The Icicle Works
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| Icicle Works | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Icicle Works c. 1987: (l-r) Chris Layhe, Chris Sharrock, Ian McNabb
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Liverpool, England |
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| Genre(s) | New Wave | |
| Years active | 1980-1988 | |
| Label(s) | Beggars Banquet Records | |
| Associated acts |
The Wild Swans The Lightning Seeds |
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| Members | ||
| Ian McNabb - vocals, guitars, keyboards Chris Sharrock - drums Chris Layhe - bass |
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The Icicle Works were an independent English band of the 1980s. Named after the 1960 short story "The Day The Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes to stardom.
Contents |
[edit] Formation and early years: 1980-1984
The band was founded in Liverpool by 20-year-old singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and frontman Ian McNabb. In 1980, McNabb joined up with drummer Chris Sharrock (who had been playing with McNabb on and off since he was nine) and bassist Chris Layhe (who had been recruited though a classified ad), and they began playing as The Icicle Works. By the end of 1981, the trio had recorded a six-song independently released cassette, and in 1982 they released the independent single "Nirvana". The following year, The Icicle Works were signed to the Beggars Banquet label, who issued the single "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" on their subsidiary label Situation Two.
Later that year, The Icicle Works' would release their biggest UK hit, 1983's "Love Is a Wonderful Colour", which was a UK Top 15 single. Their debut eponymous album (1984) would follow shortly thereafter, reaching number 24 on the UK charts, and also hitting the U.S. top 40. Also appearing on the U.S. top 40 singles charts at around the same time (and hitting the Canadian top twenty) was "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)", a retitled and very slightly remixed version of The Icicle Works' Situation Two release of 1983.
[edit] Stalled career momentum: 1985
Commercial success for The Icicle Works immediately after the release of their self-titled debut album was minimal. Some have attributed this unfortunate commercial decline to The Icicle Works' change in sound over the years, from an initial 'new wave' feel to a more straight-ahead (but then-unfashionable) rock sound inspired by Neil Young, The Doors, and the Ramones, amongst others. But whatever the cause, despite critical acclaim, after the summer of 1984 the band was unable to consistently record hit singles.
The commercial decline started in September of 1984, when the band issued the non-charting single "Hollow Horse". A 1985 Motown-flavoured follow-up "All The Daughters (Of Her Father's House)" also missed the UK charts, as did the folk-rock inspired "Seven Horses". All these singles were meant to build an appetite for the band's September 1985 album The Small Price of a Bicycle, but the lack of hit singles doomed the release to a lowly UK chart placing of #55. Outside Great Britain, the band fared even worse; the commercially disappointing Small Price LP wasn't even released outside the UK.
In late 1985, the band issued the non-LP single "When It All Comes Down", which also failed to chart.
[edit] Moderate comeback: 1986-1988
Beginning in 1986, though the band was still officially a trio, keyboardist Dave Green became an auxiliary member of The Icicle Works, playing at live shows and contributing to the band's recordings. Prior to Green's arrival, McNabb had often played guitar and keyboard simultaneously at live gigs, playing an open tuned guitar with his right hand and a keyboard with his left.
In early 1986, Beggars' Banquet compiled all the 12" mixes of the band's singles onto a UK-only LP entitled Seven Singles Deep, which hit #52 on the British album charts.
In July of 1986, The Icicle Works had their first chart hit in 2 years with the almost punk-sounding "Understanding Jane", which peaked at #52. The pop-oriented follow-up single "Who Do You Want For Your Love" peaked at #54, and January 1987's "Evangeline" peaked at #53. All three songs found their way on to the 1987 album If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song, produced by Ian Broudie. The album was released in both Britain and North America and hit #28 on the UK charts. However, the album failed to chart outside of the UK, as did all the associated singles.
Later in 1987, The Icicle Works issued the single "High Time". It missed the British charts, but in 1988 it would hit #13 on the newly created US Modern Rock charts.
The band's fourth studio album, Blind, was produced by McNabb and issued in 1988. The album featured 13 tracks in the UK and Canada, but the US version of the album featured a different track listing, slightly edited versions of a few songs, and a different cover. Still, both versions of the album contained "High Time" and the minor British hit "Little Girl Lost", which peaked at #59.
[edit] The 'Second Generation' Icicle Works: 1989-1991
By the late 1980s, tensions within the group were increasing, allegedly due to McNabb's controlling ways. By 1988, in addition to writing virtually all of The Icicle Works' material (as well as singing and playing guitar) McNabb was also producing the group's records.
Accordingly, shortly after Blind was issued, drummer Chris Sharrock departed to The La's. Sharrock would later be a member of The Lightning Seeds and World Party, and would also drum for Robbie Williams, Del Amitri and Eurythmics. Around this same time, Layhe also departed, and Beggars Banquet dropped the group from their roster.
Undaunted, McNabb soldiered on under The Icicle Works banner for a while. Dave Green was promoted to official membership status, although he would leave the band within a year. Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, was added on drums for a time, and various keyboardists, bassists, and guitarists passed through before the band released their final album Permanent Damage (1990), recorded for Epic/Sony. By that time, the band's lineup was McNabb, bassist Roy Corkill, former 10cc and Jethro Tull drummer Paul Burgess, keyboardist Dave Baldwin, and backing vocalist Mark Revell.
This 'second-generation' version of The Icicle Works quietly broke up after Permanent Damage failed to chart, and Epic dropped the band.
[edit] McNabb goes solo: 1991-2005
Ian McNabb's solo career officially began in 1991 with the release of the single Great Dreams of Heaven. For further details on McNabb's career from 1991 on, please see the entry for Ian McNabb.
In 1992, a compilation called The Best of The Icicle Works was released, containing the best of their work from the Beggars Banquet years. Two years later, a live recording of a 1987 concert was issued.
[edit] Revival: 2006
After having been a solo act for 15 years, in 2006 McNabb unexpectedly reactivated "The Icicle Works" brand name for a series of six UK concerts in October of that year. This version of the band consisted of McNabb, former 'second-generation' Icicle Works bassist Roy Corkill, and two new members: keyboard player Richard Naiff and drummer Matthew Priest, both of McNabb's long-time solo touring band. Original drummer Chris Sharrock had been invited to play with the revived group, but declined to participate.
McNabb noted on his myspace blog that, ironically, the band's 2006 concert tour was more well-attended than the original Icicle Works tours of the 1980s and early 1990s.
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Position | Notes | ||
| UK Singles Chart | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | |||
| October 1982 | "Nirvana" | - | - | - | A re-recorded version of this track can be heard on The Icicle Works. Released on the band's own Troll Kitchen label, this single peaked at #15 on the UK independent charts. |
| June 1983 | "Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)" | #90 | - | - | Original single release on Situation 2 label. Peaked at #2 on the UK independent charts. Track later included on the UK version of The Icicle Works. |
| October 1983 | "Love Is A Wonderful Colour" | #15 | - | - | Track later included on The Icicle Works. |
| March 1984 | "Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)" / "In The Cauldron Of Love" | #53 | - | - | Double A-side. Both tracks included on the UK version of The Icicle Works. |
| May 1984 | "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" | #37 | - | Retitled and remixed for the US. Track included on the US version of The Icicle Works. | |
| September 1984 | "Hollow Horse" | #91 | - | - | Later included on The Small Price of a Bicycle. |
| May 1985 | "All The Daughters (Of Her Father's House)" | - | - | - | Later included on The Small Price of a Bicycle. |
| July 1985 | "Seven Horses" | #80 | - | - | Later included on The Small Price of a Bicycle. |
| September 1985 | "It Makes No Difference" | - | - | - | Promo-only release, as "Melting Bear". Later issued as an Icicle Works B-side. |
| October 1985 | "When It All Comes Down" | - | - | - | 12" version later included on Seven Singles Deep. 7" version unavailable on any Icicle Works album. |
| January 1986 | "Rapids" | - | - | - | Promo-only release. From The Small Price of a Bicycle |
| July 1986 | "Understanding Jane" | #52 | - | - | Later included on If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song |
| September 1986 | "Who Do You Want For Your Love?" | #54 | - | - | Later included on If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song |
| November 1986 | "Up Here In The North Of England" | - | - | - | 12" single only. Later included on If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song |
| January 1987 | "Evangline" | #53 | - | - | Later included on If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song |
| July? 1987 | "Travelling Chest" | - | - | - | European release only. From If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song |
| November 1987 | "High Time" | #76 | - | #13 | Later included on Blind. |
| February 1988 | "The Kiss Off" | #76 | - | - | Later included on Blind. |
| April 1988 | "Little Girl Lost" | #59 | - | - | Later included on Blind. |
| June 1988 | "Here Comes Trouble" | #94 | - | - | From Blind. |
| March 1990 | "Motorcycle Rider" | #73 | - | - | Later included on Permanent Damage. |
| May 1990 | "Melanie Still Hurts" | #82 | - | - | From Permanent Damage. |
| July 1990 | "I Still Want You" | #99 | - | - | From Permanent Damage. |
| August 1992 | "Understanding Jane ('92 Version)" | - | - | - | From The Best Of The Icicle Works. |
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Position | |
| UK | US | ||
| March 1984 | The Icicle Works | #24 | #40 |
| September 1985 | The Small Price of a Bicycle | #55 | - |
| March 1987 | If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy, Sing His Song | #28 | - |
| May 1988 | Blind | #40 | - |
| May 1990 | Permanent Damage | - | - |
| February 1994 | BBC Live In Concert
(Recorded in 1987) |
- | - |
[edit] Compilation Albums
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Position | |
| UK | US | ||
| February 1986 | Seven Singles Deep | #52 | - |
| August 1992 | The Best of The Icicle Works | #60 | - |
[edit] Audio sample
- The Icicle Works - Evangeline excerpt.ogg (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- An excerpt from Evangeline
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
[edit] Sources
- Whitburn, Joel (1987). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums. New York: Billboard Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-8230-7513-3
- Whitburn, Joel (1987). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (3rd ed.). New York: Billboard Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-8230-7520-6
- Official Discography at the Ian McNabb web page: http://www.ianmcnabb.com/discogw.htm
- Barwood, Tony. Liner notes to "The Icicle Works" (2006 reissue).
