Reared in the northern English town of Leeds, the eight members of the eclectic alternative rock
group Chumbawamba cultivated a rhythmic potpourri of punk-pop rock, infused with an anarchist
ethos and heavily underscored by the principles of the "Me, Me, Me!" generation. Formed in the
early 1980s, Chumbawamba's lineup consists of vocalists/keyboardists Lou Watts and Danbert
Nobacon, guitarist/vocalist Boff, percussionists/vocalists Dunstan Bruce and Alice Nutter,
drummer Harry Hamer, bassist Paul Greco and trumpeter Jude Abbott. Showcasing as many
styles as musicians, Chumbawamba has grown and persevered through the last 10 years, proving
that their aesthetic has enough weight to carry them through another decade of modern rock
music. Their first single, "Revolution" was released in 1985 on Agit-Prop (a label handcrafted by
the band) and went straight to the top of the indie charts. Their first album, Pictures of Starving
Children Sell Records, appeared in 1986 and was followed by the 1987 release of the conceptual
album Never Mind the Ballots, which was the band's lawless response to the U.K. general election
of that year. Now that they had convinced everyone of their crass and impulsive fervor, they threw
their fans a curve ball with the release of the a cappella folk album English Rebel Songs. SLAP!
was released in 1990 and showcased dance-pop tunes that were the catalyst of illegal rave
parties and chaotic dance beats that British officials had deemed detrimental to their youth culture.
Chumbawamba sought to showcase their hatred of authority and at the same time appeal to the
overwhelming rise of dance music. In an attempt to release Jesus H. Christ, which showcased a
number of stolen pop music choruses, the band finally saw resistance from publishing companies
who complained that the album was far too offensive. 1992's Shhh, another concept album
dealing with censorship, was released in America on Southern Records and soared to the top of
the college charts. 1993 saw the demise of the band's record label Agit-Prop and contract
negotiations with One Little Indian Records (home to Bjork, Skunk Anansie and the Shamen).
The first product of this new contract was a single production with British rap group Credit to the
Union and was followed by Anarchy. The album was banned from most record stores due to the
explicit photo of a baby being born on the cover. In response to the uproar the next album,
Swinging With Raymond,contained some of the band's most jovial love tunes and noisiest hate
songs to date. While compiling their latest effort, Tubthumper, on One Little Indian, the band
asked to be released from their contract because they felt the company would not allow their
creative juices to flow to their desired extent. The band was dropped by choice in December of
1996. Signing with EMI Europe and Universal Records in America, the release of Tubthumper is
a collections of all the band's prior efforts, combining dance beats, pop choruses and subversive
lyrics. The title song from the album hit the charts in the United States, Great Britain, Germany,
Ireland and Latvia.
Reared in the northern English town of Leeds, the eight members of the eclectic alternative rock
group Chumbawamba cultivated a rhythmic potpourri of punk-pop rock, infused with an anarchist
ethos and heavily underscored by the principles of the "Me, Me, Me!" generation. Formed in the
early 1980s, Chumbawamba's lineup consists of vocalists/keyboardists Lou Watts and Danbert
Nobacon, guitarist/vocalist Boff, percussionists/vocalists Dunstan Bruce and Alice Nutter,
drummer Harry Hamer, bassist Paul Greco and trumpeter Jude Abbott. Showcasing as many
styles as musicians, Chumbawamba has grown and persevered through the last 10 years, proving
that their aesthetic has enough weight to carry them through another decade of modern rock
music. Their first single, "Revolution" was released in 1985 on Agit-Prop (a label handcrafted by
the band) and went straight to the top of the indie charts. Their first album, Pictures of Starving
Children Sell Records, appeared in 1986 and was followed by the 1987 release of the conceptual
album Never Mind the Ballots, which was the band's lawless response to the U.K. general election
of that year. Now that they had convinced everyone of their crass and impulsive fervor, they threw
their fans a curve ball with the release of the a cappella folk album English Rebel Songs. SLAP!
was released in 1990 and showcased dance-pop tunes that were the catalyst of illegal rave
parties and chaotic dance beats that British officials had deemed detrimental to their youth culture.
Chumbawamba sought to showcase their hatred of authority and at the same time appeal to the
overwhelming rise of dance music. In an attempt to release Jesus H. Christ, which showcased a
number of stolen pop music choruses, the band finally saw resistance from publishing companies
who complained that the album was far too offensive. 1992's Shhh, another concept album
dealing with censorship, was released in America on Southern Records and soared to the top of
the college charts. 1993 saw the demise of the band's record label Agit-Prop and contract
negotiations with One Little Indian Records (home to Bjork, Skunk Anansie and the Shamen).
The first product of this new contract was a single production with British rap group Credit to the
Union and was followed by Anarchy. The album was banned from most record stores due to the
explicit photo of a baby being born on the cover. In response to the uproar the next album,
Swinging With Raymond,contained some of the band's most jovial love tunes and noisiest hate
songs to date. While compiling their latest effort, Tubthumper, on One Little Indian, the band
asked to be released from their contract because they felt the company would not allow their
creative juices to flow to their desired extent. The band was dropped by choice in December of
1996. Signing with EMI Europe and Universal Records in America, the release of Tubthumper is
a collections of all the band's prior efforts, combining dance beats, pop choruses and subversive
lyrics. The title song from the album hit the charts in the United States, Great Britain, Germany,
Ireland and Latvia.
