Intastella
| Intastella | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Laugh |
| Origin | Manchester, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active |
1985 – late 1980s (as Laugh) 1990 – 1997 (as Intastella) |
| Labels | Remorse, Sub Aqua, MCA, Planet-3 |
| Past members |
Martin Wright Ian Bendelow (Laugh) Martin Mittler Spencer Birtwistle Stella Grundy (Intastella) Lil' Anthony (Intastella) |
Intastella were an alternative rock band from Manchester who evolved from the earlier band Laugh. They had four top-75 hits in the UK during the 1990s.
History
Laugh formed in 1985 with a line-up of Martin Wright (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Ian Bendelow (guitar), Martin Mittler (bass guitar), and Spencer Birtwistle (drums, later a member of The Fall).[1] Their debut release was "Take Your Time Yeah!", a flexi-disc included with Debris magazine in December 1985, with three further singles following prior to their only album, Sensation No. 1 (1988).[1] The band had two placings on the UK Independent Chart with "Paul McCartney" (which featured Smiths guitarist Craig Gannon)[2] (#44) and "Time to Lose It" (#19), and recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show.[3][4]
In 1990 the band parted ways with guitarist Bendelow and discovered singer Stella Grundy and dancer Lil' Anthony, changing their sound to a more dance-orientated style and changing their name to Intastella.[1] They signed to MCA Records and hit the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart with their first release, "Dream Some Paradise".[1] Two follow-up singles fared similarly, and in late 1991 the band's debut album, Intastella and the Family of People was issued.[1] The band's momentum was lost after Grundy broke her arm in a motorcycle accident, and they were dropped by MCA, returning in 1993 on the Planet-3 label with the Drifter EP, on which they worked with Shaun Ryder.[1] The band's biggest hit came in 1995, with "The Night" reaching #60 in the UK, preceding their second album, What You Gonna Do featuring Manchester Harpist Katie Brett on the track "I'll Be Forever".[1] Further singles followed during 1996 and 1997 but none repeated their earlier success. One of these, "Grandmaster", was used on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Love in Paris. A final album, Nuphonia, was released in 1997.
Grundy later emerged with a new band, Stella & the Doggs.
Discography
Laugh
Albums
- Sensation No. 1 (1988), Sub Aqua
Singles, EPs
- "Take Your Time Yeah!" (1985), Debris (flexi-disc)
- "Take Your Time Yeah!" (1986), Remorse (12")
- "Paul McCartney" (1987), Remorse (7") - UK Indie #44[3]
- "Time To Lose It" (1988), Remorse (7") - UK Indie #19[3]
- "Sensation No.1 EP (1988), Sub Aqua (7"/12")
Intastella
Albums
- Intastella and the Family of People (1991), MCA
- What You Gonna Do (1995), Planet-3
- Nuphonia (1997), Planet-3
- Intastella Overdrive (2002), Castle Music - compilation
Singles, EPs
- "Dream Some Paradise" (1991), MCA - (UK #69)[5]
- "People" (1991), MCA - UK #74[5]
- "Century" (1991), MCA - UK #70[5]
- Drifter EP (1993), Planet-3
- "Point Hope" (1994), Planet-3
- "The Night" (1995), Planet-3 - UK #60[5]
- "Grandmaster" (1996), Planet-3
- "Past" (1996), Planet-3
- "Skyscraper Koolaid" (1997), Planet-3
- "Soon We'll Fly" (1997), Planet-3
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strong, Martin C. (1999) The Great Alternative & Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 0-86241-913-1, p. 362
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN 0753502313, p. 242
- 1 2 3 Lazell, Barry (1998) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 131
- ↑ Laugh at the BBC's Keeping It Peel site, retrieved 2010-03-22
- 1 2 3 4 Intastella, Chart Stats, retrieved 2010-03-22