Fairground Attraction
| Company type | Group or band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Mark Nevin, Eddi Reader, Simon Edwards, Roy Dodds |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Fate | Disbanded in 1990; reunited in 2024 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, Japan |
Key people | Mark Nevin, Eddi Reader, Simon Edwards, Roy Dodds |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Number of employees | 4 (original members) |
Fairground Attraction is a folk and soft rock group originating from Scotland, widely recognized for their 1988 chart-topping singles "Perfect" and "Find My Love," both featured on their debut record The First of a Million Kisses. The ensemble earned two Brit Awards in 1989 but dissolved in 1990 to explore individual projects, before reuniting in 2024.
Career
Established in London during the mid-1980s, Fairground Attraction was composed of Mark Nevin, Eddi Reader, Simon Edwards, and Roy Dodds. Their musical style incorporates elements of folk, jazz, country, and Cajun genres.
After securing a contract with RCA Records in 1987, their initial single "Perfect" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and garnered a nomination for the Ivor Novello Award for 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically'. Their 1988 album The First of a Million Kisses, predominantly penned by Nevin, climbed to #2 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum. RCA also issued three more singles: "Find My Love" (#7), "A Smile in a Whisper", and "Clare". At the 1989 Brit Awards, "Perfect" received Best British Single while the album took home Best British Album honors. The band cultivated a notable fanbase in Japan and toured there in 1989.
The group disbanded in January 1990 amid recording sessions for a second album, with ongoing disputes regarding the causes of the split. RCA subsequently released Ay Fond Kiss in June 1990, which was a collection of B-sides and other tracks instead of the planned follow-up album. The single "Walkin' After Midnight" achieved modest chart placement in the UK.
Following the breakup, Nevin finalized material from the unfinished second album alongside Brian Kennedy under the name Sweetmouth (1991), worked with Morrissey on his Kill Uncle album, reunited with Kirsty MacColl for collaborations, and embarked on a solo career. Meanwhile, Reader pursued solo endeavors with occasional collaborations involving Nevin.
In December 2023, Reader revealed that Fairground Attraction would reunite for a Japanese tour scheduled for 2024. Subsequently, the band announced new recordings and a UK tour through their Facebook page. They released the single "What's Wrong With The World?" in March 2024, followed by the title track from their sophomore album Beautiful Happening in June. This album was officially released in September 2024, more than three decades after their debut.
Personnel
- Eddi Reader – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, concertina
- Mark E. Nevin – electric and acoustic guitars
- Simon Edwards – guitarrón
- Roy Dodds – drums and percussion
- Pete Geddis – guitar
- Andrew Davies – drums
Tour personnel
- Roger Beaujolais – percussion
- Graham Henderson – percussion, accordion, acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | CAN | FIN | GER | NED | NZ | SWE | SWI | US | |||
| The First of a Million Kisses |
|
2 | 9 | 17 | 57 | 13 | 38 | 29 | 19 | 6 | 18 | 137 |
|
| Ay Fond Kiss |
|
55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Beautiful Happening |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Compilation albums
- The Collection: Fairground Attraction, with Eddi Reader (1994)
- Perfect: The Best of Fairground Attraction (1995)
- The Very Best of Fairground Attraction, featuring Eddi Reader (1996)
- The Masters (1997)
- 80s Eternal Best: Fairground Attraction Best (1998)
- The Very Best of Fairground Attraction (2004)
Live albums
- Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89 (2003)
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | BEL | GER | IRE | NED | NZ | SWE | SWI | US | ||||
| 1988 | "Perfect" | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 80 | * BPI: Silver
|
The First of a Million Kisses |
| "Find My Love" | 7 | 86 | 3 | 24 | 22 | 6 | 30 | 34 | — | — | — | |||
| "A Smile in a Whisper" | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1989 | "Clare" | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Walking After Midnight" | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ay Fond Kiss | |
| 2024 | "What's Wrong with the World?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Beautiful Happening | |
| "Beautiful Happening" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Videos
- The First of a Million Kisses (1990)
A compilation featuring music videos for "Perfect", "Find My Love", "A Smile in a Whisper", and "Clare"
- Live at Full House (1990)
Recordings of live sessions from the German television program Live at Full House
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Recipient | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Smash Hits Poll Winners Party | Themselves | Most Promising New Act | |
| 1989 | Silver Clef Award | Best Newcomer | ||
| Ivor Novello Awards | "Perfect" | Best Song Musically & Lyrically | ||
| 1989 Brit Awards | Best British Single | |||
| The First of a Million Kisses | Best British Album |
External links
- Official site of Eddi Reader
- Website of Mark E. Nevin
- AllMusic artist profile
- IMDb artist page
- Discogs artist listing