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Biography
about|the alternative rock band||Catherine wheel (disambiguation)Infobox musical artist| name = Catherine Wheel| image = Catherine Wheel.jpg| caption = L-R: Dave Hawes, Brian Futter, Neil Sims, and Rob Dickinson.| image_size =| background = group_or_band| origin = Great Yarmouth , England| genre = Alternative rock Shoegazing | years_active = 1990–2000| label = Wilde Club Fontana Records|Fontana Mercury Records|Mercury Columbia Records|Columbia Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis | website = http://www.catherinewheel.com Official site| past_members = Rob Dickinson Brian Futter Dave Hawes Neil Sims Ben Ellis| Unofficial_members = Tim Friese-Greene (production, keyboards) Catherine Wheel were a four-piece alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth , England. The band was active from 1990 to 2000, experiencing fluctuating levels of commercial success, and embarking on many lengthy tours.
Biography
Catherine Wheel formed in 1990, comprising singer/guitarist Rob Dickinson , guitarist Brian Futter, bassist Dave Hawes, and drummer Neil Sims. Hawes had previously played in a Joy Division -influenced band called Eternal. They took their moniker from the firework known as the Catherine wheel (firework)|Catherine wheel , which in turn had taken its name from the breaking wheel|medieval torture device of the same name. The band was sometimes included in the shoegazing scene, characterized by bands that made extensive use of guitar feedback and droning washes of noise, as well as their continuous interaction with extensive amounts of effects pedal s on the stage floor. However, Catherine Wheel had a more song oriented style than their peers.cite news| url= http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-07-24/entertainment/17171099_1_catherine-wheel-rob-dickinson-band | work=SFGate.com | title=Looking up at last | date=2008-07-24 | accessdate=2011-08-25 | first1=Delfín | last1=Vigil Their sound has been described as influenced by Pink Floyd and Husker Du .cite news| url= http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/04/arts/reviews-music-hostile-psychedelia-from-the-charlatans.html | work=NY Times | title=Reviews/Music; Hostile Psychedelia From the Charlatans | date=1992-05-04 | accessdate=2012-02-11 | first1=Jon | last1=Parales The band was also influenced by bands such as Queen (band)|Queen , Black Sabbath and Rush (band)|Rush as well as the The House of Love and Talk Talk .cite news| url= http://www.bostonphoenix.com/alt1/archive/music/reviews/09-05-96/CATHERINE_WHEEL.html | work=Boston Phoenix | title=Shooting for pop's Olympus | date=1996-09-05 | accessdate=2011-11-23 | first1=Ted | last1=Drozdowski
The band performed a Peel session in early 1991 while still unsigned; two 12" vinyl EPs were released on the Norwich based Wilde Club Records, named after the regular weekly Wilde Club gigs run by Barry Newman at Norwich Arts Centre. They signed to major-label Fontana Records after being courted by both Creation Records and the Brian Eno -run label Opal Records. The band's debut album , 1991/92's Ferment (album)|Ferment , made an immediate impression on the music journalism|music press and introduced Catherine Wheel's second-biggest U.S. hit, "Black Metallic," as well as moderate hit "I Want to Touch You". http://www.notalot.com/cwville/nwsowrld.htm Notalot.com The album features re-recorded versions of some of the Wilde Club-issued EPs.
The more aggressive Chrome (Catherine Wheel album)|Chrome followed in 1993, produced by Gil Norton . With this album, the band began to shed its original shoegazing tag, while still making skillful use of atmospherics, such as on the song "Fripp." In a 2007 interview, Rob Dickinson said that members of Death Cab for Cutie and Interpol (band)|Interpol told him that without this album, their bands "wouldn't exist." http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/176393 Rayner, Ben - "Behind the Wheel: Catherine Wheel's Rob Dickinson finds there is still air in the tires" - review from The Toronto Star; URL accessed 5 March 2007
1995's Happy Days (album)|Happy Days saw the band delving further into metallic hard rock, which alienated a portion of their fanbase, even as it increased their exposure in the United States during the post-grunge era.Allmusic|class=album|id=r212752|pure_url=yes Kellerman, Andy - "Happy Days" review from Allmusic.com; URL accessed 17 February 2006 The single "Waydown," and especially its plane-crash themed video, received heavy play in the U.S. A more sedate strain of rock known as Britpop was taking over in the UK, causing C.W. to continue to have greater success abroad than at home.
The A-side and B-side|B-sides and outtakes collection, Like Cats and Dogs , came out the following year, revealing a quieter, more contemplative side of the band, spanning the previous five years. This carried over into Adam and Eve (album)|Adam and Eve in 1997, wherein the band scaled back the sonic force of their sound from its Happy Days levels, with clean playing on some songs that Citation needed|date=February 2007 featured extensive use of keyboards and acoustic guitars. Alternately, songs like "Satellite" and "Here Comes the Fat Controller" were lush and orchestral in scope.
In 2000, Catherine Wheel re-emerged with a new record label, a new bassist (Ben Ellis); a modified name ( The Catherine Wheel); and a new album, Wishville . After mixed reviews, record company turmoilcite news | url= http://www.chartattack.com/news/27748/the-wheels-are-falling-off-the-catherine-wheels-momentum | date=11 July 2000 | title=The Wheels Are Falling Off The Catherine Wheel's Momentum | publisher= Chart (magazine)|Chart | accessdate=10 October 2009 and lacklustre sales, the band went on a still-continuing hiatus.
In March 2010, Ferment was re-released, containing bonus tracks and extensive sleeve notes.
The song 'Texture' was featured in the episode 'model behaviour' in the first season of new American drama series Blue Bloods (aired US 2010 and UK 2011). The song is played as detective Danny Reagan discovers a suicide in a bath.
Post-Catherine Wheel work
Futter and Sims have an ongoing project called 50& nbsp;ft Monster. Ellis is in a new band called Serafin (band)|Serafin . After working with/ playing live with Tracy Bonham for several years, Dickinson released a solo album in 2005 called Fresh Wine for the Horses . Dickinson continues to perform live and has recently signed a recording contract with Universal Music Canada. Dickinson is also now behind a new Car venture "Singer Vehicle Design" and produces the Singer 911 http://singervehicledesign.com/
Discography
Studio albums
Ferment (album)|Ferment (1992) #36 UK Albums Chart|UK
Chrome (Catherine Wheel album)|Chrome (1993) #58 UK
Happy Days (album)|Happy Days (1995) #163 Billboard Hot 100|US
Adam and Eve (album)|Adam and Eve (1997) #53 UK, #178 US
Wishville (2000)cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 98
Compilations
Like Cats and Dogs (1996) #36 Heatseekers (U.S.)
Singles
"She's My Friend" (1991) Wilde Club
"Painful Thing" (1991) Wilde Club
"Black Metallic" (1991) Fontana #68 UK Singles Chart|UK , #9 U.S. Modern Rock
"Balloon" (1992) Fontana #59 UK
"I Want to Touch You" (1992) Fontana #35 UK, #20 U.S. Modern Rock
"30 Century Man" (1992) Fontana #47 UK
"Crank" (1993) Fontana #66 UK, #5 U.S. Modern Rock
"Show Me Mary" (1993) Fontana #62 UK
"Judy Staring at the Sun" (1995) Fontana #22 U.S. Modern Rock
"Waydown" (1995) Fontana #67 UK, #15 U.S. Modern Rock, #24 Mainstream Rock
"Delicious" (1997) Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis #53 UK
"Ma Solituda" (1998) Chrysalis #53 UK
"Broken Nose" (1998) Chrysalis #48 UK
"Sparks are Gonna Fly" (2000) #37 U.S. Modern Rock
Music videos
Year
Song
Director
Notes
1992
"Black Metallic"
Barry Magurie
7" version
"I Want To Touch You"
Miles Aldridge
Tim Palmer remix
1993
"Crank"
Geoff Everson
2 versions: towards the end of the original version Rob is spinning on a spiked wheel while the censored version cuts away to shots of Brian and Dave
"Show Me Mary"
Melodie McDaniel
Scott Litt remix
1994
"The Nude"
Elizabeth Baily
Scott Litt remix
1995
"Waydown"
Mark Pellington
style="background:#FBFBEF"
"Eat My Dust You Insensitive Fuck"
Stephen Dorff
LP version; starring Summer Phoenix
"Judy Staring at the Sun"
Nick Egan
featuring Tanya Donelly ; MTV edited the words "smacked" and "vein"
1997
"Delicious"
Mark Adcock
style="background:#FBFBEF"
1998
"Ma Solituda"
Karen Lamond
style="background:#FBFBEF"
2000
"Sparks are Gonna Fly"
Dean Karr
style="background:#FBFBEF"
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.facebook.com/thecatherinewheel The Catherine Wheel on FaceBook
http://www.robdickinson.com/ Official Rob Dickinson Website
http://www.myspace.com/robdickinson Rob Dickinson at MySpace
http://www.last.fm/music/Catherine+Wheel Catherine Wheel on last.fm
Catherine Wheel Category:Musical groups established in 1990 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2000 Category:English alternative rock groups Category:Shoegazing musical groups Category:Fontana Records artists Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Chrysalis Records artists
