Babybird

Babybird is a British Indie band formed in 1995. The band is fronted by Stephen Jones, who has also released records as a solo artist, using his own name and the name Baby Bird.

Formation

Jones had begun writing songs and recording home demos as part of an experimental theatre group in Sheffield. A collection of these demos ("I Was Born a Man") was released in the summer of 1995, under the name Baby Bird. Following a warm critical reception for this record, he recruited a band made up of Huw Chadbourn (keyboards), Robert Gregory (drums), John Pedder (bass) and Luke A R Scott (guitar), in order to tour and promote his work.

During 1995, two further albums of demo recordings were released under the name Baby Bird ("Bad Shave" and "Fatherhood") and two in 1996 ("The Happiest Man Alive" and "Dying Happy").

By the end of the year, a decent public following had been built up, as well as quite considerable excitement within the press and music industry. Babybird were signed to Echo Records (a division of the Chrysalis Group), and the first "proper" single, a full-band recording of "Goodnight", which had appeared in demo form on "Fatherhood", was eventually released in the summer of 1996, becoming a minor chart hit in the UK.

"You're Gorgeous"

The second single, "You're Gorgeous", about an aspiring model tricked by a flattering photographer into a soft-porn or semi-nude photoshoot, reached number 3 in the UK in October 1996, and was also one of the biggest selling singles of the year, going on to chart around the world. This remains the song for which Stephen Jones and Babybird are best known. A common example (like Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and The Police's "Every Breath You Take") of a misunderstood song, "You're Gorgeous" remains a staple of many wedding playlists, despite its decidedly unromantic connotations.

However, it presented a much more commercial face to the public in comparison to Jones' previous work, as well as in comparison to the rest of the material on the "Ugly Beautiful" album. The early demo albums won Jones great credibility with those who heard them, but had had not reached a wide audience (each one being a one-off pressing limited to 1,000 CDs and 1,000 LPs). Arguably, the commercial sound and success of "You're Gorgeous", which received massive exposure by comparison, made it hard for many to take Jones seriously as an indie artist.

After "You're Gorgeous"

The album "Ugly Beautiful" was released to a warm reception, but was not the unmitigated critical triumph that some had anticipated from Babybird's first studio-recorded album. The album produced two more hit singles, "Candy Girl" and "Cornershop".

Babybird returned, minus keyboardist Huw Chadbourn, in 1998 with "There's Something Going On", preceded by a single, "Bad Old Man". The album was a modest success and was followed by further minor hits, "If You'll Be Mine" and "Back Together".

In 2000, a line-up of Babybird comprising Stephen Jones, Luke Scott and Matt Hay created a third album. "Bugged", which was well-received critically. However, sales were poor and the two singles from it, "The F-Word" (later the theme tune to a UK TV cookery show of the same name) and "Out of Sight" barely dented the charts. Babybird were dropped by their record label soon after. A third single from the album "Fireflies/Getaway" was released on Animal Noise records, but sold few copies. The band subsequently split.

Stephen Jones went on to write fiction, release solo work and score a film, "Blessed", in 2004.

In October 2005, a posting on the [http://www.babybird.co.uk official Babybird website] announced that the band had reformed as a three-piece featuring Stephen, Luke Scott and Robert Gregory. A new album, entitled "Between My Ears There Is Nothing But Music" was released on September 25, 2006.

UK Babybird discography

Singles

*"Goodnight" (Echo Records, June 1996) 28
*"You're Gorgeous" (Echo Records, September 1996) 3
*"Candy Girl" (Echo Records, February 1997) 14
*"Cornershop" (Echo Records, May 1997) 37
*"Bad Old Man" (Echo Records, April 1998) 31
*"If You'll Be Mine" (Echo Records, July 1998) 28
*"Back Together (remix)" (Echo Records, February 1999) 22
*"The F-Word" (Echo Records, March 2000) 35
*"Out of Sight" (Echo Records, May 2000) 58
*"Getaway/Fireflies" (Animal Noise, September 2000)
*"Too Much/Dive" (Babybird Recordings, November 2006)

Compilation tracks

*"Bad Twin" (on "The Avengers" OST, Atlantic Records, August 1998)

Albums

Bad Shave babybird recordings 1995
*"Ugly Beautiful" (Echo Records, October 1996)
*"There's Something Going On" (Echo Records, August 1998)
*"Bugged" (Echo Records, June 2000)
*"Best of Babybird" (Echo Records, February 2004)
*"Between My Ears There Is Nothing But Music" (September 2006 Babybird-Recordings February 2008 popup Records Hamburg)

Promotional videos

*"1996 Goodnight (Regie: Stuart A. Gosling)"
*"1997 You're Gorgeous (Regie: Stuart A. Gosling)"
*"1998 If You'll Be Mine (Regie: David Slade)"
*"2000 The F-Word (Regie: Rob Leggatt & Leigh Marling)"
*"2000 Out of Sight (Regie: Rob Leggatt & Leigh Marling)"
*"2008 Lighter 'n' Spoon (Regie: Philipp Pflüger)"

Trivia

The Babybird song "The F Word" is the theme song for the Gordon Ramsay show of the same name.

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/officialbabybird Official Babybird Myspace]
* [http://www.bad-pages.dk/ Babybird Fansite]
* [http://www.musictowers.com/features/ViewArticle1741.aspx Babybird Interview on Music Towers]
* [http://www.popup-records.de Label in Hamburg]
* [http://www.the-mag.me.uk/Music/Bands/?Band=Babybird&BandId=1057 Babybird on The Mag]