Sad Café

Sad Café are an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1976, who achieved their peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known for the UK Top 40 singles "Every Day Hurts", "Strange Little Girl", "My Oh My" and "I'm in Love Again",[2] the first of which was their biggest hit, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979.[3] The band also had two US Billboard Hot 100 hits with "Run Home Girl" and "La-Di-Da".[2] Frontman Paul Young went on to achieve greater chart success as the co-lead singer (with Paul Carrack) of Mike + The Mechanics.

Sad Café
OriginManchester, England
GenresSoft rock[1]
Years active1976–1990, 1998, 2000, 2012–present
LabelsRCA, A&M
MembersIan Wilson
Dave Irving
Des Tong
Sue Quin
Barry James Thomas
Dave Day
Neil Shaw-Hulme
Matt Steele
Past membersPaul Young
Vic Emerson
John Stimpson
Ashley Mulford
Tony Cresswell
Lenni
Michael Byron-Hehir
Steve Pigott
Jeff Seopardi
Paul Burgess
Phil Lanzon
Alistair Gordon
Simon Waggott
Steve Whalley
Pete Hughes

History

The group formed as a result of the unification of rock bands Mandalaband and Gyro.[2] Its founder members were Paul Young (vocals), Ian Wilson (guitar), Vic Emerson (keyboards), Ashley Mulford (lead guitar), John Stimpson (bass) and Tony Cresswell (drums).[2] Over the course of the band's history, only Young and Wilson were constant members, with other musicians amongst the band's ranks over the years including: Dave Irving (drums), Lenni "Sax" Zakson (saxophone), Des Tong (bass), Michael Byron-Hehir (lead guitar), Steve Piggot (keys), Jeff Seopardi (drums), Paul Burgess (drums), Phil Lanzon (keyboards) and Alistair Gordon (keyboards). Harvey Lisberg, who also managed 10cc, arranged for Eric Stewart to produce their third album, Facades, which included the top 3 single, "Every Day Hurts".[4]

Reviewing the band's 1978 Misplaced Ideals LP, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981): "In which the decade's most paradoxical, characteristic, and disgusting pop-music synthesis—combining hard rock's compulsive riff energy with MOR's smooth determination to displease no one—is achieved without recourse to jazz rhythms or semiclassical decoration. Misplaced ideals my ass—they threw them down the deepest hole they could find."[5]

The band initially dissolved in 1990, but briefly reformed in 1998, and again in 2000. The 2000 concert was a tribute to the band's former vocalist Paul Young, who had died, aged 53, on 15 July 2000. In 2012, the band was reformed by Wilson, who due to Young's death is now the band's only continuous member, along with other former members Mulford, Irving, and Tong, and new members Sue Quin (vocals, keyboards), Simon Waggott (keyboards) and Steve Whalley (guitars, vocals). The band conducted a UK tour in November 2012, the band's first full live tour in 25 years.

The new lineup formed in 2018 includes Wilson, Tong and Irving plus Sue Quin and new members Dave Day (lead guitar, vocals), Barry James Thomas (vocals, percussion), Neil Shaw-Hulme (saxophone, wx7, vocals) and Pete Hughes (keyboards, vocals). They played their first gig in November 2018 to a sell-out audience at the Cinnamon Club in Bowdon and repeated the feat with two more sell-out shows in March 2019 where Matt Steele replaced Pete Hughes on keyboards.

Personnel

Members

Lineups

1976–1978 1978–1979 1979–1980 1980–1981
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Vic Emerson – keyboards
  • John Stimpson – bass, backing vocals
  • Tony Cresswell – drums
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Vic Emerson – keyboards
  • John Stimpson – bass, backing vocals
  • Dave Irving – drums
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Vic Emerson – keyboards
  • John Stimpson – bass, backing vocals
  • Dave Irving – drums
  • Lenni – saxophone
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Vic Emerson – keyboards
  • Dave Irving – drums
  • Lenni – saxophone
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
1981–1984 1984–1986 1986 1986–1989
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Vic Emerson – keyboards
  • Dave Irving – drums
  • Lenni – saxophone
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
  • Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ian Wilson – guitars, backing vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
  • Danny Schogger – keyboards
  • Jeff Seopardi – drums
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Jeff Seopardi – drums
  • Phil Lanzon – keyboards
Guest musicians
  • Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Paul Burgess – drums
1989–1990 1990–1998 1998 1998–2000
  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
  • Paul Burgess – drums
  • Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar
  • Alistair Gordon – keyboards, backing vocals

Disbanded

  • Paul Young – lead vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, backing vocals
  • Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar
  • Alistair Gordon – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Lenni – saxophone
Guest musicians
  • Roy Martin – drums

Disbanded

2000 2000–2012 2012–2014 2018
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, vocals
  • Lenni – saxophone
  • Vic Emerson – keyboards
  • Dave Irving – drums,
  • Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitar
  • Alistair Gordon- vocals
  • Steve Butler - vocals
  • Sue Quin - vocals

Disbanded

  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, vocals
  • Dave Irving – drums
  • Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, vocals
  • Sue Quin – vocals, keyboards
  • Simon Waggott – keyboards, vocals
  • Steve Whalley – guitar, vocals
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, vocals
  • Dave Irving – drums, vocals
  • Sue Quin – vocals
  • Barry James Thomas - vocals
  • Dave Day - lead guitars, vocals
  • Neil Shaw-Hulme - saxophone, wx7, vocals
  • Pete Hughes - keyboards, vocals
2019
  • Ian Wilson – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Des Tong – bass, vocals
  • Dave Irving – drums, vocals
  • Sue Quin – vocals
  • Barry James Thomas - vocals
  • Dave Day - lead guitars, vocals
  • Neil Shaw-Hulme - saxophone, wx7, vocals
  • Matt Steele - keyboards,

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Details UK US
1977 Fanx Ta-Ra
  • Released: September 1977
  • Label: RCA
56 -
1978 Misplaced Ideals
  • Released: April 1978
  • Label: RCA
50 -
Misplaced Ideals
  • Released: November 1978
  • Label: A&M
  • US version of the two first LPs
- 94
1979 Facades
  • Released: September 1979
  • Label: RCA, A&M
8 146
1980 Sad Café 46 160
1981 Olé
  • Released: October 1981
  • Label: Polydor
72 -
1985 Politics of Existing - -
1989 Whatever It Takes
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Legacy
- -

Live albums

Year Title Details UK
1981 Live in Concert
  • Released: April 1981
  • Label: RCA
37
2015 Access All Areas
  • Released: 23 March 2015
  • Label: Edsel
  • Includes DVD of concert
-

Compilation albums

Year Title Details
1984 The Best of Sad Café
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: RCA
1994 The Best of Sad Café
1997 Everyday Hurts: The Best of Sad Café
  • Released: June 1997
  • Label: Camden
The Masters
  • Released: September 1997
  • Label: Eagle
Facades / Misplaced Ideals
  • Released: November 1997
  • Label: Renaissance
  • US-only release
2000 Saving Grace
  • Released: September 2000
  • Label: Castle
  • Repackaging of Politics of Existing and Whatever It Takes
2001 The Best of Sad Café
  • Released: April 2001
  • Label: Camden
  • Reissue of 1997 Everyday Hurts: The Best of Sad Café
Anthology
  • Released: July 2001
  • Label: Burning Airlines
  • UK release
2002 Every Day Hurts
2005 Anthology
  • Released: January 2005
  • Label: Renaissance
  • US release of the 2001 album
2008 Anthology
  • Released: September 2008
  • Label: The Store for Music
  • European release of the 2001 album
2009 Fanx Ta-Ra / Misplaced Ideals
  • Released: June 2009
  • Label: Edsel
  • UK-only release
Facades / Sad Cafe
  • Released: June 2009
  • Label: Edsel
  • UK-only release

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions
NED UK US
1977 "Black Rose" - - -
"Love Will Survive" (UK-only release) - - -
1978 "Hungry Eyes" (UK-only release) - - -
"Run Home Girl" (US-only release) - - 71
1979 "Every Day Hurts" 48 3 -
"Emptiness" (US and Canada-only release) - - -
"Strange Little Girl" - 32 -
1980 "My Oh My" 42 14 -
"Nothing Left Toulouse" (UK only-release) - 62 -
"La-Di-Da" - 41 -
"I'm in Love Again" - 40 -
1981 "Black Rose" (Live) - - -
"Misunderstanding" - - -
"La-Di-Da" (US release) - - 78
"No Favours-No Way" (US-only promo) - - -
"Follow You Anywhere" - - -
1983 "Keep Us Together" (UK-only release) - 76 -
1984 "Why Do You Love Me Like You Do" - - -
1985 "Refugees" (UK-only release) - - -
1986 "Only Love" (UK-only release) - - -
"Heart" - - -
1989 "Take Me (Heart and Soul)" (UK-only release) - - -
"Whatever It Takes" - - -
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See also

References

  1. Artist Biography by Greg Prato (15 July 2000). "Sad Café | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  2. Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1051. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 478. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. Laing, Dave (19 July 2000). "Obituary: Paul Young – Singer who made Manchester rock". The Guardian. London.
  5. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 12 March 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  6. Mowbray, Guy (8 November 2018). "Vic Emerson obituary" via www.theguardian.com.
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