Latin Quarter (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Latin Quarter is a UK-based musical group established in 1983, recognized for their top 20 UK chart single "Radio Africa." They found a larger audience and greater acclaim in Germany. Their most recent release, Releasing the Sheep, came out on 29 October 2021. The band’s style fuses elements of pop, rock, reggae, and folk, combined with lyrics that often convey political messages.
Career
The origins of Latin Quarter trace back to 1982 when Steve Skaith, previously employed as a printer in Lincoln, joined forces with keyboardist Steve Jeffries to create songs for Chappell music publishers. Skaith worked alongside lyricist Mike Jones, both of whom had been part of the left-leaning group Big Flame. While Jones was responsible for all the lyrics, he did not perform with the ensemble.
Under the management of Sean Clark and Marcus Russell from Ignition Management, Skaith, Jeffries, and Jones officially formed Latin Quarter towards the end of 1983. The initial lineup featured guitarist Richard Wright, drummer Richie Stevens, vocalists Yona Dunsford and Carol Douet, along with bassist Greg Harewood. Following live performances in London throughout 1984, they independently released “Radio Africa” on their own Ignition label.
The band secured a deal with Rockin’ Horse Records, an imprint of Arista, and completed their debut album titled Modern Times. Early in 1986, “Radio Africa” climbed to number 19 on the UK charts. Although the album reached only number 91 in the UK rankings, it achieved top twenty status in Germany and Sweden and sold over 300,000 copies across European markets. Latin Quarter embarked on extensive tours throughout Europe and appeared at prominent festivals such as Glastonbury in 1986 and East Berlin’s Rock for Peace Festival in 1987.
Their sophomore album Mick And Caroline (1987) introduced new members Darren Abraham on drums and Martin Lascalles on keyboards but did not replicate the commercial success of its predecessor. The third release, Swimming Against the Stream (1989), produced by David Kershenbaum in Los Angeles and featuring musician David Lindley, was distributed by RCA exclusively in Germany and was not issued in the US. The album’s lyrics reflected support for social movements like the Dunnes Stores strike in Dublin. Due to disappointing sales within the UK market, the band initially disbanded.
In 1990, a compilation titled Nothing Like Velvet, containing unreleased demos and live recordings, was released with the band’s consent. Skaith, Wright, and Jones continued under the Latin Quarter name and collaborated with The Bhundu Boys on their 1993 album Friends on the Road. Subsequently, Latin Quarter issued Long Pig (1993) and Bringing Rosa Home (1997) through German record labels before entering a period of inactivity beginning in 1998.
Following this hiatus, Mike Jones pursued teaching Popular Music at the University of Liverpool; Richard Wright took up guitar instruction at the Yehudi Menuhin School; while Steve Skaith formed the Steve Skaith Band in Mexico, releasing three albums before returning to England to revisit Latin Quarter’s catalogue with Latin Quarter Revisited (2010).
In 2011, Skaith and Jones reassembled Latin Quarter including original members Yona Dunsford, Greg Harewood, and Steve Jeffries. They conducted tours across Germany and the UK and released two albums: Ocean Head (2012) and Tilt (2014), which featured guest artist Chris Rea. Skaith’s solo project Bare Bones (2015) revisited early demo material from Latin Quarter.
The group’s lineup shifted again for The Imagination of Thieves (2016), which incorporated musicians Martin Ditcham, Yo Yo Buys, and Mary Carewe. Jones contributed lyrics to two tracks on this album. Later releases include Pantomime of Wealth (2018), which tackled themes related to social justice; an acoustic reinterpretation of earlier songs titled The Colour Scheme (2019); and Releasing The Sheep (2021), blending fresh compositions with previously unreleased songs from the 1980s written by Jones.
Celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2023, Latin Quarter embarked on a commemorative tour and unveiled their first live album called Remember, recorded at The Half Moon venue in London.
External links
- English pop bands
- English rock bands
- British reggae ensembles
- English folk ensembles
- British politically themed music groups
- Artists signed to Ignition Records
- Artists signed to RCA Records
- Artists signed to Arista Records
- Artists signed to Westpark Music
- Bands formed in 1983
- Bands disbanded in 1990
- Musical groups disestablished in 1990