988) UK #7
* 96 Tears (1990) UK #17
* Sweet Smell Of Success (1990) UK #65
* Heaven Or Hell (1992) UK #46
* Big Thing Coming (2004) UK #31
* Long Black Veil'' (2004) UK #51

Solo discographies

J.J. Burnel

Euroman Cometh
Un Jour Parfait

(with Dave Greenfield)
Fire & Water

Hugh Cornwell

Nosferatu - (with Robert Williams) (1979)
Wolf (1988)
CCW (1992)
Wired (1993)
Guilty (1997)
Solo (1999)
Mayday (1999)
Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit (1999)
Hi Fi (2000)
2002 Mayday (2002)
Footprints in the Desert (2002)
Sons of Shiva (2002)
In the Dock (2003)
Beyond Elysian Fields (2004)

The Purple Helmets

(Featuring JJ Burnel, Dave Greenfield & John Ellis)
* Ride Again (1988)
* Rise Again (1989)

Paul Roberts / Faith Band / Soulsec

* Faith? (1999)
* Self Discovery (2001)
* The Pressure Sensitive (2003)

References

Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 7th Edition

External links

*Stranglers Information Service
*Hugh Cornwell's Torture Garden
*Transcripted Strangler's Chords