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Whiteout

Started by 23 Daves, May 05, 2005, 01:06:31 PM

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23 Daves

This thread is brought to you courtesy of the "ones that are bound to sink like a stone" corporation...

Anyhow, I was sorting out all my old vinyl last night after a recent house move, and I stumbled across an old copy of the seven inch of Whiteout's "Detroit".  I gave it a spin, and was amazed by what I'd been missing out on for years by leaving it under the bed in my parent's spare room – there's blistering arrogance seeping out of this track, and a hook which just builds and builds until it can go no further.  Like Supergrass at their greatest and earliest and Teenage Fanclub at their most insanely poppy (think "Star Sign"), it's a truly marvellous single that should have gone top ten – if you're not grooving around the bedroom to it and clapping your hands in the end, there's surely something wrong with you.

Trouble is, what was wrong with THEM?  All their singles flopped at the height of Britpop (when surely any band of their ilk had the strongest chance of success), this despite them supporting Oasis on tour, and actually releasing some damn strong singles.  Their album "Bite It" was admittedly a patchy collection that failed to include many of the tracks they'd been known for, which can't have helped, but they were still cursed with lack of critical and commercial success.

Does anyone know what became of them?  Did anyone catch them live at the time?  Any theories as to why they failed to make the grade?

Captain Crunch

Quote from: "23 Daves"Did anyone catch them live at the time?

Yes.  They were sunnier than Southend as I recall.  I'm sure I've got a white 7" knocking around somewhere (oo-er).  Cheers for the blast from the past.

phes

Yeah, I saw them three or four times. I saw them once in an audience of 4 people.

I think that it was actually a double headline tour with Oasis on the tour before Supersonic came out April/May 94'. Looking back, they were a little weak I guess, but quite charming. Think they had quite a nice tune called 'Star club' and  'Jackies racing'  rings a bell too.  I've got a few on 12" knocking around somewhere.

El Unicornio, mang

I think the problem with Whiteout was that they were too 60s retro, down to the songs, clothes, hair, etc, whereas bands like Oasis and Blur and Pulp had new ideas to add to the mix. 'Carnival of Light' by Ride had a similar problem, despite it being one of the best albums of the 90s.
Whiteout had some nice tunes though, I remember them playing 'Jackie's Racing' on The Chart Show a couple of times and thinking 'these guys are going to be massive'. They never were.

TJ

Being on Silvertone probably didn't help them. They never *could* get enough records into the stores in peak demand week, and were rubbish at promoting their releases as well. Weren't Whitehout huge in Japan?

I'd love to hear that album again. Bet it goes for a packet on auction sites.

phes

Quote from: "TJ"
I'd love to hear that album again. Bet it goes for a packet on auction sites.

I haven't looked, but I don't think that it would. Didn't they have a couple of albums or am I thinking of a single. I remember 'Bite it' and I thought that there was one called 'fun' or 'Big fun' or summat.

Edit - Googled it : 'Big Wow'

El Unicornio, mang

Quote from: "TJ"Weren't Whitehout huge in Japan?
.

They were indeed, although if you're a 60s-style indie band from the UK being big in Japan is pretty much a given

Uncle Gripper

HA, these idiots came from Greenock, my home town i'm ashamed to say. The music consisted of no originality whatsover, but that's hardly a surprise seeing as how they were a bunch of talentless cunts with personailty problems.  Generally despised for their mock arrogance and all round twattishness, they would bound about 'The Bay' (which was the the disco in Gourock) acting cool and failing, this was before they, ahem, hit the big time.  After they hit the big time they seemed to be even more anonymous than before.  The lead singer is now apparantly junkied up, so at least something good came of it!

Ciarán2

"Detroit" was a superb single, the video was ace too, really colourful and 60s  - I remember it on the Chart Show a few times in the summer of 94. My Japanese pal informs me that they are still well-known there, like Supergrass here perhaps.

TraceyQ

My old band, Dayglo (stop laughing) supported whiteout on the Midlands leg of their tour. Yes.


SHUT UP AND STOP LOOKING AT ME. I REALLY LIKED "NO TIME" SO SOD OFF.

The Plaque Goblin

Quote from: "TJ"...I'd love to hear that album again. Bet it goes for a packet on auction sites.

How about a CD copy for 49p on Amazon Marketplace?

Brian

Yeah they were cool. I expected big things. Very similar in unashamed Beach boys / Big Star retroness as todays The Thrills, who are successful (I think.) Maybe it's just the ever growing Indie / Rock and Roll guitar bands thing.

Jon_Norton

Since you mention it (in the 1st post)...

I always thought "Star Sign" by TFC sounded like a rip-off of "Like A Daydream" by Ride, smoothed out to make it poppier. Is this one of those soundalike things that no one else shares?