Babybird

[Sebastian Dangerfield]

Are there any Babybird fans out there?  Most people only know him so far as "You're Gorgeous" but he's one of the most prolific artists out there.  He has a dark streak, with songs like "Bad old Man" and "Failed Old Singer" (loves the "olds") but also wrote really beautiful songs like "If You'll Be Mine".

Anyway, if you don't know him, start with "Fatherhood", it's magnificent.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I knew he was more than just a one trick pony because of Back Together and The F-Word somehow getting airplay on Radio 1. I'd always liked those two, but it wasn't until I saw Consolevania that I realised what how versatile and talented he is. He has a Nick Hornby-esque knack for writing about blokish malaise. It's sad that he has to labour under the one hit wonder banner as I find it makes people unwilling to give him a fair listen.

[SOTS]

I'm sure Babybird weren't that bad actually but whenever I think of them they remind me of a time just over ten years ago when you could really get of someone's nerves just by going:

"Becuz yooooooooooooooooooooooou're...."

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

See what I mean?

[rudi]

He was a lovely best-kept-secret 'til 'that' single.

Ah well - he didn't seem overly concerned over whether he'd have more or not and carried on ploughing his own furrow bless him.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Candy Girl has laughably bad lyrics but I like it.

"Are you Paris without snails...?"

[SOTS]

See what I mean?

I'm just saying. They do remind me of that time, but I haven't heard any of the rest. I'm not being mean or anything.

[Dark Poet]

I've wanted to get hold of Fatherhood for some time - is it less commercial than his later stuff?

I've got Ugly Beautiful and Goodnight is one of my favourite "track one, side ones".

[benthalo]

Haven't thought about Stephen Jones for a long time, but I loved those early albums and stuck with him until babybird itself called it a day. The last album had some pretty great bits on it but sold very poorly. I saw him do a wonderful set at Reading in 2000 (their final show?) where he asked the audience whether they'd bought the latest album. A tent of thousands cheered, to which he replied, "funny, we only sold 400..." He also talked us through the etiquette of performers not being allowed to throw bottles at the audience.

Are the subsequent releases any good? I never seemed to have the spare cash for them, but I always felt he'd have a safe career writing for other artists.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm glad You're Gorgeous was such a hit for him as I'd never have discovered Babybird without it. I've often wondered what he's been doing since the last album, and I've just found out via his myspace page that a new album came out in Februray - Between My Ears There's Nothing But Music - has anyone heard it?

Pointless anecdote time: He once dedicated Dead Bird Sings to me at a Cambridge Junction gig. It's a less exciting story that it sounds though - he asked the audience what song they wanted to here next and I was the only one to shout the title out.

[Sebastian Dangerfield]

I haven't heard it yet, sadly, due to terminal brokeness and general cultural malaise.

I saw him last year in London, he was absolutely mesmerising.  I *think* this was the setlist, (yanked from someone else who was there), however, I was, er, lubricated at the time and am fuzzy on details.  I just remember standing there watching him and finding it difficult to move away.

The F-Word
Bad Old Man
Snails
70
The Little Things
Old Skin
Shoutabout
Divorce Song
Out Of Sight
Eyes In The Back Of Your Head
Better Than Love
Dive
Too Much

You're Gorgeous
Back Together
The Way You Are

The Way You Are is just so beautiful.  It's sort of like a sister song to "You Will Always Love Me", which is darker but probably addressed to the same person.

[Famous Mortimer]

I saw him live in 1995 at a tiny club in Cardiff, and thought he was a bit knackers. He was flicking the Vs surreptiously at everyone who left early (there were quite a lot) and I was bored to tears. I kinda like "The F Word" but that's his only song I can still bear.

[colinzeal]

I knew he was more than just a one trick pony because of Back Together and The F-Word somehow getting airplay on Radio 1. I'd always liked those two, but it wasn't until I saw Consolevania that I realised what how versatile and talented he is. He has a Nick Hornby-esque knack for writing about blokish malaise. It's sad that he has to labour under the one hit wonder banner as I find it makes people unwilling to give him a fair listen.

Totally. Never gets a fair reception because of that song, very misrepresented. I prefer the darker and weirder stuff as well as the tender moments. Extraordinary artist. Just got hold of this new album which is a compilation of the Babybird stuff from recent years, and it's incredible.


http://psychomafia.bandcamp.com/album/happy-stupid-nothing-2

[DrGreggles]

Saw him supporting Dodgy last weekend* and he appears to have morphed into Derek Acorah.
Interesting band line-up he has these days though, with a young Ron Mael on bass and Tony Way on guitar.

*he wasn't very good

[Glebe]

Is that the thing with a blindfolded Sandra Bullock?

[thraxx]

Baby bird we're originally billed as a more fun Tindersticks iirc, but then didn't he record and release like an album an album every month for like years? In amongst all that you're gorgeous came out of every speaker every two minutes for a year and that put paid to that for me.

[jobotic]

What was "Valerie" on?

"Marry me, Valerie" often goes through my head even Though I haven't heard it for over twenty years. Good song.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

it was on Bad Shave!

[MidnightShambler]

What was the one with the duck pond? That was pretty good, haven't heard it for donkeys years though so I don't know how it's held up. I remember thinking he was alright at the time anyway.

[Jockice]

Saw him supporting Dodgy last weekend* and he appears to have morphed into Derek Acorah.
Interesting band line-up he has these days though, with a young Ron Mael on bass and Tony Way on guitar.

*he wasn't very good

i knew all his band around the time he was a proper pop star. I think I only ever met the man himself briefly once though. From what I've heard there was a massive breakdown of communications between him and the others to the extent that after You're Gorgeous became a huge hit they were only just on speaking terms for quite a while. It was probably this tension that made There's Something Going On such a great album though

[daf]

First one I ever heard back on the old Graveyard Shift -

Pull your pants down and dance around completely naked in the middle of China town

Seemed to come out of nowhere - and >BAM!!< there it was - right in the kisser!

Come on out Fu Man Chu, get your tea caddy out and play the Hong Kong Blues