Gay Dad
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Gay Dad was a London-based English rock group established in 1994, remaining active until 2002. The band consisted of Cliff Jones on guitar and vocals, drummer Nick "Baz" Crowe, keyboardist James Riseboro, bassist Nigel Hoyle, and Charley Stone.
Origins
The band originated through the collaboration of ex-Mojo and The Face journalist Cliff Jones and art magazine publisher Nick Crowe, joined by Berkshire acquaintances: Dominic S (vocals), Tim Forster (keyboards), and bassist Nigel Hoyle, who had previously played alongside Dominic S in the band Brutus. Prior to Gay Dad, Jones, S, Forster, and Crowe had worked together on projects such as The Timothy and the Astral Projection Society. One of their earliest recordings was "Freaking out in Sunninghill Sky St," issued as a limited cassette during the late 1980s.
Their initial demo was produced by Jim Irvin, formerly the lead singer of Furniture, with financial backing from Andrew Loog Oldham, ex-producer for the Rolling Stones, and Tony Calder, co-founder of the Immediate label. After witnessing a rehearsal performance that impressed them, Calder and Oldham signed the group.
Gay Dad’s first live appearance occurred in 1995 at the Orange Club located in West Kensington.
Following some lineup adjustments, Crowe brought in James Riseboro, a Liverpool University graduate, to play keyboards. In the autumn of 1996, they recorded three tracks at Raezor Studio, including "To Earth with Love." Although these recordings were initially intended to help secure live performances, the demo attracted attention from major labels such as Island, Chrysalis, Mercury, and EMI, eventually resulting in a deal with London signed in December 1997.
"To Earth with Love" (1998)
Charley Stone, previously of Salad, joined as a live guitarist to help replicate the band's complex layered sound during performances. Early in 1998, Gay Dad toured across the UK before entering RAK Studios to record with producer Tony Visconti and engineer Mark Frith, who had co-produced their earlier demos. Visconti co-produced "To Earth with Love" alongside the band and Frith but was later replaced. Subsequent recording sessions took place at The Dairy studio in Brixton with producers and engineers Gary Langan (formerly of Art of Noise) and Chris Hughes. Test pressings reached DJ Mark Radcliffe at BBC Radio 1, which expedited the single’s release.
Gay Dad made history as the first band to perform on Top of the Pops prior to releasing any records; they also appeared on shows such as TFI Friday and CD:UK.
The group received extensive media coverage,[1] being praised as potential "saviours" of British rock by publications like Select and Melody Maker.[2] However, some critics suggested that their prominence was partly due to insider connections since Cliff Jones had recently worked within music journalism.[2] They featured on the covers of Melody Maker, NME, and Select magazines.
Their debut single "To Earth with Love" was released in January 1999,[2] reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] In an interview conducted in 2001, Jones revealed his hesitancy about revisiting that period despite their earlier achievements.
Leisure Noise era (1999–2000)
Gay Dad's initial album, Leisure Noise, was released in June 1999 and co-produced by Chris Hughes alongside Mark Frith. Although it received favorable critiques, the album reached only No. 14 on the charts, with US sales surpassing 25,000 copies. The band performed at the Glastonbury Festival in June and later supported the Stereophonics during their July tour.
The second single, "Joy!", climbed to No. 22 on the UK charts, whereas the third single, "Oh Jim," peaked at No. 47. Negative live performance reviews prompted a media backlash. Jones attracted criticism for perceived pretentious comments, and doubts about the band's sincerity arose due to his media connections. Following a U.S. tour, Stone departed; attempts to bring in Andy Bell fell through when he joined Oasis.
The group started recording a follow-up album at The Cure's Parkgate studios in Sussex, but keyboardist Riseboro exited over creative disagreements. In November, Gay Dad ended their relationship with London Records and A&R representative Mark Lewis.
Transmission phase (2001–2002)
Jones, Hoyle, and Crowe signed with the independent label B-Unique, established by their former A&R contact Mark Lewis, and commenced production on the album Transmission.
In 2001, the lead single "Now Always and Forever" narrowly missed entering the UK Top 40. It was followed by a UK tour and a limited-edition release of the single "Harder, Faster." The third single, "Transmission," was issued shortly before the album's release late that year.
Gay Dad played a one-time show in Houston, Texas, where Jones connected with up-and-coming Austin band Young Heart Attack, assisting them in securing a UK record deal. The track "Young Heart Attack" later appeared as a b-side on one of the Transmission singles.
At the Carling Festival, Gay Dad headlined the New Bands Tent twice. Technical difficulties interrupted their Leeds performance, leading Jones to break his guitar and lead an impromptu a cappella rendition of "Joy!" which engaged the audience. Their Reading appearance drew a full tent and enthusiastic crowd participation.
Band dissolution
Speculation about a breakup surfaced in 2002; Jones confirmed the split shortly before Transmission was released in the US. He attributed this to overwhelming media hype, pressure, and negative reactions related to the band's controversial name. Jones commented, "We got shot out of the cannon... as rapidly as we went up, we came down again."
Jones disclosed that Capitol Records had intended to release the album stateside but withdrew due to objections concerning the band's name. This was later corroborated by a former Capitol executive, resulting in Transmission being launched through indie label Thirsty Ear.
Later that year, Gay Dad’s single "Joy!" featured prominently in a Mitsubishi automobile commercial, appeared in the football game FIFA 2000, and was used in television series such as Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Naked Chef.
Following the breakup, Jones concentrated on production and songwriting collaborations with artists including The Electric Soft Parade, Sia, Scanners, Lovebites, Jamie Dornan, Faceless Warewolves, The Golden Virgins, and Mark Owen. He also contributes music journalism to The Sunday Times and serves as an instructor at the Bristol Institute of Modern Music.
Crowe transitioned into music journalism for Prospect while raising his family on Exmoor.
Hoyle worked with Freelance Hellraiser on a remix for an Ian Brown album before forming Gramercy alongside Dylan Rippon and Crispin Hunt. The group released material online but disbanded prior to issuing their debut EP Hold On through Redemption Records. In 2009, Hoyle released a solo project under the name Nigel Of Bermondsey via Pure Mint records.
Albums
- Leisure Noise (1999) – Reached No. 14 on UK charts
- Transmission (2001)
Singles
- 1999: "To Earth with Love" – Peaked at UK No. 10
- 1999: "Joy!" – Achieved UK No. 22
- 1999: "Oh Jim" – Charted at UK No. 47
- 2001: "Now Always and Forever" – Attained UK No. 41
- 2001: "Harder Faster" – Released as a limited edition tour single, did not enter charts
- 2001: "Transmission" – Reached UK No. 58
External links
- Gay Dad on MySpace
- [ Gay Dad on Allmusic]
- Single review, 18 January 1999
- Article in The Guardian, 28 May 1999