The Chesterfields
| Company type | Indie pop group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 in Yeovil, Somerset, England |
| Founder | Dave Goldsworthy, Simon Barber, Dominic Manns |
| Headquarters | Yeovil , England |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Dave Goldsworthy, Simon Barber, Dominic Manns, Brendan Holden, Rodney Allen, Andy Strickland, Mark Barber, Rob Ellis |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Chesterfields are a British indie pop group originating from Yeovil, Somerset, England. Established in 1984 by Dave Goldsworthy (vocals, guitar), Simon Barber (bass, vocals), and Dominic Manns (drums), they were joined a year later by guitarist Brendan Holden. Their initial recordings appeared on the Golden Pathway tapes, which highlighted the West Country's music scene.
Their debut vinyl offering was a flexi disc featuring "Nose out of Joint," paired with The Shop Assistants' "Home Again." This release was distributed through London's Legend fanzine and a Bristol-based fanzine managed by Martin Whitehead, who would later lead the Subway Organisation.
After signing with The Subway Organization, the band released three singles before Brendan Holden was replaced by Rodney Allen. Their first full-length album, Kettle, was released in July 1987, followed by the singles collection Westward Ho!. Allen departed to join The Blue Aeroplanes, temporarily replaced by Andy Strickland of The Loft/The Caretaker Race, with Mark Barber, Simon's brother, taking over permanently.
Moving to their own Household label, The Chesterfields put out two singles and their third studio album, Crocodile Tears. Drummer Dominic Manns was succeeded by Rob Ellis, who would later play with PJ Harvey. Following Goldsworthy's exit in late 1988, the group essentially disbanded; however, the Barber brothers released one last single titled "Fool Is The Man" in 1989.
After the breakup, Simon Barber formed Basinger while Mark Barber created Grape. Dave Goldsworthy led bands such as Fürnt and Mujer21 before tragically dying in a hit-and-run accident in 2003. During the 1990s, Vinyl Japan reissued The Chesterfields' back catalogue, coinciding with a brief reunion tour in Japan.
In June 2014, commemorating the anniversary of the NME C86 tape, Design—fronted by Simon Barber—and Andy Strickland performed Chesterfields tracks at London's 92 Club. This event sparked further live renditions of songs like "Johnny Dee" and "Last Train to Yeovil" throughout 2015.
The band announced participation in NYC Popfest in May 2016 alongside a new EP release. In 2019, The Chesterfields toured the UK featuring Simon Barber, Andy Strickland, Helen Stickland, and Rob Parry. Mid-2021 saw them recording a new album co-produced by Ben Turner and John Parish. Released on 23 September 2022 through Mr Mellow's Music, it was preceded by singles "Our Songbird Has Gone" and "Mr Wilson Goes To Norway," followed by a UK tour in October that year.
Discography
Positions listed reflect rankings on the UK Indie Chart.
Albums
- Kettle (1987, Subway, SUBORG 003) No. 5
- Westward Ho! (1987, Subway, SUBORG 005) No. 25
- Crocodile Tears (1988, Household, HOLD4LP/CD) No. 10
- Flood (1995, Vinyl Japan, ASKCD041)
- New Modern Homes (September 2022, Mr Mellow's Music)
Singles
- "Nose Out of Joint" – flexi disc (1985, Golden Pathway)
- A Guitar in Your Bath EP (1986, Subway, SUBWAY 3) No. 19
- "Completely and Utterly" (1986, Subway, SUBWAY 7) No. 16
- "Ask Johnny Dee" (1987, Subway, SUBWAY 11) No. 4
- Janice Long Session EP (1987, Night Tracks, SFNT003) No. 29
- "Goodbye Goodbye" (2006, Household, HOLD1T) No. 10
- "Blame" (1988, Household, HOLD3/HOLD3T) No. 11
- "Fool Is a Man" (1989, Household, HOLD5T)
- "Down by the Wishing Pool" (1994, Vinyl Japan, TASK026/TASKCD026)
- Johnny Dee EP (1995, Vinyl Japan, TASKCD035)
- Our Songbird Has Gone (July 2022, Mr Mellow's Music)
- Mr Wilson Goes To Norway (August 2022 Spinout Nuggets)