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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = 60 Ft. Dolls| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Newport , South Wales | genre = Hard rock , Britpop|Britrock | years_active = 1993–1998| label = Indolent Records(UK) Geffen Records|DGC (US)| associated_acts =| website =| current_members =| past_members = Carl Bevan Mike Cole Richard Parfitt 60 Ft. Dolls were a British rock music|rock trio active in the 1990s.cite web |last = Wilson |first = MacKenzie |title = ((( 60 Ft. Dolls > Overview ))) |publisher = Allmusic|allmusic.com |url = Allmusic|class=artist|id=p194732|pure_url=yes |accessdate = 16 May 2008
Career
They were formed in Newport in 1992 by Richard J. Parfitt and Michael Cole, who met through Donna Matthews (later of Elastica ), I-D , November 1995) who was at the time, dating Cole and working part-time in the same pizza restaurant as Parfitt.NME 30 August 1994 After problems finding the right drummer, they eventually took on pastor's son Carl Bevan. NME , p.10, 13 May 1995 Initially influenced by touring American hardcore punk|hardcore bands that played in Newport (and in particular, prominent local venue T. J.'s ), The Independent section 2, p. 7, 21 December 1995 the Dolls played noisy yet melodic rock, described by the NME as " grunge mod (subculture)|mod ...proto- Pub rock (UK)|pub heavy metal music|metal blues of the first order". NME , April, 1995 In 1993, Huw Williams of the Pooh Sticks became their manager http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/60ft_dolls and released the debut single "Happy Shopper", named after a British Happy Shopper|convenience store chain , on his own Townhill record label|label . Select (magazine)|Select , September 1994
After supports with Oasis (band)|Oasis , Elastica and Dinosaur Jr. , 60 Ft. Dolls released their second single "White Knuckle Ride" on Rough Trade Records and then "Pig Valentine" on the RCA imprint Indolent Records. These early singles were championed heavily by BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq , and as a consequence were picked up by influential American DJ Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ-FM . This resulted in the band signing a deal with Geffen Records in the USA. The New York Times listed "Pig Valentine" among its 1996 singles of the year.cite news| url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=950DE4DC1239F937A35752C0A960958260& sec=& spon=& pagewanted=al | work=The New York Times | title=The Pop Life | first=Neil | last=Strauss | date=4 January 1996 | accessdate=23 April 2010 The band broke into the UK Top 40 with their third single "Talk to Me" (Indolent, 1996). This was followed by their debut album, The Big 3 , which was called "as close to soar-away rock perfection as it's possible to imagine" by the NME NME , 30 November 1996 and "pure, unadulterated, no nonsense, emotional, tuneful, impassioned, purposeful, hedonistic rock 'n' roll" Melody Maker , December 1996 by Melody Maker . The album was included in Mojo (magazine)|Mojo 's 2003 retrospective feature "Top 12 Britpop albums of the 90s", which called it "a devilishly evocative document of the period". Mojo , p.82, April 2003
The band toured extensively in the UK, Japan and Europe, including several summer festival appearances as well as opening for The Sex Pistols at their 1996 Finsbury Park reunion gig. http://www.discogs.com/artist/60ft+Dolls But they were dogged by alcohol problems, and after an exhaustive three tours of the USA in 1997, never toured again. Select , May 1997 They released their second album, Joya Magica , in late 1998 and split soon after. Q (magazine)|Q , July 1998
The band recorded two sessions for John Peel 's BBC Radio 1 show, in 1996 and 1998, and appear in the top 125 Peel sessions of all time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/top125/
Mike Cole once played guitar for Newport's The Darling Buds but was asked to leave after just three gigs. He was also asked to stand in for Paul McGuigan (musician)|Paul McGuigan on Oasis' 1996 tour of the USA, but declined. The Chart Show , 20 January 1996
Carl Bevan's father, Pastor Ray Bevan, heads one of the biggest evangelical churches in the UK and once sang guest vocals on the Dolls' "Let The Spirit Move You", a gramophone record|12" white label-only release, limited to one thousand copies and mixed by Wubble-U . http://www.discogs.com/release/1239557
Welsh pop music|pop - soul music|soul singer Duffy (singer)|Duffy credits Richard Parfitt with "changing her life"cite news| url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml? xml=/arts/2008/08/17/st_duffy.xml& page=1 | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Duffy: small wonder | first=Lucy | last=Cavendish | date=17 August 2008 | accessdate=23 April 2010 and setting her on the road to fame after he hooked her up with manager Jeannette Lee (Rough Trade)|Jeanette Lee . http://www.channel4.com/music/features/D/duffy-syrup-and-honey-video.html http://www.nme.com/reviews/duffy/9535
The track "Hair", written by Mike Cole about his then-girlfriend Donna Matthews, was placed Number 7 in Mojo 's "100 Most Miserable Indie Songs of All Time" feature. Mojo , p.94, June 2004
The Dolls were included, with Catatonia (band)|Catatonia and others, in a House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons Early Day Motion , extolling the virtues of Newport's rock and roll credentials. The Observer , 24 November 1996
Discography
Albums
The Big 3 (Indolent, 1996/ Geffen Records|Geffen , 1997) UK Albums Chart|UK : #36 http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php? id=7650 60ft Dolls at chartstats.com chartstats.com
DEFAULTSORT:60 Ft Dolls Category:People from Newport Category:Musical groups established in 1993 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Category:Welsh musical groups
