Babble (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, Keith Fernley |
| Headquarters | London (initially), later New Zealand , United Kingdom, New Zealand |
| Products | Electronic dance music |
Babble was an electronic dance music ensemble, originating from both Britain and New Zealand, active during the 1990s. The group was established by Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie—formerly members of the Thompson Twins—alongside Keith Fernley.
History
In 1992, Bailey and Currie decided to retire the Thompson Twins moniker to pursue a more avant-garde musical direction, leading to the formation of Babble. They elevated their longtime sound engineer, Keith Fernley, to full membership within the band. The trio dedicated five weeks traveling through India to gather diverse audio samples for their projects.
Their initial album, The Stone, was produced in their London-based home studio known as the Sugar Shack. Contributions included British rapper Q-Tee providing vocals on "Beautiful," while Amey St. Cyr lent her voice to the tracks "Take Me Away" and "Tribe." The band's first officially released song, "Chale Jao," featured on the soundtrack of the 1993 film Coneheads.
Although initially planned for release in autumn 1993, The Stone ultimately came out on 8 March 1994. Promotional singles from the album were "Beautiful" in the United Kingdom and "Tribe" in the United States. The single "Take Me Away" reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play chart. Subsequently, a double A-side single featuring "Beautiful" and "Tribe" was issued.
In 1994, Babble contributed three compositions—"Fly," "I Want You," and "Father's Field"—to American actress and singer Traci Lords' debut record 1000 Fires.
Following their move to New Zealand in 1994, Bailey and Currie set up a new home studio where they began crafting their sophomore album before Fernley joined them in early 1995. Their second release, Ether, was launched on 27 February 1996. The single "Love Has No Name", featuring New Zealand vocalist Teremoana Rapley, achieved a peak position of number 10 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play chart. Additional vocals on tracks "Sun" and "Tower" were provided by New Zealand singer Taisha Kuhtze.
Work commenced on demo recordings intended for a third album; however, after Warner Brothers terminated their contract, Babble disbanded.
Members
- Tom Bailey
- Alannah Currie
- Keith Fernley
Studio albums
Singles
- "Beautiful" (1993)
- "Tribe" (1993)
- "Take Me Away" (1994)
- "Beautiful"/"Tribe" (1994)
- "Love Has No Name" (1996)