The Cherry Boys
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, EPs |
The Cherry Boys were a new wave ensemble originating from Liverpool, England, established in 1980. Their most notable release is the track "Kardomah Cafe," which, despite not charting on the UK Singles Chart, achieved a top 10 position in Spain.
Career
The band featured John Byrne (also known as John Cherry) handling vocals and guitar, James Hughes contributing vocals and keyboards, Keith Gunson on vocals and bass, and Howie Minns playing drums. In the early phase, drummer Chris Sharrock of Icicle Works collaborated with them and performed on their debut single "Man to Man."
Gaining considerable local popularity, The Cherry Boys earned the BBC Radio Merseyside Best Local Band award in 1982 along with several honors from the regional publication The End. They secured a deal with Satril Records, through which they issued four singles and an EP named "Give It Rice."
While "Kardomah Cafe" failed to break into the UK top 50, it reached number 6 on the Spanish charts in 1984. This song was subsequently featured on the compilation album Liverpool Cult Classics Unearthed - Volume Two released in 2001 by the Viper Label, as well as included in the extensive five-disc anthology Scared to Get Happy: A Story of Indie-Pop 1980-1989 (2013).
Following their split in 1984, Hughes and Minns formed Exhibit B, producing the single "It’s Hypothetical" and the album Playing Dead, which saw a Japanese reissue in 2007. Hughes later became the main creative force behind the James Clarke Five, releasing their album Fly My Pretties Fly! in 2008. John Byrne, who penned most of The Cherry Boys' material, went on to join The La's as lead guitarist during their international success with "There She Goes" and has since established a reputation as a classical guitarist. Chris Sharrock also joined The La's before moving on to perform with The Icicle Works, Lightning Seeds, The Robbie Williams Band, and Oasis.
Their manager Graham Jones authored Last Shop Standing (2009), documenting the decline of independent record shops. This work includes reflections from his time managing The Cherry Boys and Exhibit B, explaining the origin of the phrase "Give it rice," which came from Keith Gunson encouraging audiences to throw rice during shows—an act that eventually discouraged venues from hosting them.
Discography
- "Man to Man" b/w "So Much Confusion" 7″, Open Eye (1981)
- "Give It Rice" (Cassette E.P), Open Eye (1982)
- "Only Fools Die" b/w "Come The Day" 7″, Cherryoza (1982)
- "Kardomah Café" b/w "Airs and Graces" 7″/12″, Crash (1983)
- "Shoot The Big Shot" b/w "Falling" and "Don't Leave Me That Way" 12″, Crash (1983)
- "Kardomah Café" b/w "Airs and Graces" & "Plead Sanity" 12″, Satril (1984)
Bibliography
- Schwartze, Klaus. The Scouse phenomenon: the scrapbook of the new Liverpool rock scene. Birkenau: Bitsch, 1987.
- Jones, Graham. Last Shop Standing. London: Proper Music, 2009.