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Biography
Use British English|date=August 2011Use dmy dates|date=August 2011Infobox musical artist | name = Captain Sensible| image = CaptainSensible.jpg| caption = Captain Sensible, performing live with The Damned (band)|The Damned in 2006| image_size =| landscape = Yes| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Raymond Burns| alias = Captain Sensible| birth_date = birth date and age|1955|4|23|df=yes| origin = Balham , London| death_date =| instrument = Guitar, bass, vocals| genre = Alternative pop , Punk rock|Punk , Rock, New Wave music|New Wave | occupation = Musician, Songwriter| years_active = 1976–present| label = None| associated_acts = The Damned (band)|The Damned , Dead Men Walking , Dr. Spacetoad, Punk Floyd| website =| notable_instruments =Captain Sensible (born Raymond Burns , 23 April 1955)Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography , Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 23-4 is a singer, songwriter, guitarist (and sometimes bassist) who grew up in Croydon , England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned (band)|The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image. His signature headwear is a red beret .
Early life
He was born Raymond Ian Burns in Balham , London in 1955. He went to Stanley Technical School for Boys in South Norwood.
The Damned
Originally a member of the Johnny Moped band, Sensible joined The Damned in 1976 on the suggestion of his work colleague Rat Scabies , the band's drummer, filling a number of positions during his tenure (including bassist, lead guitarist and keyboardist), and eventually becoming the band's main songwriter following the departure of Brian James (guitarist)|Brian James . He left in the 1980s to concentrate on solo projects, but rejoined in 1996 after Scabies left, and co-wrote Grave Disorder , the band's first new studio album for 8 years, in 2001. He continues to tour with the band today and they released their latest album '' So, Who's Paranoid? on 17 November 2008. http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/the_damned/news/12291 THE DAMNED RETURN WITH FIRST ALBUM SINCE 2001 – Uncut.co.uk
Solo career
Sensible's first solo release came in 1978 with the single " Jet Boy, Jet Girl ", recorded while The Damned were on hiatus. He followed this in 1981 with an Extended play|EP on Crass Records . He signed to A& M Records and had a UK number one hit in 1982 with a cover of " Happy Talk (song)|Happy Talk ", the Rodgers and Hammerstein song from South Pacific , featuring backing by Dolly Mixture (band)|Dolly Mixture and a band including Robyn Hitchcock on guitar; this was later sampled for rap artist Dizzee Rascal 's 2004 song "Dream". http://www.nme.com/news/dizzee-rascal/18254 HAPPY RASCAL – NME.com Other songs which became hits in the UK and various European countries were "Wot? ", "One Christmas Catalogue" and anti- Falklands War "Glad It's All Over". After quitting A& M Records he continued recording for various independent labels, including Deltic Records and Humbug Records. He has also toured with his solo band Punk Floyd.
His recording of "The Snooker Song" from Mike Batt 's musical The Hunting Of The Snark was used as the theme music for the BBC gameshow Big Break , and he also wrote and performed a song called "Brain's Theme" for the movie Skinned Deep in 2004.
Captain Sensible is also a member of Dead Men Walking , a Supergroup (music)|supergroup featuring Mike Peters (musician)|Mike Peters ( The Alarm ), Kirk Brandon ( Spear of Destiny (band)|Spear of Destiny ) and Slim Jim Phantom ( Stray Cats ).cite web | coauthors = | title = Dead Men Walking | work=Entertainment | publisher=BBC Cumbria | date = 5 October 2006 | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2006/10/05/louder_deadmenwalking_feature.shtml | accessdate =7 October 2007
Politics
In September 2006, he formed a new British political party known as the Blah& #33; Party . http://www.blahparty.org/ Main Page – The Blah& #33; Party "Politics is dead," he said in a statement. "The British public aren't voting because the parties are totally ignoring their opinions. At the moment, the only real method of mass protest against this is by not voting, which is why voting figures continue to fall.
"But we believe that voting is an important part of the democratic process, and we want the Blah& #33; Party to be the party of protest; a channel through which the people of the U.K. can vent their dissatisfaction at nonsensical everyday things, and protest against the government and the current crop of political parties." http://www.aversion.com/news/news_article.cfm? news_id=7346 Captain Sensible Starts Political Party – Aversion.com
The party entered into a sponsorship deal with Seabrook Crisps in September 2006.cite news | last = Loweth | first = Jenny | title = Crisp firm backs the new force in politics! | publisher=Bradford Telegraph and Argus | date = 27 September 2006 | url = http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/newsindex/display.var.941438.0.crisp_firm_backs_the_new_force_in_politics.php | accessdate =2 October 2007
He was previously a member of the Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party .
"Smash Ut Up (part 4)" (1990), Deltic – Captain Sensible & the Brotherhood of Lizards
"Wot '93" (1993), XYZ
"The Hokey Cokey" (1994), Humbug – UK No.& nbsp;71
"Flip Top World" (1995), Humbug
"While Wrecking the Car" (1997), Empty
"Missing the Boat" (1999), Jarmusic
"Wot – I Say Captain" with Erkan& Stefan (2005)
References
Reflist
External links
myspace|thecaptainsensible|Captain Sensible
http://www.rockerzine.com/index.php/2011/10/the-damned-35-years-of-evil/ Interview with Captain Sensible (includes video of interview, and of The Damned's 35th anniversary tour), Rocker Magazine, 2011.
The Damned Persondata | NAME =Captain Sensible | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =24 April 1954 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Captain Sensible Category:1954 births Category:English New Wave musicians Category:English rock guitarists Category:English rock bass guitarists Category:English male singers Category:Living people Category:Music in Brighton and Hove Category:The Damned members Category:People from Balham
