The Farm (British band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Website | thefarmmusic |
The Farm is a Liverpool-based English band. Their first album, Spartacus, reached number one on the UK Albums Chart in March 1991; to celebrate its anniversary, Spartacus 30 was issued in 2021. This album includes two singles that entered the UK Top 10 the year before. In 2012, the group toured with their Spartacus Live performances and joined forces with the Justice Tonight Band, supporting the Stone Roses at prominent venues such as Heaton Park, Phoenix Park, Lyon, and Milan. Additionally, they participated in The Justice Collective, which secured the 2012 Christmas number one spot with the charity single "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother".
History
Established in early 1983,[1] the founding members were Peter Hooton, Steve Grimes, John Melvin, and Andrew John "Andy" McVann,[2] who tragically died at age 21 during a police pursuit in 1986.[3] The Spartacus album is dedicated to McVann’s family.
Originating from The Excitements, which initially included Phil Stephenson (bass), Neil Campbell (drums), Grimes (guitar), and Thomas (dancer), the group underwent changes after Martin Dunbar's departure when Hooton became the vocalist and they rebranded as The Farm. Their 1984 single "Hearts and Minds" was produced by Graham "Suggs" McPherson of Madness.[4] Following McVann’s death and Melvin’s exit to manage a construction business—though Melvin later returned to music under the name Mr. Smith—the band supported the Housemartins on their UK tour in 1987.
After several lineup adjustments, The Farm released four singles independently but only gained significant recognition in 1990.[5] They appeared in the film The Final Frame, featuring Suggs, and signed under his production. Their inaugural single with new management was "Stepping Stone," a dance rendition of the 1966 track originally by Paul Revere & the Raiders and popularized by The Monkees.[5] Their anti-hooliganism T-shirt campaign during Italia 90 further enhanced their visibility.
Their major breakthrough came with "Groovy Train," which entered the UK Top 10 in September 1990.[5] During that summer, they performed in Ibiza and appeared in A Short Film About Chilling. In November of the same year, "All Together Now" climbed to number four. Capitalizing on this momentum, Spartacus secured the top spot on album charts in early 1991.
In 1991, The Farm teamed up with Pete Wylie from Wah! to rework his hit "Sinful" into a baggy style,[6] followed by three modest hits released through Produce label.
Following the success of Spartacus, they signed a major contract with Sony Records and launched their own imprint called End Product.[7] However, changes in indie music trends and label restructuring affected their progress. Their first Sony single "Rising Sun" (1992) marked a departure from their baggy sound yet only reached number 48.[5] Subsequently, they parted ways with producers Pete Heller and Terry Farley to collaborate with Mark Saunders, known for his work with Erasure and The Cure. In October 1992, their charity cover of The Human League's "Don't You Want Me" made it into the Top 20.[5]
Their final notable chart success was a re-recorded version of "Love See No Colour" from their 1992 album of the same title. This iteration shifted towards synthpop infused with gospel influences but peaked at just number 35; meanwhile, the album itself did not chart, resulting in their departure from Sony.
In 1994, they released Hullabaloo through Sire Records, accompanied by their last major single.[1] Although mainly supporters of Liverpool F.C., they licensed "All Together Now" to Everton FC for their 1995 FA Cup Final campaign; this version reached the UK Top 40.[8]
Their most recent charting single as The Farm was "All Together Now 2004," featuring Liverpool’s S.F.X. Boys Choir as England’s official anthem for Euro 2004.[9] Released on May 31, 2004, it included radio commentary from qualifying matches and a remix by DJ Spoony.
They were among the inaugural acts to perform at Liverpool’s Echo Arena when it opened in January 2008.
The Collective
The Farm played an instrumental role in producing "The Fields of Anfield Road", a tribute song for the Hillsborough disaster, with proceeds supporting families affected by the tragedy. Credited to Liverpool Collective featuring the Kop Choir, this single debuted at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart on April 12, 2009, climbing to number 14 the following week.
In 2011, The Farm helped organize the Don't Buy The Sun concert at Liverpool’s Olympia venue as a protest against The Sun newspaper’s inaccurate Hillsborough reporting. The event featured artists such as Mick Jones (The Clash), Pete Wylie (the Mighty Wah), John Power, among others—forming the nucleus of The Justice Tonight Band. This ensemble toured during 2011–2012, including four shows supporting The Stone Roses’ reunion tour. They headlined the Strummerville festival in 2012 before evolving into the Justice Collective, which achieved Christmas number one with a charity rendition of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," benefiting Hillsborough victims’ families.
In 2014, members of The Farm re-recorded "All Together Now" under The Peace Collective banner for charity purposes. Unlike previous versions, this release peaked at number 70 and failed to enter the UK Top 40.
2010s to present
Between 2013 and 2014, The Farm continued performing across UK festivals such as the Isle of Wight Festival in 2013. In that year, Alan McGee lauded their acoustic performance at his venue The Tabernacle as one of his “Top Ten All Time Gigs.” The band sustained live appearances throughout 2015 at events including Shiiine On Weekender alongside various acoustic sets.
In 2016, The Farm joined other public figures touring across Britain to endorse Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign for Prime Minister. They also performed at a rally supporting the Labour Party ahead of the UK's 2017 general election.
In 2018, Carl Hunter directed Sometimes Always Never, a feature film scripted by Frank Cottrell Boyce starring actors like Bill Nighy and Sam Riley. Although its soundtrack primarily featured Edwyn Collins and Sean Read instead of The Farm's music, members of the band were involved in production. The film garnered positive critical reception including a four-star review from The Guardian.
To commemorate three decades since Spartacus topped charts, BMG Rights Management released Spartacus 30, containing unreleased tracks and remixes alongside an HD version of "Groovy Train".
Former member George Maher passed away in December 2022.
In June 2025, The Farm announced their first new studio album in over three decades titled Let The Music (Take Control), comprising ten brand-new songs.
Members
- Current members
- Peter Hooton – lead vocals (1983–1996, resumed from 2004)
- Keith Mullin – guitar (1986–1996; returned in 2004)
- Steve Grimes – guitar and keyboards (1983–1996; from 2004 onwards)
- Carl Hunter – bass guitar (1986–1996; active since reunion)
- Ben Leach – keyboards (1988–1996; resumed post-2004)
- Roy Boulter – drums (1987–1996; active since reunion)
- Former members
- Paula David – backing vocals (1989–1993)
- Phil Strongman – bass guitar (1983–1986)
- Andy McVann – drums (1983–1986; deceased)
- Anthony Evans – brass instruments (1984–1986)
- Steve Levy – brass section (1984–1986)
- George Maher – brass instruments (1984–1986; deceased)
- John Melvin – brass section (1984–1986)
- Mick Hanratty – drums (1985–1987)
- Bobby Bilsborough – brass instruments (1988–1990)
- David Peel – brass section (1988–1990)
- Howard Beesley – guitar (1980–1984)
Studio albums
| Album title | Release details | Highest chart positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | NED | SWI | |||
| Spartacus |
|
1 | 106 | 45 | 37 |
|
| Love See No Colour |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Hullabaloo |
|
— | 169 | — | — | |
| Let The Music Take Control |
|
— | — | — | — | |
Other albums
- Pastures Old and New (1986) [compilation]
- Spartacus Live (1991) [video recording]
- Groovy Times (1991) [video]
- Best of the Farm (1998) [compilation]
- The Very Best of the Farm (2001) [compilation]
- Back Together Now! Live (2006) [video]
- All Together with the Farm (2007) [live album]
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) | GER | IRE | NLD | SWI | US | |||||||
| "Hearts and Minds" | 1984 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pastures Old and New | ||||
| "Steps of Emotion" | 1985 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Some People" | 1986 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Body and Soul" | 1989 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" Template:Non-album singles | ||||
| "Stepping Stone" / "Family of Man" | 1990 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Groovy Train" | 6 | 113 | — | — | — | 41 | — | 41 | Spartacus | |||||
| "All Together Now" | 4 | 102 | 13 | 5 | — | 9 | 18 | — |
| |||||
| "Sinful! (Scary Jiggin' with Doctor Love)" (with Pete Wylie) | 1991 | 28 | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | Template:Non-album single | ||||
| "Don't Let Me Down" | 36 | 194 | — | 78 | 29 | — | — | — | Spartacus | |||||
| "Mind" | 31 | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | Love See No Colour | |||||
| "Love See No Colour" | 1992 | 58 | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | |||||
| "Rising Sun" | 48 | 168 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Don't You Want Me" | 18 | 115 | – | – | 19 | – | – | – | ||||||
| "Love See No Colour" (re-mix) | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Messiah" | 1994 | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hullabaloo | ||||
| "Comfort" | ||||||||||||||
| "All Together Now" (Everton 1995 FA Cup Final) | 1995 | 24 | rowspan=2 Template:Non-album singles | |||||||||||
| "All Together Now 2004" (featuring SFX Boys Choir) | 2004 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| "–" indicates singles that did not enter charts or were not released. | ||||||||||||||
External links
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- Articles with short description
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