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 Records
Past members Eddi Reader
Mark E. Nevin
Simon Edwards
Roy Dodds

Fairground Attraction was a British folk and soft rock band, best known for their hit song "Perfect" and the subsequent single "Find My Love". The band launched the careers of lead vocalist Eddi Reader and songwriter Mark E. Nevin.

Career

In 1987, RCA signed Fairground Attraction, and in April 1988 released their first single, "Perfect", an immediate success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. In May 1988, RCA released their album The First of a Million Kisses, a blend of folk, jazz, country, and cajun elements (with all but one of its songs written by Nevin). The album duplicated the success of "Perfect". After entering the UK Albums Chart at number three, and rising to number two, it was eventually certified platinum. RCA released three other singles from the 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 the award for best British Album.

Although they were popular in European countries, and toured the United States, they found their main success outside the UK 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, during the recording of their second album, Ay Fond Kiss, rumours of arguments circulated, and in January 1990 the band split up. RCA released the album in June, and one of its songs, a cover of Patsy Cline's 1957 country hit "Walkin' After Midnight", was their last single. The album was made up of B-sides and other material recorded alongside their first album (many being collaborations by just two band members). Nevin later recorded material intended for the second album with Brian Kennedy under the name Sweetmouth, and eight tracks subsequently appeared on Fairground Attraction's Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89 album.

After the band's break-up, Eddi Reader continued to perform as a solo artist. Mark E. Nevin worked with Morrissey, co-writing most of their Kill Uncle album,[1] and with Kirsty MacColl, before embarking on his own career as a solo artist, during which he made five solo albums.

Personnel

  • Eddi Reader – vocals – born 29 August 1959, Glasgow, Scotland
  • Mark E. Nevin – electric and acoustic guitars – born 13 August 1959, Ebbw Vale, Wales
  • Simon Edwards – guitarrón – born 29 April 1958, Hurley, England
  • Roy Dodds – drums – born 11 July 1951 [Bucks UK ]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardsWorkCategoryResult
1988 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party Themselves Most Promising New Act Nominated
1989 Silver Clef Award Best Newcomer Won
Ivor Novello Awards "Perfect" Best Song Musically & Lyrically Nominated
BRIT Awards Best British Single Won
The First of a Million Kisses Best British Album Won

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[2]		 AUS
[3]		 AUT
[4]		 CAN
[5]		 FIN
[6]		 GER
[7]		 NED
[8]		 NZ
[9]		 SWE
[10]		 SWI
[11]		 US
[12]
The First of a Million Kisses
  • Released: 16 May 1988
  • Label: RCA
 2 9 17 57 13 38 29 19 6 18 137
Ay Fond Kiss
  • Released: 18 June 1990
  • Label: RCA
 55 — — — — — — — — — —
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

  • The Collection: Fairground Attraction, featuring Eddi Reader (1994)
  • Perfect: The Best of Fairground Attraction (1995)
  • The Very Best of Fairground Attraction, featuring Eddi Reader (1996)
  • The Masters (1997)
  • 80s Eternal Best: Fairground Attraction Best (1998)
  • The Best of Fairground Attraction (2004)

Live albums

  • Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89 (2003)

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[14]		 AUS
[15]		 AUT
[16]		 BEL
[17]		 GER
[18]		 IRE
[19]		 NED
[20]		 NZ
[21]		 SWE
[22]		 SWI
[23]		 US
[24]
1988 "Perfect" 1 1 19 4 5 1 5 4 2 5 80 The First of a Million Kisses
"Find My Love" 7 86 3 24 22 6 30 34 — — —
"A Smile in a Whisper" 75 — — — — — — — — — —
1989 "Clare" 49 — — — — — — — — — —
1990 "Walking After Midnight" 97 — — — — — — — — — — Ay Fond Kiss
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Videos

  • The First of a Million Kisses (1990)
    Collection of music videos: "Perfect", "Find My Love", "A Smile in a Whisper", "Clare"
  • Live at Full House (1990)
    Live performances from German television show called Live at Full House:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/kill-uncle-mw0000320509
  2. ↑ "UK Albums". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  3. ↑ "Australian Albums". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  4. ↑ "Austrian Albums". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  5. ↑ "Canadian Albums" (PDF). RPM Magazine. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  6. ↑ "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961" (in Finnish). Sisältää Hitin - Suomen listalevyt (Timo Pennanen). Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  7. ↑ "German Albums". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  8. ↑ "Dutch Albums". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  9. ↑ "New Zealand Albums". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  10. ↑ "Swedish Albums". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  11. ↑ "Swiss Albums". hitparade.ch.com. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  12. ↑ "US Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  13. ↑ "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  14. ↑ "UK Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  15. ↑ Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
    • Top 50 peaks: Steffen Hung. "australian-charts.com > Discography Fairground Attraction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
    • "Find My Love": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 5 June 2015". Imgur. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Austrian Singles". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  17. ↑ "Belgian Singles". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  18. ↑ "German Singles". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  19. ↑ "Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  20. ↑ "Netherlands Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  21. ↑ "New Zealand Singles". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  22. ↑ "Swedish Singles". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  23. ↑ "Swiss Singles". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  24. ↑ "US Singles". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  25. ↑ "BPI Certification". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  26. ↑ "Swedish Single Certifications 1987-1998" (PDF). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
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