History
The March Violets formed in December 1981, meeting at Leeds University. The original band members were Tom Ashton (guitar), Laurence "Loz" Elliot (bass), Simon "Detroit" Denbigh (vocals) and Rosie Garland (vocals). Percussion was provided by a drum machine, nicknamed "Dr. Rhythm", a feature they had in common with many of the bands in the Leeds scene at the time. Fellow student Andrew Eldritch, lead singer of The Sisters of Mercy, released the band's debut 7", the four-track "Religious as Hell" EP, on his Merciful Release label on 28 August 1982. A second single on Merciful Release, "Grooving in Green", followed on 27 November 1982.
The band then established their own Rebirth record label, releasing the "Crow Baby" single on 30 April 1983. Cleo Murray joined as second female vocalist for the next single, "Snake Dance", issued in December 1983. The song was a club hit, and is considered a classic of the gothic rock genre. Garland left after "Snake Dance", and Murray took over as sole female singer for "Walk Into the Sun", issued 4 August 1984. That October, the band released their first compilation album, Natural History, which collected the first four singles plus two tracks from a 1983 BBC Peel Session.
The March Violets shifted towards a more pop-oriented sound, and Denbigh left the band in early February 1985, prior to the band's first American tour in March 1985. Denbigh did appear on the next single, "Deep", released 11 May 1985 but recorded prior to his departure. A second compilation album, Electric Shades, was issued in the US by Relativity Records that year; it collected the contents of the "Snake Dance", "Walk Into the Sun" and "Deep" singles, including a piano-laden remix of "Snake Dance".
The band then signed to major label London Records, adding drummer Andy Tolson to the lineup. The "Turn to the Sky" single was released 24 February 1986 on London, although still bearing the Rebirth imprint. The song (and their cover of "Miss Amanda Jones" by the Rolling Stones) was featured on the soundtrack to the 1987 film Some Kind of Wonderful, which included a live performance by the band of "Turn to the Sky." They broke up later that year.
In 1993, the band's first CD compilation, The Botanic Verses, was released by Jungle Records in the UK and Cleopatra Records in the US; it covered their entire 1982-1984 catalogue.
Other projects
Before the band's split, Ashton had guested as live guitarist for The Sisters of Mercy and the Danse Society. In 1991, he joined Clan of Xymox for their Phoenix US tour, and relocated there. He later composed indie film soundtracks. Ashton now produces various bands in the South East USA, including Vision Video and Tears for the Dying.
Murray briefly fronted the band Lovecraft in the early 1990s, releasing two 1993 singles, "Hungry" and "Medicine".[9]
Denbigh formed the Batfish Boys and D-Rok.
Garland became a poet and cabaret performer, performing under the name Rosie Lugosi. Later, she was the victim of a stalker, with the 2007 court case featured as a lead article in the Manchester Evening News.[20] Following several poetry collections, Garland's debut novel, The Palace of Curiosities, was published by HarperCollins in 2013, earning several awards and a longlisting for the Desmond Elliott Prize.
Reformation and subsequent activity
On 8 October 2007, the March Violets played a one-off reunion gig in Leeds with original members Denbigh, Garland and Ashton, plus Mat Thorpe (Isolation Division) standing in on bass. Although the show was a success, plans for further shows were put on hold whilst Garland was ill with throat cancer in 2009.
Once Garland was fully recovered, the March Violets restarted their live reformation with a secret warm-up show at Whitby in October 2010. On 13 November 2010, the March Violets played their first London show in 25 years, at O2 Academy Islington with new bassist Joanna Moy (previously of Screaming Banshee Aircrew).
In November 2010, the band embarked on a project to make their first proper album using Pledge Music (as opposed to the previous compilation albums of their singles and EPs). Over 600 fans pledged support and they raised 196% of the money required. In addition to raising money for the recording of the album, the band provided funds to charities (Friends of the Earth, Cloth Cat and Macmillan Cancer Support). During the recording of the album, they released several promotional items, including a digital-only promo release of "Tokyo Flow" and a remix of "Dandelion King", as well as a "gigeo" (a combination of a gig in Leeds where they shot the promo video with members of the audience) of "Dandelion King".
In 2012, they did a small live tour that showcased some of the new tracks.
The album Made Glorious was released in April 2013 as a digital download to all fans who had pledged support. The album primarily consisted of original tracks, with some material being remixes of tracks from the Trinity and Love Will Kill You EPs. Physical hard copies, T-shirts, an A4 booklet (featuring lyrics, artwork and photos) and posters were distributed to those who had pledged support in June 2013. Pledgers received a special 2-CD pack featuring 12 additional remixes including two tracks not included on the original album ("Liam Hits Seven" and "Black Heart").
To support the new album, the band performed gigs in October and November 2013, and a short tour in April 2014, including a headlining slot at the Convergence 20 festival in Chicago, the first US appearance of the reformed lineup. This was followed by a return tour of the West Coast in June 2014.
In August 2015, the band confirmed that Moy had officially left the band. The following month, they announced an American tour with William Faith on bass, scheduled for October.
In early October, the band announced that after completing the Mortality tour, they would record a new album of the same name. It was funded via PledgeMusic and achieved 167% funding, with 10% of the funding going to Macmillan Cancer Support. The initial version of the Mortality album was released for download by Denbigh on Christmas Day to those who had supported its development. This version consisted of 10 tracks; all except the title track were "re-forged" versions of older songs. Mars Williams of the Psychedelic Furs provided additional saxophone on several tracks. The physical release of the album was planned to include additional remixes and extended versions but never made it to fruition.
After releasing the first remix to pledgers in early 2016, Denbigh suffered a stroke and was hospitalised for a long period.
On the 16th of July 2021, the band released a limited edition double vinyl album, Big Soul Kiss: The BBC Recordings via Jungle Records.[26] This was a special for Record Store Day in the UK and also available as a standard release in other territories. It sold out within three weeks of release. A repressing was made in 2022, alongside a new compilation Play Loud Play Purple and a five-CD box set that included two CDs of unreleased material, The Palace of Infinite Darkness
On October 7 2022, the band announced on a new website that they were having a reunion for tours and new recordings in 2023/24. The reunion lineup is Rosie Garland, Tom Ashton and William Faith, all survivors from their previous live activity in 2015.
Discography
Studio albums
Made Glorious (2013), self-released
Mortality (2015), self-released
Singles and EPs
"Religious as Hell" 7" (1982), Merciful Release
"Grooving in Green" 7" (1982), Merciful Release
"Crow Baby" 7"/12" (1983), Rebirth
"Snake Dance" 7"/12" (1984), Rebirth
"Walk into the Sun" 7"/12" (1984), Rebirth
"Deep" 7"/12" (1985), Rebirth
"Turn to the Sky" 7"/12" (1986), Rebirth
Trinity EP CD EP (2007), self-released
Love Will Kill You CD EP (2011), self-released
Compilation albums
Natural History (1984), Rebirth
Electric Shades (1985), Relativity Records
The Botanic Verses (1993), Jungle Records/Cleopatra Records
Big Soul Kiss: The BBC Recordings (2021), Jungle Records
Play Loud Play Purple (2022), Jungle Records
The Palace of Infinite Darkness (2022), Jungle Records
Grooving in Green
The March Violets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With her head in her hands
Ritual pleasure she don't understand
Looking for a reason to prove she exists
She knows that she's here
But don't know what she missed she's a
She so too much she so
Father and mother everyone's son
It's always finished before it's begun
She walks and she walks towards the light
The moment she gets there she loses her sight
Walking around she carries a knife
The last page is missing from the book of her life
Combing her hair she talks to the trees
It's another disease
She's so green much too green
She's grooving in green
The March Violetsβ song Grooving in Green is a haunting and enigmatic track that tells the story of a woman lost in the shadows, struggling to find a deeper purpose and reason for her existence. The lyrics evoke a sense that the singer is undergoing some kind of ritualistic experience, one that she does not fully comprehend but finds pleasure in nonetheless. The opening lines of the song are particularly evocative, as we see the woman sliding through the shadows with her head in her hands, as if she is attempting to hide or lose herself in the dark.
As the song develops, we see the woman searching for a reason to prove that she exists, suggesting that she feels disconnected from the world around her and is desperate for validation. The mystery deepens as we hear ominous references to a missing page from the book of her life and her conversations with trees, which hint at deeper psychological turmoil within her.
The use of the phrase βgrooving in greenβ in the chorus adds to the sense of mystery and unease in the song, as it is not clear what this phrase means or what significance it holds. However, the repeated refrain serves to reinforce the feeling of the woman being lost and disconnected from reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Slides through the shadows
She moves smoothly and silently through darkness.
With her head in her hands
She feels overwhelmed and uncertain.
Ritual pleasure she don't understand
She derives satisfaction from an activity she cannot make sense of.
Looking for a reason to prove she exists
She searches for evidence that she has a purpose or justification for being alive.
She knows that she's here
She is aware of her presence in the world.
But don't know what she missed she's a
But is unsure of what she has overlooked or what she is missing, and remains undefined.
She so too much she so
She is too much, too intense, too excessive.
'Cos she's grooving in green
Because she is absorbed in an unexplainable activity or state of mind.
Father and mother everyone's son
She is everyone's child, but belongs to no one in particular.
It's always finished before it's begun
Things end before they have had a chance to start.
She walks and she walks towards the light
She is moving toward something she desires or needs.
The moment she gets there she loses her sight
As soon as she reaches her destination, she loses her goal and sense of direction.
Walking around she carries a knife
She feels the need to protect herself or be ready for violence.
The last page is missing from the book of her life
Her story is incomplete or indeterminate.
Combing her hair she talks to the trees
She interacts with nature in a way that confuses others.
It's another disease
Her behavior might be a symptom of a deeper problem.
She's so green much too green
She is too inexperienced, naive, or vulnerable.
She's grooving in green
She is still caught up or captivated by that thing she cannot understand.
Writer(s): denbigh, ashton, elliot
Contributed by Oliver R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Philip Archer
It's one of my Best Goth tracks.
AppDevMan
timeless
Keith Waddington
Still got this on 7" fucking quality
Ether Ashe
Baddest fucking bass-line ever.
Jonathan Parker
Not bad for an Eldtrich produced track.
farfisa
Not bad!!!
Maria obazs
Na na na na na π©
Maria obazs
God you are such a fucking weirdo