Working Week (band)
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Simon Booth, Larry Stabbins |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Jazz-dance music |
Working Week was a British ensemble specializing in jazz-dance, active between 1983 and 1991. The band was created by guitarist Simon Booth and saxophonist Larry Stabbins, both formerly members of Weekend. Initially, the lineup featured a fluid group of musicians, including trombonist Annie Whitehead, vocalist Julie Tippett, pianist Keith Tippett, and percussionist Bosco D'Oliveira. Their first single, "Venceremos (We Will Win)," came out in 1984 as an homage to Chilean protest singer Víctor Jara, with guest vocals from Robert Wyatt and Tracey Thorn of Everything but the Girl. This track peaked at number 64 on the UK Singles Chart.
Following this, Booth and Stabbins appointed Juliet Roberts as the group's permanent lead singer. Their debut album, Working Nights, was released in April 1985 through Virgin Records. Produced by Robin Millar, the record combined elements of soul, jazz, and Latin music, achieving sales of around 150,000 copies both domestically and overseas.
Roberts remained as lead vocalist on the albums Compañeros (1986) and Surrender (1987), leaving the band after the release of the single "Knocking on Your Door." Vocal responsibilities for 1989’s Fire in the Mountain were undertaken by Julie Tippett, while Eyvon Waite performed lead vocals on Black and Gold (1991), which was the band's last studio album.
On 9 February 1986, Working Week played at the Royal Albert Hall during a benefit concert supporting victims of Colombia’s 1985 Armero disaster. In that same year, they also contributed tracks to the soundtrack of the film Absolute Beginners.
Albums
- Working Nights (Virgin Records V2343) – 1985 UK No. 23
- Compañeros (Virgin Records V2397) – 1986 UK No. 72
- Surrender (Virgin Records V2468) – 1987
- Payday (Best of Working Week) (compilation, Virgin Records Ltd./Venture VEGD19) – 1988; reissued 1999
- Pay Check (US compilation version of 'Payday') (Venture 2–90997) – 1988
- Fire in the Mountain (10 Records DIX86) – 1989
- Black and Gold (10 Records DIX95) – 1991
Singles
- "Venceremos (We Will Win)" – 1984 UK No. 64
- "Storm of Light" – 1984 UK No. 88
- "Inner City Blues" – 1985 UK No. 93
- "Sweet Nothing" – 1985 UK No. 83
- "Stella Marina" – 1985
- "I Thought I'd Never See You Again" – 1985 UK No. 80
- "Too Much Time" – 1986 UK No. 94
- "South Africa" – 1986
- "Rodrigo Bay" – 1986
- "Don't Touch My Friend" – 1986
- "Surrender" – 1987
- "Largo" – 1987
- "Knocking On Your Door" – 1988
- "Eldorado" – 1989
- "Blade" – 1989
- "Testify" – 1990
- "Positive" – 1991 UK No. 96
- "Holding On" – 1991