Black Grape
| Company type | Rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1993 in Salford, England |
| Founder | Shaun Ryder, Bez |
| Headquarters | Salford , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Black Grape is a rock group from England, established in Salford in 1993, comprising former members of Happy Mondays and Ruthless Rap Assassins. Their music fuses elements of funk and electronic rock, incorporating programming and sampled sounds.
Formation, initial albums, and disbandment (1993–1998)
Black Grape was created by Shaun Ryder and Bez, both ex-members of Happy Mondays, representing Ryder's new chapter following the dissolution of Happy Mondays amid personal struggles with substance abuse and financial disagreements. The lineup included rappers Paul "Kermit" Leveridge and Carl "Psycho" McCarthy, drummer Ged Lynch (also from Ruthless Rap Assassins), guitarist Wags (previously with Manchester's Paris Angels), and Oli "Dirtycash" Dillon on ocarina. Their recording sessions started in 1993 before securing a record deal.
In 1995, the band signed with Radioactive Records, an imprint under BMG, releasing their first album It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and yielded three singles that reached the top 20. By April 1996, it had earned platinum status in the UK.
Key songs from this album include "Kelly's Heroes," which offers a critique of celebrity culture with modified lyrics for its release, and "Temazi Party," a satirical take on temazepam misuse that used intentional misspelling to avoid legal complications.
Their sophomore album, Stupid Stupid Stupid, did not achieve the same commercial success but was awarded a UK gold certification in January 1998. Later that year, the group dissolved after Ryder dismissed several members during a tour, citing health concerns and dissatisfaction with financial matters.
Following the breakup, Ged Lynch established himself as a sought-after session drummer and percussionist.
Reunion (2010–present)
On 1 April 2010, Shaun Ryder briefly revived Black Grape alongside producer Danny Saber for a performance at The Coronet in London as part of the 'Get Loaded in the Dark' event series.
In 2015, Black Grape reunited for a charity show at the Old Granada Studios in Manchester to support Bez's political endeavor with We Are the Reality Party during his parliamentary campaign. Ryder and Kermit performed, with Bez joining them on stage later. Shortly thereafter, Black Grape signed with Creation Management, led by Alan McGee and Simon Fletcher, announcing a reunion tour commemorating two decades since their debut album It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah (1995). Bez did not rejoin the ensemble.
For UEFA Euro 2016, Black Grape released "We Are England" under the name 4 Lions, collaborating with DJ Paul Oakenfold and vocalist Goldie. The single was issued through Fletcher McGee Ltd under license from BMG Rights Management.
On 4 May 2017, they revealed plans for the album Pop Voodoo, initially scheduled for release on 7 July along with the lead single "Everything You Know Is Wrong". The album was eventually launched on 4 August and was ranked #23 on Louder Than War’s top 100 albums of 2017.
In September 2021, Black Grape embarked on a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album; this tour had been postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their fourth studio album, Orange Head, was originally planned for November 2023 featuring lead single "Milk". Instead, November saw the release of the single "Dirt", while the album's launch was delayed until January 2024. Orange Head officially became available on 19 January 2024.
Guitarist Wags passed away in March 2025.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Rankings | Sales Certifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS |
CAN |
NZ |
SCO |
SWE | |||
| It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah |
|
1 | 111 | 80 | 20 | 2 | 13 |
|
| Stupid Stupid Stupid |
|
11 | 139 | — | — | 10 | 40 |
|
| Pop Voodoo |
|
15 | — | — | — | 8 | — | |
| Orange Head |
|
78 | — | — | — | 5 | — | |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart or were not released in the specified region. | ||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song Title | Highest Chart Positions Achieved | Associated Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
UK Dance |
AUS |
SCO |
US Alt. | |||
| 1995 | "Reverend Black Grape" | 9 | — | — | 5 | — | It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah |
| "In the Name of the Father" | 8 | — | 107 | 5 | 31 | ||
| "Kelly's Heroes" | 17 | — | 158 | 13 | — | ||
| 1996 | "Fat Neck" | 10 | — | — | 6 | — | rowspan="2" Template:N/A |
| "England's Irie" | 6 | — | — | 19 | — | ||
| 1997 | "Get Higher" | 24 | — | 177 | 12 | — | Stupid Stupid Stupid |
| 1998 | style="text-align:left;" | "Marbles" | 46 | 39 | — | 44 | — | |
| 2017 | "Nine Lives" | — | — | — | — | — | Pop Voodoo |
| "I Wanna Be Like You" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023 | "Pimp Wars" | — | — | — | — | — | Orange Head |
| "Milk" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dirt" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" signifies tracks that did not chart or were not issued in that market. | |||||||
Promotional singles
- 1997 – "Dadi Waz a Badi"
Film
- The Grape Tapes (1997)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Alternative dance musical groups
- English dance music groups
- English rock music groups
- Madchester groups
- Britpop groups
- Alternative rock groups from Salford
- Musical groups established in 1993
- Musical groups disbanded in 1998
- Musical groups reunited in 2010
- Musical groups reunited in 2015
- 1993 establishments in England
- Musical groups disestablished in 1998