The Mighty Lemon Drops

Links

Buy

The Mighty Lemon Drops Vinyl - direct link @ ebay.co.uk

(Lenin is a participant in the eBay (EPN) affiliate program)

They Formed in Wolverhampton in 1985

The Mighty Lemon Drops emerged from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands in early 1985. The original line-up was Paul Marsh on vocals, Dave Newton on guitar, Tony Linehan on bass and Keith Rowley on drums. Their combination of ringing guitars, psychedelic touches and melancholy melodies placed them among the most distinctive British indie bands of the decade.

Three Members Had Already Played Together in Active Restraint

Before the Lemon Drops, Newton, Marsh and Linehan had connections with a group called Active Restraint. Newton recalled that the band released a single which received airplay from both John Peel and Kid Jensen. The musicians were still very young when they began building their careers around the West Midlands scene.

Newton Had a Short but Significant Spell in the Wild Flowers

After Active Restraint, guitarist Dave Newton co-founded the Wild Flowers, who released an album and two singles during 1983 and 1984 on Reflex Records. He left towards the end of 1984 and reconnected with Marsh, helping set the stage for the formation of the Mighty Lemon Drops a few months later.

The Story That They Were Called the Sherbet Monsters Was a Joke

The band are sometimes said to have originally been called the Sherbet Monsters. Newton explained in a 2014 interview that this was a joke made by bassist Tony Linehan during an interview. The name was then repeated in publicity material, leaving the musicians correcting the story for years afterwards.

Dave Newton Was Influenced by Wilko Johnson and Andy Gill

Newton's guitar style was not shaped by psychedelic pop alone. He cited Wilko Johnson and Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill as influences, and also admired the sharp, choppy guitar sound of the Screaming Blue Messiahs' early EP. Those inspirations helped give the Lemon Drops' bright sound a more angular edge.

Their First Single Came Out on Dan Treacy's Dreamworld Label

"Like an Angel", released in December 1985, was issued by Dreamworld Records, the label associated with Television Personalities frontman Dan Treacy. Newton had sent Treacy a demo tape and was invited to play support gigs in London. An enthusiastic review in the music press helped lead to the single being recorded and released.

"Like an Angel" Reached Number One on the Indie Chart

The debut single rose to number one on the UK independent singles chart. The achievement brought the band attention beyond their local following and helped secure their deal with Blue Guitar, the label set up by Geoff Travis through Chrysalis. The single's success was a remarkable result for a group that had only formed that year.

The Single Was Recorded in a Tiny Studio at Someone's Home

Newton later contrasted the modest circumstances of the first single with the band's later studio work, explaining that "Like an Angel" was recorded in a tiny studio in somebody's front room. Their earliest recordings were made on very limited budgets, long before they had access to major-label resources.

They Spent Much of Their Early Time at JB's in Dudley

Newton remembered JB's club in Dudley as a second home for the band during their early years. The musicians could spend two or three days a week there, meeting other local performers and becoming part of the West Midlands music network. The venue also connected them to musicians who later became associated with the Wonder Stuff and Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

Their First Album's Version of "Happy Head" Was Not the C86 Version

The title track "Happy Head" appeared on the influential NME C86 cassette in 1986. Newton explained that the version on the compilation was not the same recording that appeared on the band's debut album. The band had been invited to contribute something exclusive and recorded three songs in a few hours at an inexpensive Wolverhampton studio.

The Happy Head Album Was Produced by Stephen Street

Their 1986 debut album was produced by Stephen Street, who would later become known for his work with the Smiths, Blur and other major British acts. The album gave the band's jangling, psychedelic guitar pop a more controlled studio sound while retaining the urgency of their early recordings.

The Band Wanted Blue Guitar's Independence and Chrysalis's Resources

Newton described the deal with Geoff Travis's Blue Guitar label as an appealing combination: an independent spirit backed by a major label's funding and distribution. In North America, the band were signed to Sire Records, which also had artists such as the Smiths and James on its roster.

They Covered the Teardrop Explodes for a BBC Session

For a Janice Long BBC session, the band recorded a version of the Teardrop Explodes' "When I Dream". Newton said the choice was partly tongue-in-cheek because the Lemon Drops were regularly compared with the Liverpool group. He wished journalists had also made more comparisons with Wah! Heat, whose guitar sound he admired.

Out of Hand Followed in 1987

Their second album, Out of Hand, appeared in 1987 as the group continued to build a following in Britain and America. The record developed the band's melodic guitar sound and helped establish them as more than a one-single indie success. Their American audience was becoming particularly important to their career.

"Inside Out" Became Their Best-Known Hit

Released in 1988, "Inside Out" became the band's signature song and helped propel their third album, World Without End, to number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. The song's ringing guitars and immediate chorus gave them one of the most memorable alternative-rock singles of the late 1980s.

The "Inside Out" Video Was Directed by Derek Jarman

Filmmaker Derek Jarman directed the promotional video for "Out of Hand" in 1987. His involvement connected the group with a British independent film-maker whose work often explored experimental imagery and queer culture. The band's video for "Inside Out", meanwhile, received exposure on American MTV, according to Newton, despite being disliked by the group themselves.

American College Radio Was Crucial to Their Success

World Without End reached number one on the US college-radio chart in 1988. Newton recalled seeing a Rolling Stone chart clipping that placed the album at number one, ahead of releases by Morrissey and Talking Heads. College radio gave the band an audience that mainstream British radio and television had often failed to provide.

The Band's Third Album Was Their Last with the Original Bassist

Tony Linehan left during the recording of Laughter, the band's 1989 album. He had been a key co-writer with Newton, but the two had developed songs separately and then refined each other's ideas rather than relying on extended jamming. Marcus Williams took over on bass, giving the group a different dynamic.

Laughter Was Intended to Escape Their "Doom and Gloom" Image

The band chose the title Laughter partly to signal a lighter musical direction. Newton later described the album as ambitious and different from the earlier records. Although the line-up had changed, the album performed strongly on American college radio and entered the Billboard album chart.

Their Final Two Studio Albums Arrived in the Early 1990s

The group released Sound… Goodbye to Your Standards in 1991 and Ricochet in 1992. They disbanded later that year after releasing five studio albums. Their career had moved from a tiny independent single recorded on a shoestring to a sustained following in the American alternative scene.