Fairground Attraction

Fairground Attraction

left to right: Reader, Dodds, Edwards, Nevin
Background information
Origin United Kingdom
Genres Folk, Skiffle, Soft rock
Years active 1987–1990
Labels RCA
Past members Eddi Reader
Mark E. Nevin
Simon Edwards
Roy Dodds

Fairground Attraction were a British folk and soft rock band. They are best known for their hit song "Perfect" and the subsequent single "Find My Love", and for helping to launch the career of lead vocalist and Janet Street Porter lookalike Eddi Reader.

Career

In 1987 Fairground Attraction were signed to RCA, and released their first single, "Perfect", in April 1988. It was an immediate success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. Their album The First of a Million Kisses was a blend of folk, jazz, country, and cajun elements (all but one of its songs being written by Nevin). Released in May 1988, it followed the success of "Perfect" by entering the UK Albums Chart at number three, and rising to number two; it was eventually certified platinum. Three other singles were released from the same album: "Find My Love" (which reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart), "A Smile in a Whisper", and "Clare".

At the 1989 BRIT Awards "Perfect" won the award for best single, and The First of a Million Kisses won best album.

Although they were popular in European countries, and toured the United States, their main success outside the UK was in Japan, where they toured in 1989 (a tour that produced their only live album, Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89).

In September 1989, however, during the recording of their second album, rumours of arguments circulated, and in January 1990 the band split up. An album Ay Fond Kiss was released in 1990, and one of its songs, a cover of Patsy Cline's 1957 country hit "Walkin' After Midnight", became their last single. The album was made up of B-sides and other material recorded alongside the first album (many being collaborations by just two band members). Material for the second album went on to be recorded by Nevin with Brian Kennedy under the name Sweetmouth, although eight tracks have since appeared sung by Reader on the Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89 album.

Eddi Reader embarked on a solo career, while Mark E Nevin worked together with Morrissey, co-writing most of the Kill Uncle album[1] as well as some later songs in a Rockabilly style.

Personnel

Discography

Singles

Release date Title Chart Positions
UK[2] Australia[3] New Zealand[4]
31 March 1988 Perfect 1 1 4
21 July 1988 Find My Love 7 86 34
1 November 1988 A Smile in a Whisper 75 - -
31 January 1989 Clare (Fairground Attraction) 49 - -
21 May 1990 "Walkin' After Midnight" 97 - -

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[5]		 AUS
[3]
The First of a Million Kisses 2 9
  • UK: Platinum
Ay Fond Kiss
  • Released: 30 July 1990
  • Label: RCA
  • Formats: CD, cassette
 55 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Live albums

Compilation albums

Videos

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/kill-uncle-mw0000320509
  2. ↑ "Fairground Attraction". Chart Stats. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  4. ↑ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "Fairground Attraction discography". chartstats.com. Retrieved 9 October 2014.

External links

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