Formed in Manchester, the Stone Roses would go on to change the face of indie pop with their seminal 1989 debut album (called "The Stone Roses", oddly enough). However, while still young and unknown in 1984, the band had a guitarist called Andy Couzens. Unfortunately for young Mr Couzens, in 1986 a disagreement with the band's the manager ended with him leaving the soon to be massive Roses.
Fortunately for us though, the departed guitarist went off and set up his own band with three former member of another local group called Flag of Convenience*. This new band was called The High.
The band played their first gig in 1989 at the Ritz Ballroom in Manchester - a fantastic venue with a rather springy dancefloor - and were signed straight after to London Records, who they chose over local label Factory amongst others.
Anyway, the usual story follows, hotly-tipped Manchester band, release well-received singles and critically-approved debut album then fail to live up to expectations, hang around for a few years but never recapture the hey-day and split up. They did release a new album in 2004 though. No, me either.
I feel I'm doing the band a disservice, but I'm a bit sketchy on all the details. I was requested (for want of a better word) to put them up and I just can't remember that much about them, so apologies if I've misrepresented.
So this is The High - Box Set Go; the original version of this record was produced by legendary Madchester producers Martin Hannett and John Pennington. Unfortunately this recording is of the 1991 version. The vinyl is in a gatefold sleeve though!
* The fourth member of the band, one Steve Diggle, would soon re-form his original band, The Buzzcocks, you might have heard of them
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
The High
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as a southerner, growing up in a tiny village outside winchester, obsessed with ride, chapterhouse, lush, slowdive, 1000 yard stare et al, this song was the sound was the sound of the north to me. Cold, distant and beautiful in a way I was not sure I understood.
ReplyDeleteNow I live on old moat. Do you know the lyrics at all? I only ever had this on a c90 which I stole from the tape packing factory I worked in. Happy Daze 2 it was called. (Happy daze 1 had poison by happy mondays on) it had adorable, 5.30 and loads of that ilk on. alas, no lyrics
I won a copy of this in a quiz on Radio Lincolnshire about 18 years ago. I even got the gatefold 7 inch you mention. I now feel duty bound to dig it out...
ReplyDeleteThe High, what a band. One of the first into the Madchester scene. A real guitar band around the same time as the Stone Roses both of who were predesessors to the mighty Oasis and I'm sure both had a significant impact on Noel who managed to use a similar format however he had the nowse to exploit the industry than be exploited by it. As far as I can remember The High were the best on the scene at one point and the lyrics "You never seem to understand, your always fighting with yourself, Well I've bin up and I've bin down always tryin na see myself, is anybody there, your too far gone to see the light, to mixed up n to uptight, is anybody there, is anybody there, you never seem to understand, your always fightin with yourself" or something like that, still sends a shiver down my spine after 15 years. In fact I need to purchase thier cd which doesn't have a name. It's got a black background with a cross in the middle and the only words are "The High". Can anybody help ? Michael Mylott.
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