On 7th July 2012 Chumbawamba announced their impending breakup before the end of the year. Their very last concert was given at the Leeds City Varieties. At this show former members of the band, such as Harry Hamer and Danbert Nobacon made their appearance. At this theatre, Chumbawamba already performed 'Big Society!' with radical theatre company Red Ladder.
The last EP of the band was released April 8th, 2013, when Margaret Thatcher passed away. The Margaret Thatcher EP 'In Memoriam' is a 5-track sound collage featuring a few small songs, which could only be pre-ordered. It was mailed to all who pre-ordered on that very day.
Early years (1982-1991)
The band was formed in 1982 from two other bands based in Yorkshire, The Passion Killers and Chimp Eats Banana. They released a series of albums (such as Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records and the a capella album English Rebel Songs) and singles on their own Agit-Pop label before moving to One Little Indian in the early 90s.
One Little Indian (1991-1997)
On One Little Indian, Chumbawamba released three albums, Slap!, Shhh, and Anarchy, on which influences of techno music are noticeable. The songs for these albums were written in a period when dance culture was thriving and the band were also influenced by it. The music had turned into a more popular sound, which they emphasized was to spread the message more effectively. Touring for Anarchy, the concert at Leeds was recorded for the live album "Showbusiness!".
The last album released on One Little Indian is Swingin' with Raymond (1995). The albums first six songs are about (the right to) love and ends with seven songs loaded with hate (in the broadest sense of the word: it includes a song about anorexia nervosa).
The EMI years (1997-2000)
Anarchy or not, the band signed to EMI by 1997. At EMI, Chumbawamba had brief mainstream success, with the singles Tubthumping and Amnesia, taken from Tubthumper. Like Slap! and Shhh, the album was noticeably influenced by techno music. The new Chumbawamba fans needed for an overview, EMI might have thought. So Uneasy Listening, a compilation of work from 1986-1998 was released by 1998.
This move alienated much of the anarchist punk scene that yielded Chumbawamba in the 80's. To their former cohorts, this new Chumbawamba -one that licensed songs for commercials and signed to a major label- was different than the one that took part in the Fuck EMI compilation record a decade before. In 1998, Scottish punk band Oi Polloi put together a 7 band compilation EP with other bands like Riot/Clone and Bus Station Loonies in response. The name of the record was "Bare Faced Hypocrisy Sells Records(The Anti Chumbawamba EP)" as a nod to Chumbawamba's first record. Chumbawamba responded by noting that even the smaller labels they had worked with were capitalist by definition and were often only driven by profit. They added that, with the help of good lawyers, they were doing what the Sex Pistols had done two decades earlier – what punk had initially set out to do before it was beset by righteous puritans looking for "a new set of rules", as the band put it. But also, in the words of Chumbawamba vocalist Danbert Nobacon, they "needed things to change", needed to "shake things up". According to the band, "even radical politics can get stagnant and repetitive." Much of the profits from the album were donated to radical groups, pirate radio stations, community organisations and anarchist projects.
By 2000, the album WYSIWYG was released, being entirely different from previous work (and thus defying the idea that the band just wanted to make commercial hits): a 22-track soundscape, comprising rock, folk, country and pop music. It includes a cover of the Bee Gees song New York Mining Disaster.
Return to independance (2002-2010)
In 2002, Chumbawamba formed their own label again, now naming it Mutt Records. On this record label, they released Readymades, followed by the world music influenced Un (2004). These two albums brought Chumbawamba to what it is now: a folk group.
Since 2005, the band decided it would be better to turn into an acoustic band. The line-up has changed to: Boff Whalley, Lou Watts, Jude Abbot and Neil Ferguson (former producer of the band). It was this line-up that released the fully acoustic album A Singsong and a Scrap on the small UK Folk and Folk-Rock label NoMasters by 2006. The album uses more traditional instruments and features English Folk artists such as Coope, Boyes & Simpson and Andy Cutting. In 2007 followed by the live album Get On With It.
In 2008, another No Masters album, The Boy Bands Have Won, was released. It contained 25 tracks of new acoustic material, some derived from traditional folk, such as Charlie. It also had guest performances by, amongst others, the Oyster Band on Hull or Hell and Roy Bailey on Word Bomber. It's this album where Phil Moody joined Chumbawamba as accordionist and vocalist.
The third album that Chumbawamba recorded on NoMasters, ABCDEFG, was released. The album is cut from very much the same cloth as the The Boy Bands Have Won, but is richer in sound. ABCDEFG stands for every note in the Western music scheme, and the album itself is about the power that music can bring to communities (Voices, That's All) and deliver to people in struggle (Wagner At The Opera). It's the first Chumbawamba album fully dedicated to music matters, though Shhh (1991) preceded this release, criticising pop culture.
On ABCDEFG, next to the five Chumbas, (amongst others) Ray Cooper plays cello and harmonica, Belinda O'Hooley plays the piano and Jo Freya plays alt and tenor saxophone.
Former members of Chumbawamba
Apart from the moment that Chumbawamba changed from electric band to acoustic band, Chumbawamba's line-up has changed several times after its first gig at January 8th, 1982.
Danbert Nobacon: Singer and keyboard player of the band, famous for wearing the brick suit, and for throwing a jug of water over UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who showed up at the Brit Awards. He's still making music, see Danbert Nobacon and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts.
Dunstan Bruce: Vocalist, bass and saxophone player, percussionist and turntablist of the band.
Alice Nutter: Singer and percussionist of the band, famous for the drunk nun act she performed during live shows. Now writing scripts for radio, tv and theatre pieces.
Harry Hamer: Singer, drummer, programmer and percussionist of the band.
Mavis Dillon: Dillon did vocals, trumpet, french horn and bass for ten years, until he was replaced by Jude Abbot by 1995.
Paul Greco: Bass guitar, entered the band by 1992. He was replaced by Neil Ferguson in 1999.
Other former members include Coby Laan, Simon Commonknowledge, Midge (former Chimp Eats Banana) and Diane. There were actually loads of band members, especially in the early years. An extensive band history can be found at the Chumbawamba FAQ.
Never Let Go
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never grew so tall
This well of loneliness
Could rise and drown us all
(Chorus)
There is no right or wrong
Things fall as they do
Pulled by the sun and the moon
People come people go
But still I'll never let go
Ideas come ideas go
Still I'll never let go
Still I'll never let go
I've fallen for the girl
Been mad about the boy
When you've kissed an angel
There's just no choice
(Repeat chorus)
Lying with the squares
On the kitchen floor
Watch the clock's pointing fingers
It's seen it all before
(Repeat chorus)
The song "Never Let Go" by Chumbawamba begins with the lyrics "These red azaleas, never grew so tall." The singer is pointing to something that is growing taller than it ever has before. This could be a metaphor for a relationship that has grown stronger over time, or perhaps it is a symbol for hope or resilience. The next line, "This well of loneliness could rise and drown us all," is a warning that even the strongest among us can be overcome by loneliness if we do not have others to help us through it. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that there is no right or wrong way for things to happen in life. Everything is pulled by the forces of the sun and the moon, and time moves forward without regard for our plans or desires. The singer acknowledges that people will come and go in their life, but they will never let go of the things they believe in.
The second verse of the song talks about falling in love with someone, whether it be a girl or a boy. The singer describes it as "kissing an angel" and says that once you have experienced that, you have no other choice but to hold on to that feeling. The chorus is repeated once again, and then the final verse speaks of lying on the kitchen floor with the squares, watching the clock's pointing fingers move as it has seen it all before. This could be interpreted as a way to cope with the unpredictability of life and find comfort in routine. The final repetition of the chorus is a reminder that even when everything else changes, the singer will always hold on to their beliefs and ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
These red azaleas
The red azaleas are an analogy for situations and experiences in life that never grow so tall or become too difficult to handle.
Never grew so tall
Life's experiences never get too big or complex for us to overcome.
This well of loneliness
The feeling of loneliness is like a deep well that can consume us if we let it.
Could rise and drown us all
Loneliness can become overwhelming and take over our lives if we don't fight it.
There is no right or wrong
Life is unpredictable and sometimes things happen that are beyond our control.
Things fall as they do
Life events happen the way they do, and we must learn to deal with the outcomes.
Pulled by the sun and the moon
Life is a force that always moves forward and we are subject to its influences like the gravitational pull of the sun and moon.
Forever comes too soon
Time goes by too quickly, and we must cherish the moments we have before they are gone.
People come people go
People are always coming and going from our lives, and it's important to cherish the time we have with them.
But still I'll never let go
Even though people come and go, we hold their memories close to our hearts.
Ideas come ideas go
Ideas are fleeting and they often come and go quickly from our minds.
Still I'll never let go
Even though ideas are fleeting, they can inspire us, and we should always keep the best ones close to our hearts.
I've fallen for the girl
Love can sometimes take over our lives.
Been mad about the boy
Infatuation can also have a powerful hold over us.
When you've kissed an angel
When we experience something truly special, we know it's the real thing.
There's just no choice
When we find something truly precious, we have no choice but to hold onto it tightly.
Lying with the squares
Sometimes, we feel left out or misunderstood by those around us.
On the kitchen floor
We may retreat to familiar spaces, such as our homes or bedrooms, when we feel alone or vulnerable.
Watch the clock's pointing fingers
We may feel helpless against time and its passing.
It's seen it all before
Time has witnessed countless life events, and we are just a tiny part of its grand scheme.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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