Frazier Chorus
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Tim Freeman, Michéle Allardyce, Kate Holmes, Chris Taplin |
| Headquarters | Brighton , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Frazier Chorus was a British pop ensemble originating from Brighton, distinguished by their unique use of instruments such as synthesizers, trumpets, flutes, and clarinets. Fronted by Tim Freeman, their sound featured his characteristic "soft, heavily accented ... talk-singing" style paired with clever lyricism.
History
The group was established in Brighton by Tim Freeman (vocals, keyboards), Michéle Allardyce (percussion), Kate Holmes (flute), and Chris Taplin (clarinet, programming). Initially, they performed under names including Fishing For Clouds and Plop! before choosing the name Frazier Chorus, which was inspired by a cheerleading jacket from an American college football team.
They initially signed with the UK independent label 4AD and released their first single "Sloppy Heart" in 1987. Shortly thereafter, they transitioned to Virgin Records, where their 1989 debut album Sue produced three modest charting singles. Michéle Allardyce was subsequently removed from the lineup.
Their sophomore album, Ray (1991), included singles that were remixed by prominent producers such as Paul Oakenfold, Chad Jackson, and Youth. Following Virgin's acquisition by EMI, the band was dropped from the label. Subsequently, Holmes and Taplin dismissed Freeman before the group dissolved. Holmes later pursued electronica projects with bands including Sirenes, Technique, and Client.
In the mid-1990s, Freeman relaunched Frazier Chorus with consent from former members. The 1995 mini-album Wide Awake was released but did not achieve chart success in the UK. Additionally, he issued Monkey Spunk, a compilation of demos available solely through the band's official website.
During the 2000s, Holmes became involved with synthpop outfit Technique and collaborated with Sarah Blackwood in the electronic group CLIEͶT.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | UK Albums Chart |
Label | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Sue | 56 | Virgin | |||||||||
| 1991 | Ray | 66 | Virgin | |||||||||
| 1995 | Wide Awake | - | Pinkerton | |||||||||
| "-" indicates releases that did not appear on charts. | ||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | US Alternative Songs | US Dance/Club Play Songs | ||||
| 1987 | "Sloppy Heart" | - | - | - | Non-album release | 4AD |
| 1988 | "Dream Kitchen" | 57 | - | - | Sue | Virgin |
| 1989 | "Typical!" | 53 | - | - | ||
| "Sloppy Heart" | 73 | - | - | |||
| 1990 | "Cloud 8" | 52 | 17 | 14 | Ray | |
| "Nothing" | 51 | - | 28 | |||
| 1991 | "Walking on Air" | 60 | - | - | ||
| 1996 | "Driving" | - | - | - | Wide Awake | Pure |
| "Wide Awake" | - | - | - | Seedy Singles | ||
Compilations
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Monkey Spunk |
External links
- Frazier Chorus artist profile on Discogs
- Frazier Chorus listing on IMDb