Latin Quarter (band)

Latin Quarter is an English pop band that existed from 1983 to 1998 and 2011 launched a comeback.

History

Latin Quarter was established in August 1983 by Steve Skaith and Mike Jones, both previously members of a human rights organization founded and Richard Wright. Skaith was a singer and guitarist, Wright also played guitar. Jones was "only" a copywriter, but was without playing an instrument or singing, always as a permanent member of the group. Later in the year were joined by Yona Dunsford (vocals, keyboards) and Carol Douet (vocals ). From the outset it was the intention of the group to connect politically and socially relevant lyrics with catchy melodies, in order to present their message to the widest possible public.

This concept seemed already to be working in 1984, when the first single Radio Africa, which dealt with the then political developments on the African continent, achieved respectable chart success, and the group brought into the conversation, which immediately previously with Greg Harewood (bass ), Steve Jeffries (keyboard) and Rikki Stevens ( drums) had joined three other musicians. After the success of Radio Africa the label Rockin ' Horse Records took the band under contract; the following year was released with the first album Modern Times. Latin Quarter sat on the political line continues - including titled America for Beginners, in which the shift to the right was lamented in the U.S. since the inauguration of Ronald Reagan. The title song Modern Times dealt with the McCarthy era. The album was a success in continental Europe, reached among others in the German charts for the Top 20, but was hardly noticed in the domestic UK.

In 1987 he was the album Mick and Caroline. Jeffries and Stevens were replaced by Martin Lascalles (keyboards) and Darren Abraham (drums). The musical diversity and the continued political commitment expressing range of issues, however, could not disguise the lack of commercial success; Moreover, the group lamented the lack of support from the record company. So Latin Quarter in 1989 moved to the UK RCA label, on the third album Swimming Against the Stream has been published. The band was at this time only from Skaith, Harewood, Dunsford, Wright and lyricist Jones; the remaining members had adopted due to the lack of success. This publication also were granted no high sales despite (or because of) increasingly challenging texts. And the marketing did not accord with the group collaboration with RCA England was quickly ended. Although a new contract with RCA Germany was signed relatively quickly, but the publication of a regular album it came to that. Problems within the band led to their dissolution. 1990 only appeared yet Nothing Like Velvet, a compilation of B-sides, live recordings and demo tapes. This includes February 1990, a strong political opinion in favor of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas.

Throughout their existence, the band was especially been quite popular in Germany, so there is little surprise that with Cloud Nine Records in 1992 calculated a German label to Skaith and Jones approached and offered cooperation. The result was released in 1993 album Long Pig, which again contained numerous comments on current affairs. Besides Skaith and Jones was the last permanent member Wright of the party. But the pitch remained faithful to the Latin Quarter. The plate was again a failure, the label went bankrupt.

The trio did not give up and in 1996 scored a contract with the German label SPV. Here appeared the following year Bringing Rosa Home. Skaith brought now next to Jones more into songwriting, where his lyrics ( Angel, Branded ) were more personal than socially critical nature. Bringing Rosa Home, however, suffered even more than its predecessor from the lack of vocal technique diversity, for the previously Yona Dunsford had provided. Depressed over again the lack of success of the album, the three remaining band members eventually disbanded Latin Quarter.

Mike Jones, frustrated with the lack of success, the Latin Quarter had, despite his years of commitment, later joined an activity as a course director at the Institute for Popular Music at the University of Liverpool. Steve Skaith presented with the Steve Skaith band together a new group that consistently is next to him of Mexican musicians. With it, he released the albums Mexile (2003), Empires & Us (2005) and Imaginary Friend (2007).

In the course of 2009 Skaith took together with musicians from his new adopted home Bournemouth ( Southern England ) on an album with new versions of the Latin Quarter classics, as the Latin Quarter Revisited was published in January 2010. Already in November 2009 (vocals, guitar), Ricardo Serrano (drums ), Catherine Burke (flute, mandolin, clarinet, backing vocals ) and Anthony Machell (bass ) toured the Steve Skaith band in the cast Steve Skaith extensively throughout Germany.

2011, the original line-up back together ( Greg Harewood, Yona Dunsford, Steve Jeffries, Steve Skaith and Mike Jones) and recorded an album with new songs. Ocean Head was released in February 2012. Besides individual performances in the UK (London, Liverpool, Bournemouth) Latin Quarter played in February / March 2012, a tour of Germany. In March 2014, the album was released Tilt.

Discography

Singles ( selection)

  • Toulouse ( 1985) UK # 93
  • Radio Africa (1985 ) UK # 76
  • Radio Africa ( 1986) ( re-issue ) UK # 19, NL # 37
  • Modern Times (1986 ) UK # 85
  • America for Beginners (1986 ) UK # 99
  • Nomzamo ( One People One Cause ) ( 1987) UK # 73
  • Dominion (1989 )
  • Even Superman ( Is Dead ) 2011

Albums

Studio

  • Modern Times (1985 ) D # 24, UK # 91
  • Mick and Caroline (1987 ) UK # 96
  • Swimming Against the Stream (1988 )
  • Long Pig (1993 )
  • Bringing Rosa Home (1997)
  • Ocean Head (2012 )
  • Tilt (2014)

Compilations

  • Nothing like Velvet ( 1990)
  • Radio Africa (1997)
  • Live at Full House ( 2006) ( live recording from March 5, 1986 from Hannover / DVD)
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