Thomas William Hingley[1] (born 9 July 1965) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman of Inspiral Carpets.[2]

Tom Hingley
Tom Hingley onstage in 2003
Tom Hingley onstage in 2003
Background information
Birth nameThomas William Hingley
Born (1965-07-09) 9 July 1965 (age 59)
Abingdon, Berkshire, England
GenresIndie
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, banjo
Years active1985–present
LabelsUgly Man
Mute
Newmemorabilia
Websitetomhingley.co.uk

Early life

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Hingley was born in Abingdon, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) and grew up in nearby Frilford. He is the seventh child of the Russian scholar Ronald Hingley, translator of Chekhov for Oxford University Press.[3] He attended Larkmead School before moving to Manchester in 1984 to study English at Manchester Polytechnic.[4][5]

Career

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Hingley formed a band called Too Much Texas,[2] and got a job collecting glasses at The Haçienda nightclub in Manchester. He joined Inspiral Carpets as lead vocalist in 1989.[2][5] Inspiral Carpets broke up in 1995 and Hingley started a career as a solo artist, releasing Keep Britain Untidy (2000) and Soulfire (2002), on his label Newmemorabilia Records.[citation needed] Inspiral Carpets later reformed in 2003 to promote their Greatest Hits and tour the UK.

Hingley finally parted company with Inspiral Carpets in February 2011, the band returned to performing and writing with their original pre-1989 singer Stephen Holt who remains their frontman to date. Hingley's memoir Carpet Burns, My life with Inspiral Carpets charts his time with the band from 1989 to 2011.[6]

In 2001, Hingley formed the band The Lovers with Steve and Paul Hanley (both former members of The Fall), Jason Brown, and Kelly Wood.[citation needed] The Lovers' first album, Abba Are The Enemy, was released in 2004. In 2002–03, he joined a reformed Inspiral Carpets for two UK tours and again in 2006/2007.[7]

His second album with the Lovers, Highlights, was released in March 2008. In August 2009 Hingley played the Rebellion Punk Festival in Blackpool.[citation needed] In 2009, Hingley released a new solo acoustic record on Newmemorabilia Records called Thames Valley Delta Blues, a kind of follow up to the earlier, much-acclaimed Keep Britain Untidy.

Discography

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Solo albums

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EP'S

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With Mackay Hingley

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With Tom Hingley Band

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With Tom Hingley and The Lovers

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With Inspiral Carpets

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Studio albums
Compilation albums
VHS/DVD
  • 21.07.90 Live at Manchester G-Mex VHS (1990)
  • The Singles VHS (1995)
  • Live at Brixton Academy DVD (2004)
EPs
  • The Peel Sessions (1989)
  • Cool As Fuck (1990)
  • Island Head (1990)
  • The Peel Sessions 1990 (1992)

Singles

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Release Date Title UK Single Chart Album
1989, May "Joe"
1989, August "Find Out Why" 90
1989, November "Move" 49 Life
1990, March "This Is How It Feels" 14 Life
1990, June "Commercial Reign" (U.S. release) Life
1990, June "She Comes in the Fall" 27 Life
1991, March "Caravan" 30 The Beast Inside
1991, June "Please Be Cruel" 50 The Beast Inside
1992, February "Dragging Me Down" 12 Revenge of the Goldfish
1992, May "Two Worlds Collide" 32 Revenge of the Goldfish
1992, September "Generations" 28 Revenge of the Goldfish
1992, November "Bitches Brew" 36 Revenge of the Goldfish
1993, May "How It Should Be" 49
1994, January "Saturn 5" 20 Devil Hopping
1994, February "I Want You" 18 Devil Hopping
1994, April "Uniform" 51 Devil Hopping
1995, September "Joe" 37 The Singles
2003, July "Come Back Tomorrow" 43 Cool As

With Too Much Texas

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  • Fixed Link (Flexi disk) (1986)
  • Hurry on Down (1988) on Ugly Man
  • Juvenilia (2006)

Collaborations

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  • Oliver Klein featuring Tom Hingley: Shakedown/Shakedub (EP) (2002)

References

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  1. ^ [1] [dead link]
  2. ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 803
  3. ^ Ffrench, Andrew (26 August 2012). "Former frontman has an Inspiral story to tell". Oxford Mail.
  4. ^ Frame, Pete (1999) Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland, Omnibus Press; ISBN 978-0-7119-6973-5, p. 127
  5. ^ a b Harrison, Flicky (2009) "Tom Hingley at The Vic, Victoria Road, Old Town, Swindon on 30 April", Thisiswiltshire.co.uk, 20 April 2009; retrieved 1 November 2010
  6. ^ Hingley, Tom (2012). Carpet Burns: My Life with Inspiral Carpets. Route Publishing. ISBN 978-1901927542. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  7. ^ Express & Star (20 February 2008). "Inspiral Carpets fly high again". Retrieved 1 November 2010.
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