Talulah Gosh
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Oxford , England |
| Products | Indiepop music |
Talulah Gosh was a guitar-pop ensemble originating from Oxford, England, recognized as pivotal contributors to the indiepop scene. Their name was inspired by a headline in an NME interview with Clare Grogan.[1] The group formed in 1986 when Amelia Fletcher and Elizabeth Price crossed paths in Oxford. The initial roster comprised Amelia Fletcher (vocals, guitar, main songwriter), Mathew Fletcher (drums), Peter Momtchiloff (lead guitar), Rob Pursey (bass), and Elizabeth Price (vocals). Shortly after, Chris Scott replaced Pursey on bass.
History
Talulah Gosh's first live performance took place on 7 March 1986. Early in their career, they issued a flexidisc through the Sha La La flexilabel and released two singles, "Beatnik Boy" and "Steaming Train," via Edinburgh’s 53rd & 3rd label. These initial recordings embraced a deliberately playful aesthetic, mirrored by the band members’ nicknames—Amelia was dubbed "Marigold," Elizabeth "Pebbles," and Mathew "Fat Mat"—which contributed to their identification as an "anorak indie" act.
Their third single, titled "Talulah Gosh," was initially recorded for a BBC Radio 1 session and coincided with a lineup change: Eithne Farry took over vocal duties from Elizabeth Price. Released on 30 May 1987, this track featured a more refined sound and achieved wider recognition through its music video broadcast on The Chart Show on Channel 4. John Rivers produced this single as well as their subsequent release, "Bringing Up Baby," which exhibited a more sophisticated pop approach suggestive of mainstream potential. Despite these qualities, Talulah Gosh did not achieve national chart success. Their first compilation album, Rock Legends: Volume 69, appeared in October 1987, gathering earlier singles and radio session recordings.
In January 1988, alongside the release of "Bringing Up Baby," the band completed their second BBC Radio 1 session for DJ John Peel. Their final single, the punk-tinged "Testcard Girl," was issued in May before the group dissolved later that year. Post-breakup, BBC session compilations were released through Sarah Records in 1991 and a comprehensive retrospective came out on K Records in 1996. A limited-edition EP featuring demos from 1986 was issued for Record Store Day in 2011, coinciding with plans for a new anthology album. Amelia Fletcher announced this collection as Was It Just a Dream? in July 2013; it was released that October alongside a launch event at London's Scared To Dance club featuring Fletcher, Farry, and Price.
Following the band's dissolution, Peter Momtchiloff joined Razorcuts, while Amelia Fletcher pursued a solo career with the single "Can You Keep a Secret?". In late 1989, Amelia Fletcher, Mathew Fletcher, and Peter Momtchiloff formed Heavenly, reuniting with original member Rob Pursey. After Razorcuts disbanded, Chris Scott established Saturn V alongside Gregory Webster and drummer Struan Robertson.
Singles
- "I Told You So" (flexi disc, 1986) (distributed with fanzines Are You Scared To Get Happy? No. 3 and Trout Fishing in Leytonstone No. 3)
- "Beatnik Boy" (single, 1986)
- "Steaming Train" (single, 1986)
- "Talulah Gosh" (single, 1987)
- "Bringing Up Baby" (single, 1987)
- "Testcard Girl" (single, 1988)
- "Demos EP" (single, 2011 – recorded 1986)
Compilations
- Rock Legends: Volume 69 (a collection of singles, released in 1987/8; re-released in 1991 under the title Talulah Mania)
- They've Scoffed the Lot (radio session recordings, 1991)
- Backwash (comprehensive recordings including live performances, 1996)
- Was It Just a Dream? (an expanded edition of Backwash featuring additional demo tracks, 2013)
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLarkinindie