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Teenage Fanclub

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Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1989.[2] The group were founded by Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar) and Gerard Love (vocals, bass), all of whom shared lead vocals and songwriting duties until Love's departure in 2018. As of 2023, the band's lineup consists of Blake, McGinley, Francis Macdonald (drums, vocals), Dave McGowan (bass, vocals) and Euros Childs (keyboards, vocals).[3]

Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub live in 2010 (Summer Sundae festival, Leicester)
Teenage Fanclub live in 2010 (Summer Sundae festival, Leicester)
Background information
OriginGlasgow, Scotland
Genres
Years active1989–present[1]
LabelsPaperhouse, Creation, Columbia, PeMa, Matador, DGC
MembersNorman Blake
Raymond McGinley
Francis MacDonald
Dave McGowan
Euros Childs
Past membersBrendan O'Hare
Paul Quinn
Finlay Macdonald
Gerard Love
Websitewww.teenagefanclub.com

In concert the band usually alternate among its songwriters, giving equal playing time to each one's songs. Although often pegged as alternative rock, the group have incorporated a wide variety of elements from various music styles.[1]

Teenage Fanclub have had a succession of drummers, namely Francis Macdonald, Brendan O'Hare and Paul Quinn. Keyboardist Finlay Macdonald (no relation) has also been a member. As of 2023, the band have released 12 studio albums and two compilation albums.

History

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Teenage Fanclub emerged from the Glasgow C86 scene. They formed following the break-up of The Boy Hairdressers, a band featuring Raymond McGinley, Norman Blake and Francis Macdonald.[4] Following a brief period in which Blake was a member of BMX Bandits, the three former bandmates joined with Gerard Love to form Teenage Fanclub.[4]

Originally a noisy and chaotic band, their first album A Catholic Education, released in 1990 on Paperhouse, is largely atypical of their later sound, with the possible exception of Everything Flows. Mostly written by Blake and McGinley, the record included several songs originally intended for The Boy Hairdressers.[4] After recording his drum parts, Macdonald left the band to resume his university studies. They re-recorded several songs with Macdonald's replacement, Brendan O'Hare, because they weren't satisfied with the results of the original recording sessions,[5] and because they wanted to involve O'Hare in the album.[6]

The band followed the album with the EP God Knows It's True before being signed by Creation Records. The King, their next album, was a semi-improvised collection recorded in a single day.[4] Originally intended to be a very limited release,[5] the record received critical reviews of its self-confessed shambolic guitar thrashes and a cover of Madonna's "Like a Virgin".[1]

Their next album, Bandwagonesque, released on Creation Records in the UK and Geffen in the US, brought Teenage Fanclub a measure of commercial success. Bandwagonesque was more deliberately constructed, the hooks became stronger, the guitar riffs were brought under control, and the harmony vocals took shape.[1] Bandwagonesque topped Spin magazine's 1991 end-of-year poll for best album,[citation needed] beating Nirvana's Nevermind, their Creation stablemates My Bloody Valentine's album Loveless, and R.E.M.'s Out of Time.

The subsequent, Thirteen, received mixed reviews on release. Brendan O'Hare left Teenage Fanclub during this period because of "musical differences", to be replaced by Paul Quinn (formerly of the Soup Dragons).[1]

Grand Prix, Teenage Fanclub's fifth album, was both a critical and commercial success in the UK, becoming their first top ten album. In the United States however the band failed to regain the ground that Thirteen had lost them. Around this time Liam Gallagher of labelmates Oasis called the band "the second best band in the world" – second only to Oasis.[7]

Songs from Northern Britain followed Grand Prix and built on the former's success. It became their highest-charting release in the UK and contained their biggest hit single to date, "Ain't That Enough".[1]

The follow-up album, Howdy!, released on Columbia Records in the UK after the demise of Creation, continued the sound of Songs from Northern Britain. Francis Macdonald rejoined as the drummer in place of Quinn, who left the band after recording his parts for Howdy! and before its release due to personal difficulties within the band .[8] Quinn went on to form The Primary 5.

In 2002, they released Words of Wisdom and Hope with Jad Fair of Half Japanese.

Their final release on a Sony label, Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds – A Short Cut to Teenage Fanclub, collected the Fanclub's best songs along with three new songs (one from each member).

Their next album, Man-Made, was released on 2 May 2005, on the band's own PeMa label. Man-Made was recorded in Chicago in 2004, and produced by John McEntire of Tortoise.

In 2006, the band held two special concerts (in London and Glasgow) playing their 1991 album Bandwagonesque in its entirety.

The band began work on their ninth album in August 2008, booking an initial three weeks at Leeders Farm recording studio in Norfolk.[9] The album was called Shadows, the first to involve keyboardist Dave McGowan as a full-time member, and was released on the band's own PeMa label. It became available in Europe, Australasia and Japan on 31 May 2010, and was released by Merge Records in North America on 8 June 2010.[10]

In May 2015, Teenage Fanclub supported the Foo Fighters at a concert at Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

Their tenth album, Here, was released on 9 September 2016.[11]

The story of Teenage Fanclub's early days features in the 2017 documentary Teenage Superstars.[12]

In August 2018, the band issued new versions of their five Creation Records era albums which had been remastered at Abbey Road Studios. To celebrate the reissues, the band also announced Songs from Teenage Fanclub: The Creation Records Years, a four-city UK tour during late October to mid-November in which they would play three nights each in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London, with each night's setlist covering different periods of the Creation-era discography,[13] and featuring former drummers Brendan O'Hare and Paul Quinn participating, in which both drummers would respectively perform the albums and B-sides they had originally recorded.[14][15] These gigs would be Gerard Love's last with the group,[15] as he separated from the band due to differences in opinion on their future touring plans, later revealed to be a reluctance to fly frequently around the world for live performances.[16]

After Love's departure, Euros Childs joined the band on keyboards and vocals, with Dave McGowan switching over to bass and vocals.[3] A new album with this line-up, titled Endless Arcade, was recorded in early and late 2019. It was originally planned for release in October 2020 to coincide with a UK and Europe tour the following November and December.[17] However, the tour was rescheduled for April and May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[18] and the album's release date would eventually be set for 5 March 2021.[19] The album release date and tour would end up being rescheduled once again, with Endless Arcade coming out on 30 April 2021 and the tour dates postponed to September 2021 and April and May 2022.[20]

On 23 May 2023, Teenage Fanclub announced the September release of their twelfth album Nothing Lasts Forever.[21]

Other projects

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Norman Blake formed the two-person band Jonny with Euros Childs. In 2012, Blake also formed a Canadian-based supergroup with Joe Pernice and Mike Belitsky called The New Mendicants.

Raymond McGinley joined Dave McGowan's folk group Snowgoose, whose debut album Harmony Springs was released in 2012.

After playing bass on Jonny's 2011 eponymous debut album, Dave McGowan became Belle and Sebastian's touring bassist in 2011, and appeared on their 2015 album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance.[22] On 3 November 2018, he became an official member of the band.[23]

Gerard Love released his solo album Electric Cables in 2012 using the alias Lightships. The album also featured instrumental contributions from Dave McGowan and former Teenage Fanclub drummer Brendan O'Hare.

Francis Macdonald released an album of minimalist classical music, Music for String Quartet, Piano & Celeste, in 2015. Macdonald played piano and celeste, with strings by members of the Scottish Ensemble.[24]

Paul Quinn released 3 self composed albums. North Pole on his own Bellbeat Music label. Go! Released on Re-Action Recordings and High 5. Quinn released a digital only release of Demos before deciding to call time on The Primary 5

Musical style and legacy

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Their sound is reminiscent of Californian bands like the Beach Boys and the Byrds, and their seventies counterparts Big Star. Teenage Fanclub are influenced by Big Star and Orange Juice. They performed a cover of Orange Juice's "Rip It Up" with Edwyn Collins. In December 2010, at the ATP Bowlie 2 music festival, they performed as the backing band for Edwyn Collins.

Their musical style has been described as alternative rock,[25][26] power pop,[27][28][29] indie rock,[30] indie pop,[31][32] jangle pop,[33] noise pop,[34] pop-punk,[35] and grunge (early).[36]

Teenage Fanclub were regularly name-checked in interviews by Kurt Cobain, who described them as "the best band in the world".[37] The band would support Nirvana on tour in the summer of 1992. Juliana Hatfield covered the song "Cells" on her 2012 self-titled album.

Members

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Current members

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  • Norman Blake – co-lead vocals, guitar (1989–present)
  • Raymond McGinley – co-lead vocals, guitar (1989–present)
  • Francis Macdonald – drums (1989, 2000–present), backing vocals (2000–present)
  • Dave McGowan – keyboards, programming, guitar (2004–2018); bass, backing vocals (2019–present)
  • Euros Childs – keyboards, programming, backing vocals (2019–present)

Former members

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  • Gerard Love – co-lead vocals, bass (1989–2018)
  • Brendan O'Hare – drums, backing vocals (1989–1994, 2018 live shows)
  • Paul Quinn – drums (1994–2000, 2018 live shows)
  • Finlay Macdonald – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals, bass, programming (1997–2001)

Timeline

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Discography

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Main article: Teenage Fanclub discography

Studio albums

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 969–970. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  2. ^ Davies, Ashley (20 September 2023). "Norman Blake: I climbed into my friend's parents' bed at a party". The Times.
  3. ^ a b Teenage Fanclub (16 January 2019). "It's 2019..." Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2019 – via Facebook.
  4. ^ a b c d Collar, Matt. "Teenage Fanclub | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b Lindsay, Cam (1 September 2016). "Rank Your Records: Norman Blake Merrily Rates the Ten Teenage Fanclub Albums". Vice. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  6. ^ Pinnock, Tom (14 August 2018). "Teenage Fanclub on their finest albums: "If writing songs wasn't difficult, everyone would be doing it!"". Uncut. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Norman Blake – Does Rock 'n' Roll Kill Braincells?". NME. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Fanny Quits Club". NME. 28 March 2000. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Teenage Fanclub official website. "Work Starts on a New Album!"". Teenagefanclub.com. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  10. ^ "Posting on Teenage Fanclub website". Teenagefanclub.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  11. ^ "Teenage Fanclub – Timeline". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2016 – via Facebook.
  12. ^ "British Council Film: Teenage Superstars". British Council Film. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  13. ^ Murray, Robin (25 April 2018). "Teenage Fanclub Confirm Vinyl Re-Issues". Clash. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  14. ^ Virtue, Graeme (1 November 2018). "Teenage Fanclub review – classic lineup bids farewell with glorious nostalgia trip". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  15. ^ a b Monroe, Jazz (20 August 2018). "Teenage Fanclub Part Ways With Gerard Love". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  16. ^ Love, Gerard (21 August 2018). "I thought I should say a few words about the Teenage Fanclub situation". Retrieved 22 August 2018 – via Facebook.
  17. ^ Richards, Sam (3 March 2020). "Teenage Fanclub announce new album, Endless Arcade". Uncut. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  18. ^ Baines, Huw (12 June 2020). "Teenage Fanclub Reschedule UK and Ireland Shows For 2021". Stereoboard. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  19. ^ Yoo, Noah (11 November 2020). "Teenage Fanclub Announce New Album Endless Arcade, Share New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  20. ^ Gallagher, Alex (26 January 2021). "Teenage Fanclub share new single 'I'm More Inclined', postpone album and tour dates". NME. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  21. ^ Murray, Robin (23 May 2023). "Teenage Fanclub Announce New Album Nothing Lasts Forever". Clash. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  22. ^ Ham, Robert (31 March 2015). "Belle & Sebastian find ways to keep their music fresh after 20 years". The Oregonian. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  23. ^ Belle and Sebastian (3 November 2018). "...and then there were 7! Dave just made it official and joined the band". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2019 – via Facebook.
  24. ^ Manheim, James. "Music for String Quartet, Piano and Celeste – Francis MacDonald – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  25. ^ Deming, Mark. "Norman Blake Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  26. ^ Adams, Steve (2010). "Shadow Play". Billboard. Vol. 122, no. 13. p. 35. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  27. ^ Iai (9 August 2007). "Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Teenage Fanclub Return With New LP". Pitchfork. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  29. ^ Horn, David; Shepherd, John (2012). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Volume 8: Genres: North America. A&C Black. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4411-4874-2.
  30. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 2000. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  31. ^ Walsh, Ben (25 November 2016). "Teenage Fanclub, Electric Ballroom, London, review: A joyous, generous gig from the enduring, uplifting indie-poppers". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  32. ^ "The 25 Best Dream Pop Albums of All Time". Paste. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  33. ^ Lockett, Mac (4 March 2021). "Teenage Fanclub Sticks to Its Melancholic Jangle-Pop on 'Endless Arcade' (ALBUM REVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  34. ^ Greer, Jim (May 1991). "Matador Records is New York City's coolest rock label in years". Spin. Vol. 7, no. 2. p. 57. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  35. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1128. ISBN 978-1-57859-061-2.
  36. ^ Beaumont, Mark (6 January 2017). "Shoegaze albums - 10 of the best". NME. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  37. ^ "Teenage Fanclub: Tennents Mutual". Clash. 29 October 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
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