The Pale Fountains
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Pale Fountains originated as a Liverpool-based English group formed in 1980, comprising Mick Head (vocals and guitar), Chris McCaffery (bass), Thomas Whelan (drums), trumpet player Andy Diagram (horns), and Ken Moss (guitar). During this era, Diagram was also involved with Dislocation Dance.
Career
Inspired by 1960s artists such as Love, Burt Bacharach, and the Beatles, their initial single "(There's Always) Something on My Mind" was issued through Les Disques du Crépuscule prior to their 1982 contract with Virgin Records. Despite limited commercial impact, the band received critical praise for two Virgin albums: Pacific Street (1984) and ...From Across the Kitchen Table (1985), both produced by Ian Broudie, who later gained recognition with the Lightning Seeds. Their sole UK top 50 hit was "Thank You," peaking at No. 48 in 1982.
The group parted ways in 1987, after which Mick Head established Shack with his brother John. Andy Diagram exited in 1984 and subsequently joined James. Founding bassist Chris "Biffa" McCaffery passed away in 1989 due to a brain tumour.
In November 2007, Mick Head revealed plans to reunite the band for two performances: at Liverpool’s Carling Academy on 2 February 2008 and London’s Shepherd's Bush Empire on 3 February 2008. The band continues to enjoy a devoted audience particularly in France and Japan. Two compilation albums have been issued: Longshot for Your Love (1998) and Something on My Mind (2013), the latter featuring a live recording from 1982.
Members
- Mick Head – vocals, guitar (1981–1987)
- Chris McCaffery – bass guitar (1981–1987; died 1989)
- Thomas Whelan – drums (1981–1987)
- Andy Diagram – trumpet (1982–1984)
- John Head – guitar (1984–1987)
Timeline
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id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lguitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:rguitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:trumpet value:redorange legend:Trumpet id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.93)
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at:02/27/1984 color:studio layer:back at:02/04/1985 color:studio layer:back
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bar:Mick text:Mick Head bar:Chris text:Chris McCaffery bar:Thomas text:Thomas Whelan bar:Andy text:Andy Diagram bar:John text:John Head
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width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Mick from:start till:end color:vocals bar:Mick from:start till:end color:rguitar width:3 bar:Chris from:start till:end color:bass bar:Thomas from:start till:end color:drums bar:Andy from:01/01/1982 till:12/31/1984 color:trumpet bar:John from:01/01/1984 till:end color:lguitar
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Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| Pacific Street |
|
85 |
| ...From Across the Kitchen Table |
|
94 |
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Longshot for Your Love |
|
| Something on My Mind |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Year Released | Peak Chart Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Indie | NL | ||
| "(There's Always) Something on My Mind" / "Just a Girl" | 1982 | — | 28 25 |
— |
| "Thank You" | 48 | — | 48 | |
| "Palm of My Hand" | 1983 | 102 | — | — |
| "Unless" | 1984 | 115 | — | — |
| "(Don't Let Your Love) Start a War" | 174 | — | — | |
| "Jean's Not Happening" | — | — | — | |
| "...From Across the Kitchen Table" | 1985 | — | — | — |
| Note: "—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not released in the specified region. | ||||