One of the most prolific bands on Bristol, England's legendary indie pop la… Read Full Bio ↴One of the most prolific bands on Bristol, England's legendary indie pop label Sarah Records, the Orchids were also one of the label's most press-shy outfits. Formed in 1986 in Penilee, Scotland, a suburb of Glasgow, the Orchids took their initial inspiration from some of the city's better-known acts of the time, particularly Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (singer James Hackett sounded more than a little like Cole and was often unfairly derided in the U.K. press for that resemblance) and Primal Scream during that band's original '60s pop phase. Hackett, rhythm guitarist Matthew Drummond, lead guitarist John Scally, bassist James Moody, and drummer Chris Quinn fit neatly into the bowl haircut and anorak look of the British indie scene, and their songs, the sort of archetypal late-'80s U.K. guitar pop for which terms like "winsome," "jangly," and "twee" were invented, made them both new pop heroes for a certain audience and an easily dismissible target for others. Press reaction tended to be either laudatory or scathing, with very little in between.
The Orchids first hooked up with Sarah's Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd just as the label was getting underway in 1987, and so the Orchids' debut single, 1988's "I've Got a Habit," was only the second Sarah release. A second single, "Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink," followed later in the year. The Orchids' early singles were successful enough that, simultaneous to the release of their third 7", "What Will We Do Next" in September 1989, Sarah released the label's first-ever album, the 10" Lyceum, a lengthy eight-track EP that, consistent with Sarah's value-for-money ethic, contained no songs that had previously appeared on singles.
The Orchids' next single, 1990's "Something for the Longing," is possibly the group's all-time high point, a gently yearning lost love song with a gorgeous chorus. Later that year, the Orchids released a one-off single on the short-lived Caff Corporation imprint, the moody "An Ill Wind That Blows." Around this time, Drummond and Moody started a sideline career playing guitar and bass for their Sarah labelmates and fellow Glaswegians the Wake, a situation that would remain in place until the Wake split in 1994.
For the first three years of their career, the Orchids concentrated almost exclusively on 7" singles, in keeping with the British indie scene's preference for immediacy and disposability. However, beginning with the Penetration EP in February 1991, the Orchids released only EPs and LPs for the remainder of their career. Unlike the Chills and some other bands who finally began releasing full-length records after a long string of singles, the Orchids seemed to have amassed quite a stockpile of good songs during the time when they only released four to six tunes per year, because there's no drop-off in quality evident on 1991's Unholy Soul. Even more importantly, the Orchids' sound remained neither boringly static nor succumbed to the sort of trend-hopping jumps into acid house or other fads that felled some of their Sarah labelmates. A more reflective, mature quality started creeping into the group's later records, and the guitar jangle became supplanted, though never entirely replaced, by '60s-style Farfisa organ textures, while various female friends of the band began adding harmonies to Hackett's previously unadorned vocals. The 1992 EP Thaumaturgy introduced this shimmering new sound, but its January 1994 follow-up, Striving for the Lazy Perfection, outshines all of the Orchids' other albums. Whether the group decided not to follow up a career highlight or to bow out as Sarah was winding up its operations, the Orchids quietly disbanded after a final performance at the Sarah Records farewell party in 1995.
The breakup wasn't destined to last, however. About a decade later, the Orchids reunited, wrote some new songs, and released their fourth full-length album, 2007's Good to Be a Stranger. The reunion went so well that the group decided to stay together, releasing their next album, The Lost Star, in the autumn of 2010. The album was mixed by Ian Carmichael, who had produced most of their earlier work. Working at roughly the same rate of speed, and in the same manner, the band released their third post-reunion album in 2014. Beatitude #9 was issued by Spain's Acuarela label. Over the next few years, the band played the occasional show or festival and began working on a career-spanning compilation. Who Needs Tomorrow featured one disc of songs from singles and albums, while the other side was all demos and unreleased tracks. The band also recorded a new version of their early song "Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink" for inclusion. The set was issued by Cherry Red Records in September of 2017.
Biography by Stewart Mason
There are other artists with the same name:
2. The Orchids, from Coventry, United Kingdom, are sometimes referred to as "the only true girl group of the 1960s", as the group's member (Pamela Jarman, Valerie Jones and the bespectacled Georgina Oliver) were 15-year old schoolgirls when they appeared on the scene. Singles include 'Oo Chang-A-Lang' and 'Love Hit Me' and 'I've Got That Feeling'. The Orchids were launched in the United States as The Blue Orchids, due to the existence of a set of American Orchids on the Roulette label, and (in 1965) re-launched in America as The Exceptions.
3. The Orchids are also an as yet unsigned Manchester 6-piece indie group. They combine the songwriting and vocal talents of Jonny Holland and Pete Swift to create epic pop songs. Featuring the idiosyncratic guitar work of Stu Winnington, the melodic keyboard of Dave Renfrew and a powerful rhythm section of drummer Jordan Hunstone and bassist Matthew Herod, the group write music that stirs the soul.
4. The Orchids are also a female hip-hop duo on Japan's Major Force label.
5. The Orchids were also an all-female rock band from Los Angeles, California. They are most notable for being one of Kim Fowley’s next projects after The Runaways. The group consisted of Laurie Bell, Jan King, Ché Zuro, Sunbie Sinn and Laurie McAllister who also played bass in The Runaways during one of the group’s later incarnations.
The Orchids first hooked up with Sarah's Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd just as the label was getting underway in 1987, and so the Orchids' debut single, 1988's "I've Got a Habit," was only the second Sarah release. A second single, "Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink," followed later in the year. The Orchids' early singles were successful enough that, simultaneous to the release of their third 7", "What Will We Do Next" in September 1989, Sarah released the label's first-ever album, the 10" Lyceum, a lengthy eight-track EP that, consistent with Sarah's value-for-money ethic, contained no songs that had previously appeared on singles.
The Orchids' next single, 1990's "Something for the Longing," is possibly the group's all-time high point, a gently yearning lost love song with a gorgeous chorus. Later that year, the Orchids released a one-off single on the short-lived Caff Corporation imprint, the moody "An Ill Wind That Blows." Around this time, Drummond and Moody started a sideline career playing guitar and bass for their Sarah labelmates and fellow Glaswegians the Wake, a situation that would remain in place until the Wake split in 1994.
For the first three years of their career, the Orchids concentrated almost exclusively on 7" singles, in keeping with the British indie scene's preference for immediacy and disposability. However, beginning with the Penetration EP in February 1991, the Orchids released only EPs and LPs for the remainder of their career. Unlike the Chills and some other bands who finally began releasing full-length records after a long string of singles, the Orchids seemed to have amassed quite a stockpile of good songs during the time when they only released four to six tunes per year, because there's no drop-off in quality evident on 1991's Unholy Soul. Even more importantly, the Orchids' sound remained neither boringly static nor succumbed to the sort of trend-hopping jumps into acid house or other fads that felled some of their Sarah labelmates. A more reflective, mature quality started creeping into the group's later records, and the guitar jangle became supplanted, though never entirely replaced, by '60s-style Farfisa organ textures, while various female friends of the band began adding harmonies to Hackett's previously unadorned vocals. The 1992 EP Thaumaturgy introduced this shimmering new sound, but its January 1994 follow-up, Striving for the Lazy Perfection, outshines all of the Orchids' other albums. Whether the group decided not to follow up a career highlight or to bow out as Sarah was winding up its operations, the Orchids quietly disbanded after a final performance at the Sarah Records farewell party in 1995.
The breakup wasn't destined to last, however. About a decade later, the Orchids reunited, wrote some new songs, and released their fourth full-length album, 2007's Good to Be a Stranger. The reunion went so well that the group decided to stay together, releasing their next album, The Lost Star, in the autumn of 2010. The album was mixed by Ian Carmichael, who had produced most of their earlier work. Working at roughly the same rate of speed, and in the same manner, the band released their third post-reunion album in 2014. Beatitude #9 was issued by Spain's Acuarela label. Over the next few years, the band played the occasional show or festival and began working on a career-spanning compilation. Who Needs Tomorrow featured one disc of songs from singles and albums, while the other side was all demos and unreleased tracks. The band also recorded a new version of their early song "Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink" for inclusion. The set was issued by Cherry Red Records in September of 2017.
Biography by Stewart Mason
There are other artists with the same name:
2. The Orchids, from Coventry, United Kingdom, are sometimes referred to as "the only true girl group of the 1960s", as the group's member (Pamela Jarman, Valerie Jones and the bespectacled Georgina Oliver) were 15-year old schoolgirls when they appeared on the scene. Singles include 'Oo Chang-A-Lang' and 'Love Hit Me' and 'I've Got That Feeling'. The Orchids were launched in the United States as The Blue Orchids, due to the existence of a set of American Orchids on the Roulette label, and (in 1965) re-launched in America as The Exceptions.
3. The Orchids are also an as yet unsigned Manchester 6-piece indie group. They combine the songwriting and vocal talents of Jonny Holland and Pete Swift to create epic pop songs. Featuring the idiosyncratic guitar work of Stu Winnington, the melodic keyboard of Dave Renfrew and a powerful rhythm section of drummer Jordan Hunstone and bassist Matthew Herod, the group write music that stirs the soul.
4. The Orchids are also a female hip-hop duo on Japan's Major Force label.
5. The Orchids were also an all-female rock band from Los Angeles, California. They are most notable for being one of Kim Fowley’s next projects after The Runaways. The group consisted of Laurie Bell, Jan King, Ché Zuro, Sunbie Sinn and Laurie McAllister who also played bass in The Runaways during one of the group’s later incarnations.
Blue Light
The Orchids Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Blue Light' by these artists:
764-HERO Hey kid, heard you stayed out last night 'til after…
Alan Ayres All of my fears fell down to earth I found the…
Bloc Party You'll find it hiding in shadows You'll find it hiding in…
Brooke Bentham Think I’ll go somewhere else Where I can’t see it I…
Cathedral Waning autumn, winter blue Tonight we dance in praise of…
Daniel Gum Walk around the block Can't believe the neighbors are playin…
Dave Gilmour & Friends Blue light baby, complete crazyReflection of stars broken he…
David Gilmour She's a blue light, yes it cannot be denied She will…
Dr. Speaker Blower "Clean up on aisle five, I spilled the beans I'll be…
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Lace up your boots and we'll broom on down To a…
eM Verse Intoxicated notions Think you drive my emotions Well …
Émilie Simon I'm the moon and I can give you Everything if you…
Emily King Blue, lay down next to me Soon, we′ll be fast asleep Everybo…
Fruition oh baby where you going, and could you use a…
Gilmour (David) She's a blue light, yes it cannot be denied She will…
Hazel English Live it up baby, have some fun Take me home if…
Ho'onu'a herebwe ar agiii each angrneiosksjrbfjdke ejsizhhe iehhrh jj…
Jonatan Leandoer96 Is your love Controlled by a remote Is your love Controlled …
Kelela Fallin', fallin' Fallin, fallin' Although I've hardened Dar…
Kelela & Hitmakerchinx Although I've hardened Darling, my guard is down When I know…
Lindsey Buckingham Still crying about joy, still laughing about pain Bathed in …
Littlefingers I used to be Trying how to fight fire with fire Always…
LIVING ROOM - Mazzy Star There's a blue light, In my best friend's room There's a…
M. Will Lace up your boots and we'll broom on down To a…
Mazzy Star There's a blue light In my best friend's room There's a blue…
Mazzy Star - Topic There's a blue light, In my best friend's room There's a…
Miranda Sex Garden my mind drifts away to one bright sweet day my world was…
Mitski Somebody kiss me, I'm going crazy I'm walking 'round the hou…
Mostly Autumn One of these nights This wonderful life Seems quiet and th…
Oh Jeremiah Danny′s in the kitchen Working on the juke While the 90s kid…
P.c.m.n. Alone but I still stay strong I'm at it Memories never…
Pete Townshend & David Gilmour She's a blue light, yes it cannot be denied She will…
Pink Floyd / David Gilmour She's a blue light, yes it cannot be denied She will…
Prince Oh well, here we are again Lookin' for something to get…
Prince & The New Power Generation Oh well, here we are again Lookin' 4 something 2 get…
Prince & The New Power Generation & Prince Oh well, here we are again Lookin' for something to get…
Rachael Sage Johnny Lee comes to me when I am dreaming when I…
Simon Emilie I'm the moon and I can give you Everything if you…
Smoke and Shadows Well first I lost my woman She went away and left…
Snuzz Well I'm just a customer Looking for some big deal And…
Sun Silva Coz it was the first time The kids ever wrote their…
Sunderland We are the hope We are the love We are the heart…
Tacklebox I can't sleep I can't look up Why can't I turn myself…
The Acorn Blue light Snow plow At midnight Keeping The roads ahe…
The Angels Things ain’t always alright They yo boys but they really not…
The Clubs We're leaving today In search of a new life We'll change our…
The L.E.D.S Baby, you're a comet You're an avalanche Oh darling, you're…
Two Door Cinema Club We're leaving today In search of a new life We'll change our…
Ultravox Thought I'd take the slide I thought I'd be alright But when…
Varsha The moon looks so beautiful tonight And it's because you glo…
XYLØ Wake up from a daydream Now I'm back here in reality And…
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Orchids:
Another Saturday Night I'm so tired just so tired I'm so very tired I…
Bringing You the Love I'll come out to the ballgame with you But you know…
From This Day I wanna be far from this world After the curtains drawn Brig…
I Can't Refuse Heart a little heavy I don't know what to feel Tossing…
I Wish I Was And I've always been here…
Obsession No 1 Slow down Living in this hell I was caught out Swept up in…
Obsession No. 1 Slow down Living in this hell I was caught out Swept up in…
One Last Cigarette Like the wind who's falling down to wash away the…
She's Just a Girl So will you be a boy? Or will you be the…
Someone Like You Don't worry about me, don't worry about you 'cause everythi…
Tiny Words If you don't come with me I'll tell on you I'll…
Waiting for the Storm The nights are grey The days are hazy Out of touch my…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Derek P
Stunning. just recently came across the Orchids. Can't believe I missed them all those years ago. So many great great songs. This is just beautiful.
Wendy Gabriel
Used to play this in Uni halls in Nottingham on my ramshackle record player 20 years ago > still sounds absolutely brilliant.
Cockatoo Magnet
Awesome tune
indiepop lover xxx
Best song ever <3!!!
noentienden
Cos this could be for the rest of my life, And this could be, and this could be, For the rest of your life....
noentienden
@CarolinayPamela ...always shine red and green... .. .. ... and you never let the wind blow in my heart..
Michael Sandford
What happened to the girls
Lol