Then Jerico
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 in England |
| Founder | Mark Shaw, Jasper Stainthorpe, Steve Wren, Scott Taylor |
| Headquarters | England |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Mark Shaw (lead vocalist) |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Then Jerico is a rock band from England that secured five singles within the UK top 50 charts throughout the 1980s.
Career
The band's initial roster consisted of lead vocalist Mark Shaw, bassist Jasper Stainthorpe, drummer Steve Wren, and guitarist Scott Taylor.
In 1983, they played at New York's Limelight Club and subsequently signed with London Records in 1984. Their track "The Big Sweep," which criticized figures like Robert Maxwell and Rupert Murdoch, was first issued in 1985 on producer Martin Rushent's Immaculate label before receiving a limited release through London Records.
Their songs "Muscle Deep" and "The Motive" entered the charts in 1987. Commercial acclaim followed with two albums: First (The Sound of Music) (1987), co-produced by Shaw alongside Owen Davies, which reached number 35 on the UK Albums Chart, and The Big Area (1989), which achieved gold status and peaked at number 4. Notably, Rick Nowels produced multiple tracks on The Big Area, with Belinda Carlisle providing backing vocals on the single "What Does It Take."
Their highest-ranking UK single was "Big Area" (1988), which climbed to number 13.
In early 1990, the original lineup disbanded as Shaw embarked on a solo path, releasing the album Almost via EMI in 1991. This record was produced by guitarist Andy Taylor and featured singles such as "Love So Bright" and "Under Your Spell." In 1993, Shaw briefly toured under the name "Then Jerico 2" with Taylor.
Shaw revived Then Jerico in 1998 with the independently funded album Orgasmaphobia, co-produced with Taylor and including contributions from Mick MacNeil of Simple Minds and writer Iain Banks. The live album Alive & Exposed (2000) documented a 1992 London performance and introduced the new song "Step into the Light."
A reunion tour occurred in 2012, reuniting original members Shaw, Rob Downes, Scott Taylor, Jasper Stainthorpe, and Steve Wren. The following year featured the 'Reprise Tour,' promoting the Reprise compilation released by Warner/Rhino Music and included appearances at festivals such as Henley's Rewind the 80s and Let's Rock Bristol.
By February 2014, the original formation had ended; nevertheless, Mark Shaw continued with a refreshed lineup to complete festival commitments that year. He performed at club venues throughout 2015 and appeared at Let's Rock London in 2016. Additionally, Shaw has intermittently collaborated with singer Tony Hadley and the SAS Band.
Guitarist Scott Taylor died on 27 April 2020 at age 58 after battling a brain tumour.
Current
- Mark Shaw (born Mark Robert Tiplady, 10 June 1961, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England) – vocals (1983–1990, 1998–present)
- Ryan Williams – guitar
- Magnus Box – bass
- Paul Davis – drums
Former
- Jasper Stainthorpe (born 18 February 1958, Tonbridge, Kent, England) – bass (1983–1989 / 2012–2013)
- Steve Wren (born 26 October 1962, Lambeth, London, England) – drums (1983–1989 / 2012–?)
- Scott Taylor (31 December 1961, Redhill, Surrey, England – 27 April 2020) – guitar (1984–1989 / 2012–2020)
- Cliff Lawrence – guitar (1983)
- Mark Sanderson (born 1961) – keyboards (1983)
- Ben Angwin – keyboards (1984–1985)
- Alex Mungo – keyboards (1985–1988)
- Bari Goddard – backing vocals (live performances, 1980s)
- Steve Lee – backing vocals (live performances, 1980s)
- Rob Downes (born 7 December 1961, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, England) – guitar (1987–1989 / 2012–?)
- Chris Youdell – keyboards (1988–1989)
- Keith Airey (substituted for Scott Taylor on guitar during the Big Area tour in 1989)
- Justin McConville (2010s performances)
- John Miller (2010s performances)
- Paul Davis (2010s performances)
- PJ Phillips – bass/backing vocals (1998–2016)
Albums
| Year | Album | UK |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | First (The Sound of Music) | 35 |
| 1989 | The Big Area | 4 |
| 1991 | Almost... (Mark Shaw, solo effort) |
— |
| 1994 | Electric | — |
| 1997 | Radio Jerico (2 CD set) | — |
| 1998 | Orgasmaphobia | — |
| 1999 | The Best Of... | — |
| 2000 | Alive & Exposed | — |
| 2012 | First (The Sound of Music) (25th Anniversary Expanded Edition) |
— |
| Jewels in Time: Rarities & Unreleased Tracks | — | |
| Big Area (reissue) | — | |
| Acoustic Live (CD/DVD package) | — | |
| 2013 | Reprise (compilation album) | — |
| Acoustic: Live London 2012 (CD only) | — | |
| 2024 | Before the Future 1984-1989 | 50 |
Singles
— | — | — | — | 48 | 1989 | align=left|"Big Area" | — | — | 10 | — | 13 | rowspan=3| The Big Area| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | BE | IRE | NL | UK | |||
| 1985 | "The Big Sweep" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Fault" | — | — | — | — | — | First (The Sound of Music) | |
| 1986 | "Muscle Deep" | — | — | — | — | 85 | |
| 1987 | "Let Her Fall" | — | — | — | — | 65 | |
| "Prairie Rose" | — | — | — | — | 89 | ||
| "The Motive" | 89 | 37 |
8 |
32 |
18 | ||
|
-| align=left|"What Does It Take?" (featuring Belinda Carlisle) | 154 | — | 26 | — | 33 | -| align=left|"Sugar Box" | — | — | — | — | 22 | 1996 | align=left|"The Motive '96" (Spain-only release) | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan=2| Non-album single |
-| 1997 | align=left|"Big Area '97" (Spain-only release) | | ||||||