The Colourfield
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 in Manchester, England |
| Founder | Terry Hall, Karl Shale, Toby Lyons |
| Headquarters | Manchester , England |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Colourfield—originally known as The Colour Field (two words) until 1987—was an English musical group established in Manchester in 1984. The band was founded by Terry Hall, formerly the lead singer of the Specials and Fun Boy Three, alongside Karl Shale and Toby Lyons, who had previously played with the Swinging Cats. Despite all members originating from Coventry, their base of operations was Manchester.
1984 – Formation and Early Releases
The Colourfield debuted in January 1984 with their single "The Colour Field," which just missed entering the UK top 40 charts. Their follow-up single, "Take," released later that summer, did not achieve significant commercial success. However, their third release, "Thinking of You," featuring vocals from Katrina Phillips, climbed to number 12 on the UK charts by January 1985. Shortly before launching their first album, they released "Castles in the Air," which attained moderate chart placement in the UK.
1985 – Virgins and Philistines
April 1985 saw the release of Virgins and Philistines, comprising 10 tracks in the UK edition and 12 tracks for the U.S. market. A subsequent Japanese reissue expanded the album to include 20 tracks, incorporating B-sides and live performances. The album's diverse blend of 1960s and 1970s pop influences combined with acoustic arrangements and string sections made it challenging to capture a wide audience. Retrospectively, it is regarded as a forerunner to the musical style embraced by northern English bands such as the Beautiful South and the Lightning Seeds—Hall himself later collaborated with the latter on songwriting and vocals. The album reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart.
Most tracks were original compositions, apart from "The Hammond Song," a cover of the Roches, and in the U.S. edition, "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" (written by Linzer and Randell), which enjoyed considerable radio play. Recording sessions took place at Strawberry Studios in Stockport under producers Hugh Jones and Jeremy Green, with engineering by Chris Jones. Notable guest musicians included Pete de Freitas from Echo & the Bunnymen, former Camel drummer Paul Burgess, percussionist Preston Heyman, clarinetist Ian Nelson, and backing vocalist Katrina Phillips.
1986 – The Colour Field EP
By January 1986, The Colourfield had expanded their lineup to a quartet with the addition of Gary Dwyer (formerly of The Teardrop Explodes) on drums. That same month, their American record label issued a six-track EP entitled The Colour Field, featuring the UK single "Things Could Be Beautiful" and its B-side "Frosty Morning," both produced by Ian Broudie. The EP also included two live recordings from a performance at Hammersmith Palais: "Pushing Up the Daisies" and "Yours Sincerely." Additionally, two earlier tracks produced by Hugh Jones—"Armchair Theatre" and "Faint Hearts"—were part of this release. Despite these offerings, "Things Could Be Beautiful" failed to chart in either the UK or U.S., and no new recordings were released for another year.
1987 – Deception
In spring 1987, The Colourfield returned primarily as a duo consisting of Hall and Lyons after Lyons departed partway through recording; they were supported by Raquel Welch’s band members along with session musicians. Hall later voiced dissatisfaction with the production process for Deception, citing a lack of creative control over both musicians and producers to preserve the band's signature sound. The album was recorded at Wool Hall Studio in Beckington, Somerset, with Richard Gottehrer and Jeffrey Lesser serving as producers.
The initial singles from this album were cover versions: "Running Away," originally by Sly & the Family Stone, followed by "She," composed by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. The 12-inch version of "She" featured an additional track titled "Monkey in Winter," which included vocals by Sinéad O'Connor.
Other contributors on Deception included keyboardist Gregg Mangiafico; drum programmer Sammy Merendino; Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears providing guitar work on "Running Away" and "Confession"; along with backing vocalists Dolette McDonald, Deborah Malone, and Janice Pendarvis. Although Hall and Lyons appear together on the interior artwork of the album’s 2010 CD reissue by Cherry Red Records, much of the recording was completed solely by Hall accompanied by session players.
Post-Colourfield Activities
Following the disbandment of The Colourfield, Hall went on to establish Terry, Blair & Anouchka in 1990, releasing the album Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes. In 1992, he teamed up with Dave Stewart to form the duo Vegas. His debut solo record, Home, was released in 1995. Additionally, Hall contributed to projects with the Lightning Seeds, Stephen Duffy, Gorillaz, and Tricky, and also appeared on stage alongside the Ordinary Boys.
On 21 July 2003, Hall unveiled The Hour of Two Lights, a collaborative effort with Mushtaq (Fun-Da-Mental). In 2009, he reunited with the original members of the Specials—with the exception of Jerry Dammers—for a successful tour and continued performing with them until his passing from pancreatic cancer on 18 December 2022 at age 63. Meanwhile, Lyons pursued a career as a graphic design lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. Karl Shale became part of the Candyskins before eventually working in a record store.
Band Members
- Terry Hall – vocals, guitar (1984–1987)
- Toby Lyons – guitar, organ (1984–1987)
- Karl Shale – bass (1984–1986)
- Gary Dwyer – drums (1986)
Discography
The Colourfield's catalog consists of two full-length albums, one mini-album, two compilation records, and eleven singles.
Studio Albums
| Year | Album Information | UK Albums Chart Position | RIANZ Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Virgins and Philistines
|
12 | 28 |
| 1987 | Deception
|
95 | – |
Compilation Releases
- The Singles (Chrysalis, 1995) (collection of singles from Fun Boy Three and The Colourfield)
- The Very Best Of (Chrysalis, 2018)
EPs
- The Colour Field (Chrysalis, January 1986)
Singles
Singles released outside the UK are indicated in parentheses.
| Year | Title | Associated Album | UK Singles Chart Position | Irish Singles Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "The Colour Field" | — | 43 | – |
| "Take" | Virgins and Philistines | 70 | – | |
| 1985 | "Thinking of You" | 12 | 11 | |
| "Castles in the Air" | 51 | – | ||
| "Yours Sincerely" (FR) | Not Ranked | – | ||
| "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" (U.S. and CA) | — | Not Ranked | – | |
| 1986 | "Things Could Be Beautiful" | 83 | – | |
| 1987 | "The Windmills of Your Mind" (JP) | Not Ranked | – | |
| "Running Away" | Deception | 84 | – | |
| "Goodbye Sun Valley" (FR) | Not Ranked | – | ||
| "She" |