Living in a Box
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Sheffield, England |
| Founder | Anthony "Tich" Critchlow, Marcus Vere, Richard Darbyshire |
| Headquarters | Sheffield , England |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Living in a Box is a British musical group established in 1985. Their self-titled debut single released in 1987 climbed to No. 5 on the UK singles chart and secured a position within the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The 1989 track "Room in Your Heart" also reached No. 5 on the UK charts.
Initially, the band included vocalist Richard Darbyshire, while the current formation consists of original members Anthony "Tich" Critchlow (drums) and Marcus Vere (keyboards, synthesizers), joined by new lead singer Bryan Chambers.
Origins and dissolution
Living in a Box originated in 1985 in Sheffield. The group’s name was derived from their very first recorded song. Vere and Critchlow were working on a demo of this track when Darbyshire, then pursuing a solo career, joined to provide vocals, completing the trio.
Their 1987 single "Living in a Box" reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and became their sole Top 40 entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. This single was part of their debut album, also titled Living in a Box, which featured other singles such as "Love is the Art," "So the Story Goes," and "Scales of Justice." Among these, only "So the Story Goes" charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, while all made appearances on UK charts.
The follow-up album released in 1989, Gatecrashing, enjoyed greater popularity in the UK, producing two top-10 singles: "Blow the House Down," which included guitar work by Queen’s Brian May, and "Room in Your Heart." The album itself reached No. 21 on the charts. However, due to creative disagreements and changes at their record label Chrysalis, the band parted ways in 1990 before completing a third album.
Post-band activities
After Living in a Box disbanded, lead singer Richard Darbyshire pursued songwriting for artists including Lisa Stansfield and experienced moderate success as a solo artist. His 1994 solo release, How Many Angels, has been reissued multiple times since 1999 under the title Love Will Provide, frequently featuring additional unreleased material.
Following the split, Anthony "Tich" Critchlow and Marcus Charles Vere stepped away from performing music for a period. Critchlow currently runs a company that specializes in custom lighting design.
Vere redirected his efforts toward producing an acclaimed educational DVD series for young children called Here Comes A...!, later evolving this venture into an online platform named Kids Trucks TV in 2017. In May 2016, Vere contributed songwriting to ABC’s album Lexicon of Love II, which reached the top five on the charts.
Living in a Box reunion
In 2016, Living in a Box reunited with British soul vocalist Kenny Thomas stepping in for Darbyshire. By the summer of 2022, the group revealed on Twitter their new frontman, Bryan Chambers. Since their comeback, they have appeared at notable UK events including Let's Rock, Rewind, and Flashback.
Enduring influence
The popular song "Living in a Box" was interpreted by Bobby Womack, who also partnered with the band on the track "So the Story Goes". In 2013, this song was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
Band members
Current lineup
- Anthony "Tich" Critchlow – drums (1985–1990, 2016–present)
- Marcus Charles Vere – keyboards, synthesizers (1985–1990, 2016–present)
- Bryan Chambers – vocals (2022–present)
Former members
- Richard Darbyshire – vocals, guitar (1985–1990; passed away 2025)
- Kenny Thomas – vocals (2016–2022)
Studio releases
| Album | Release details | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | GER | AUT | NED | SWE | SWI | US | |||||
| Living in a Box |
|
25 | 22 | 18 | — | 30 | 10 | 89 |
| ||
| Gatecrashing |
|
21 | — | — | 79 | 39 | — | — |
| ||
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart or were not issued. | |||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | BEL (FLA) | CAN | GER | IRE | NLD | SWE | SWI | US | ||||
| 1987 | "Living in a Box" | 5 | 49 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 'Living in a Box' | |
| "Scales of Justice" | 30 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 27 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "So the Story Goes" | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | |||
| 1988 | "Love Is the Art" | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989 | "Blow the House Down" | 10 | 166 | — | 12 | — | 28 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 26 | — | 'Gatecrashing' | |
| "Gatecrashing" | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Room in Your Heart" | 5 | — | 27 | 20 | — | — | 6 | 16 | 20 | — | — | BPI certification: Silver | ||
| "Different Air" | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
External links
- Official site of Richard Darbyshire
- Entry on Discogs.com
- [ Comprehensive biography and discography of Living in a Box] at AllMusic
- Musical groups formed in 1985
- Musical groups disbanded in 1990
- Musical groups reunited in 2016
- English musical trios
- English pop groups
- Artists signed to Chrysalis Records
- Musical acts originating from Sheffield
- Sophisti-pop groups
- 1985 establishments in England
- English funk ensembles
- Musical groups disestablished in 1990