Ballboy (band)
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- The correct title of this article is ballboy. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
ballboy are a 4-piece indie band from Edinburgh, Scotland. They are very particular about the lower case 'b' in their name.
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[edit] Biography
Originally a four piece comprising Viv Strachan (vocals), Gordon McIntyre (guitar), Nick Reynolds (bass), and Alexis Beattie (drums), ballboy played gigs around Edinburgh for a few years, and recorded tracks for the Edinburgh indie compilation it's a life sentence..., released by the newly formed SL Records label in 1997.
By 1999 Gordon, the band's main songwriter, had taken over vocal duties. Katie Griffiths had joined on keyboards, and Gary Morgan had taken over the drums. The band signed to SL Records that year, and released a series of EPs showcasing their catchy new pop tunes, complete with alternately humorous and mournful lyrics. The tracks of these EPs were collected on 2001's Club Anthems.
Their 'proper' debut album, A Guide for the Daylight Hours, was released the following year, featuring artwork by Glasgow based artist David Shrigley. This was followed in 2003 by the acoustic and often melancholy The Sash My Father Wore and Other Stories, virtually a solo record by Gordon.
In 2004 ballboy returned to full band mode, with the addition of a new keyboard player and their third album. At the time of writing the band continue to tour and record, and have just released a download only single, I Died for Love.
From their early releases, the band were popular with the late DJ John Peel, and had several tracks featured in the Festive Fifty charts. They recorded several sessions for his BBC Radio 1 show, including a Christmas special live from Peel Acres, where Gordon recorded a duet with American country singer Laura Cantrell.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Club Anthems 2001 (2001)
- A Guide for the Daylight Hours (2002)
- The Sash My Father Wore and Other Stories (2003)
- The Royal Theatre (2004)
[edit] Singles / EPs
- Silver Suits for Astronauts (1999)
- I Hate Scotland (2000)
- Girls Are Better Than Boys (2001)
- All the Records on the Radio are Shite (2002)
- Where do the nights of sleep go to when they do not come to me (2002)
- A Europewide Search for Love (2003)
- Past Lovers / I Lost You But I Found Country Music (2004)
[edit] Members
- Gordon McIntyre - singer, guitar, songwriter
- Nick Reynolds - bass
- Gary "the flam" Morgan - drums
- Alexa Morrison - keyboard.
[edit] External links
- ballboymusic.com - More info, pictures and downloads from the official site
- SL Records
