Hugh Cornwell
Hugh Cornwell is an English musician & songwriter, best known for being the… Read Full Bio ↴Hugh Cornwell is an English musician & songwriter, best known for being the vocalist, guitarist and original founder of the British punk/new wave group The Stranglers, 1974–90.
Cornwell was born in London, England in 1949 - growing up in Tufnell Park and Kentish Town - and attended William Ellis School in Highgate, where he was friends with Richard Thompson, later a member of Fairport Convention. In the late 1960s, having obtained a degree in biochemistry from Bristol University, he embarked on postgraduate research post in Lund University, southern Sweden. Not long after his arrival he formed a band, Johnny Sox.
Cornwell did not complete his doctorate and returned to the UK, in 1974. Soon after, he formed The Stranglers with Jet Black, Hans Warmling and Jean Jacques Burnel. By 1977 they had secured a deal with United Artists records and become the highest selling band on the UK punk scene and had several hit singles and albums.
By the time Cornwell reached his thirties, the British punk scene had died down and he was prompted to start a solo career in case the Stranglers broke up. He recorded his first album away from the group, Nosferatu, in collaboration with the Captain Beefheart's Magic Band's drummer, Robert Williams, in 1979.
Shortly before his 41st birthday Cornwell decided that the band could go no further artistically. He recorded the albums 10 and Saturday Night/Sunday Morning before leaving after sixteen years in the band. He described life with the Stranglers as brilliant, but he felt he had a dark coat over him. His biographical writing attest to many conflicts within the band, particularly between Cornwell and Burnel.
Since leaving the Stranglers his solo career has continued. He has released 11 solo albums, Wolf (1988), Wired (1993), Guilty (1997), Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit (1999), First Bus To Babylon (1999), Hifi (2001), Footprints In The Desert (2002), Mayday (2002), In The Dock (2003), Beyond Elysian Fields (2004), Dirty Dozen (2006) and three collaborations, Nosferatu (1979) featuring Robert Williams, CCW (1992) featuring Roger Cook and Andy West and Sons Of Shiva (2002) featuring Sex W Johnston.
Cornwell's book, The Stranglers: Song by Song, was published in November 2001 by Sanctuary Publishing. In it he explains for the first time the real stories behind the Stranglers extensive catalogue of songs. In October 2004 Cornwell's autobiography A Multitude of Sins was published by Harper Collins.
The Stranglers' most successful song, Golden Brown, featured on the soundtrack to Guy Ritchie's Hollywood blockbuster Snatch; whilst Peaches was used as the opening sequence of the hit film Sexy Beast as well as in a Nike TV ad for 2002's Football World Cup.
A triple live album, People Places Pieces containing 45 tracks spanning the whole of Cornwell's career has been released in 2006. It spans his time with the Stranglers from 1974 to 1990, plus his critically acclaimed solo career to date and features remarkable performances of old and new standards.
Hugh Cornwell has completed his new album Hooverdam and first film Blueprint in Toerag Studios with producer Liam Watson (White Stripes 'Elephant'). The whole “Hoover Dam” album is available to download completely FREE as high quality DRM-free MP3s from www.hughcornwell.com – and Hugh’s site is now in twelve languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin and Japanese).
This initiative has brought Hugh’s music to a massive new audience – a fact borne out by his barnstorming show at the Glastonbury Festival which was overflowing with people wanting to catch the performance. The CD version of “Hoover Dam” includes a DVD containing feature-length documentary “Blueprint”, and vinyl LP sales have also been very strong. “Hoover Dam” has been also making a splash abroad, with fantastic US concert dates throughout September, and shows in Germany, Holland, Lithuania, France and England.
Cornwell was born in London, England in 1949 - growing up in Tufnell Park and Kentish Town - and attended William Ellis School in Highgate, where he was friends with Richard Thompson, later a member of Fairport Convention. In the late 1960s, having obtained a degree in biochemistry from Bristol University, he embarked on postgraduate research post in Lund University, southern Sweden. Not long after his arrival he formed a band, Johnny Sox.
Cornwell did not complete his doctorate and returned to the UK, in 1974. Soon after, he formed The Stranglers with Jet Black, Hans Warmling and Jean Jacques Burnel. By 1977 they had secured a deal with United Artists records and become the highest selling band on the UK punk scene and had several hit singles and albums.
By the time Cornwell reached his thirties, the British punk scene had died down and he was prompted to start a solo career in case the Stranglers broke up. He recorded his first album away from the group, Nosferatu, in collaboration with the Captain Beefheart's Magic Band's drummer, Robert Williams, in 1979.
Shortly before his 41st birthday Cornwell decided that the band could go no further artistically. He recorded the albums 10 and Saturday Night/Sunday Morning before leaving after sixteen years in the band. He described life with the Stranglers as brilliant, but he felt he had a dark coat over him. His biographical writing attest to many conflicts within the band, particularly between Cornwell and Burnel.
Since leaving the Stranglers his solo career has continued. He has released 11 solo albums, Wolf (1988), Wired (1993), Guilty (1997), Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit (1999), First Bus To Babylon (1999), Hifi (2001), Footprints In The Desert (2002), Mayday (2002), In The Dock (2003), Beyond Elysian Fields (2004), Dirty Dozen (2006) and three collaborations, Nosferatu (1979) featuring Robert Williams, CCW (1992) featuring Roger Cook and Andy West and Sons Of Shiva (2002) featuring Sex W Johnston.
Cornwell's book, The Stranglers: Song by Song, was published in November 2001 by Sanctuary Publishing. In it he explains for the first time the real stories behind the Stranglers extensive catalogue of songs. In October 2004 Cornwell's autobiography A Multitude of Sins was published by Harper Collins.
The Stranglers' most successful song, Golden Brown, featured on the soundtrack to Guy Ritchie's Hollywood blockbuster Snatch; whilst Peaches was used as the opening sequence of the hit film Sexy Beast as well as in a Nike TV ad for 2002's Football World Cup.
A triple live album, People Places Pieces containing 45 tracks spanning the whole of Cornwell's career has been released in 2006. It spans his time with the Stranglers from 1974 to 1990, plus his critically acclaimed solo career to date and features remarkable performances of old and new standards.
Hugh Cornwell has completed his new album Hooverdam and first film Blueprint in Toerag Studios with producer Liam Watson (White Stripes 'Elephant'). The whole “Hoover Dam” album is available to download completely FREE as high quality DRM-free MP3s from www.hughcornwell.com – and Hugh’s site is now in twelve languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin and Japanese).
This initiative has brought Hugh’s music to a massive new audience – a fact borne out by his barnstorming show at the Glastonbury Festival which was overflowing with people wanting to catch the performance. The CD version of “Hoover Dam” includes a DVD containing feature-length documentary “Blueprint”, and vinyl LP sales have also been very strong. “Hoover Dam” has been also making a splash abroad, with fantastic US concert dates throughout September, and shows in Germany, Holland, Lithuania, France and England.
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Hugh Cornwell Lyrics
2000 lights [Verse] All of the lights are shining, and switched on Feeli…
24/7 I'd like to meet the wandering jew who keeps his…
Ain't It Strange Ain't it strange how the moon only comes up once…
All the Colours of the Rainbow Blue is the colour soon arriving When all the darkness of…
Always The Sun How many times have you woken up and prayed for…
Another Kind of Love (Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) (Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) Baby, baby wel…
Beat Of My Heart The storm is raging like the beat beat beat of…
Beauty On The Beach She emerges like Ursula from Dr. No Me I'm her James…
Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit Another missing person another mystery Another marriage on t…
Cadiz She was a woman with a magnetic smile pointed at…
Dark Side of the Room It's not a comfort zone I feel so far from home My…
Delightful Nightmare As the light drifts away I'm floating through a vestibule An…
Do Right Bayou When the man in the hobnail boots asked me what…
Endless Day Endless Night Tie you up in a kind of logic Don't think you…
Facts and Figures If all the food The warsmen ate was sent around the…
First Bus To Babylon God it takes so long You have to be so strong When…
Five Miles High There's a man holding onto a baby and it's screaming…
For What It's Worth There's somethin' happenin' here. What it is ain't exactly c…
Gingerbread Girl I know a gingerbread girl With diamonds for eyes and a…
Going to the City Going to the city Going to the city Going to the city Going…
Golden Brown Golden brown texture like sun Lays me down with my might…
Grip Didn't have the money round to buy a Morry Thou Been…
Henry Moore Funny how time can take you by surprise It creeps up…
Hot Cat On A Tin Roof Oh, the feeling of a joyride coming on. I know how…
Hot Head When we met I thought that you'd take off and…
House of Sorrow A dirty broom an empty room you'll never find a…
I Don't Mind That's me in that car on that road in that…
Irate Caterpillar The other night I chanced upon an irate caterpillar He was…
Land Of 1000 Kisses When I'm asked how the world is treating me I say…
Lay Back on Me pal I met a man without a face With knowledge of the…
Leave Me Alone Leave me alone Gimme some space Give it the zero Got out of…
Live It And Breathe It When the traffic noise is howling and it takes your…
Long Dead Train Keeping out of trouble Moving on the double Got a feeling …
Love In Your Eyes My vision's getting better now; a perspective at last. There…
Make It With You It's like a rushing fire. I feel my skin…
Miss Teazy Weezy Her hair it always looks a mess She could be under…
Mr Big Walks in a bar in a nonchalant way We all want…
Mr Insignificant Take it up take it down take it now from…
Mr. Big Walks in a bar in a nonchalant way We all want…
Mr. Insignificant Take it up take it down take it now from…
My Kind Of Loving Spare a thought for me while you are far away. I…
Nerves Of Steel In the middle of the day When things don't go your…
Nice 'N Sleazy We came across the west sea We didn't have much idea…
Nosferatu Peelers whistle in the distance Stand no chance of catching …
One Burning Desire I'm gonna try and steal a car Drive it off with…
One Day at a Time Hear people complaining They say they got dealt The roughest…
Picked Up By The Wind Watch out for the storm hide like an onion and…
Please Don't Put Me On A Slow Boat To Trowbridge don't mind if you send me to coventry spain's not against…
Putting You In The Shade Putting you in the shade I'm afraid All of those times…
Rain on the River Rain on the river She's taking it badly Rain on the river Sh…
Snapper If I could have just one more wish It would be…
Spell She's surfed along the moonlit mile She's flashed so many su…
Stop I seen boys get up and blowing it, with the…
Story Of He & She He wakes up every morning comes back with love just…
Strange Little Girl one day you see a strange little girl look at…
Stuck In Daily Mail Land Verse 1: You won't believe what I read in the paper…
the Big Sleep Point your suit at me and take my breath away Better…
The Prison's Going Down Arthur lying down dreaming a dream Woke up to realise life…
The Story of Harry Power A hundred years and many a tear tells the story…
The Story Of He And She He wakes up every morning comes back with love just…
Torture Garden One step forwards two steps backwards That's the dance I wan…
Totem and Taboo Every day I wake up feeling better Than I ever did…
Turn Your Body Down Turn it up for me when we're all alone Turn it…
Under Her Spell She's surfed along the moonlit mile She's flashed so many su…
Venus In Furs Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather Whiplash girlchild in t…
Wasted Tears Look around at the world now that you're a big…
Wired Wired antisocial beast Wired not put out in the least Someon…
Within You Or Without You Invested time making sure she's fine With no fishing line ju…