# Blueboy (band) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blueboy_(band) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blueboy_(band).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueboy_(band) > Source revision: 1299137438 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Not to be confused with [Blue Boy (DJ)](/source/Blue_Boy_(DJ)). **Blueboy** are an [indie pop](/source/Indie_pop) band formed in [Reading, Berkshire](/source/Reading,_Berkshire) who were signed to [Sarah Records](/source/Sarah_Records) and later [Shinkansen Recordings](/source/Shinkansen_Recordings). Core members Keith Girdler and Paul Stewart also recorded as **Arabesque** and **Beaumont**. After breaking up in 1998 and Girdler's passing in 2007, Stewart resumed the band in 2023 with several of its previous members.[1] ## History Blueboy formed around 1989 and initially consisted of Keith Girdler (on vocals) and Paul Stewart (on guitars), formerly of little-known band Feverfew.[2][3] They soon signed to [Sarah Records](/source/Sarah_Records), releasing the home-recorded [single](/source/Single_(music)) "Clearer" in 1991, and took on more members, including singer/[cellist](/source/Cello) Gemma Townley and second guitarist [Harvey Williams](/source/Harvey_Williams_(musician)) (of [The Field Mice](/source/The_Field_Mice)/[Another Sunny Day](/source/Another_Sunny_Day)).[2] "Clearer" was followed by several singles and two [albums](/source/Album) on Sarah, *If Wishes Were Horses* and *Unisex*.[2] In October 1994, Blueboy recorded a session for [John Peel](/source/John_Peel)'s [BBC Radio 1](/source/BBC_Radio_1) show.[4] Their final release before going on hiatus, *The Bank of England*, was released in 1998 on Sarah head Matt Haynes' new label, [Shinkansen Recordings](/source/Shinkansen_Recordings).[3] By then, Girdler and Stewart were the only original members of the band. Girdler and Stewart were also involved in two other bands, Arabesque and Beaumont,[2] and Girdler also recorded with Lovejoy.[3] Townley later joined [Trembling Blue Stars](/source/Trembling_Blue_Stars), as did Williams. Keith Girdler was diagnosed with [cancer](/source/Cancer) in 2004 and he died on 15 May 2007. Prior to his death he was working as volunteer manager for [Age Concern](/source/Age_Concern) in [Eastbourne](/source/Eastbourne). In 2008, Siesta Records issued a [compilation album](/source/Compilation_album) called *Country Music (Songs for Keith Girdler)*. The compilation was put together by Richard Preece (of Lovejoy) to raise money for the Martletts Hospice in [Hove](/source/Hove) who cared for Girdler. In 2018, Blueboy's music was released to [Bandcamp](/source/Bandcamp) as part of the release of all the Sarah Records back-catalogue. [5] In April 2020, during the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic), Paul Stewart recorded acoustic versions of some Blueboy songs and posted them to the ["OfficialBlueboy" Youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoNCPpVLLK1oFNCfshMt1Sg) to connect with those interested in the band. October 2023 saw a reunion described as "almost accidental" when Townley (now going by Gemma Malley) and Stewart played at the launch of *These Things Happen: The Sarah Records Story*. This was followed by a new single in May 2024, "One", which was recorded as a four-piece with Stewart and Townley rejoined by Mark Cousens on bass and Martin Rose on drums. To mark the release of "One" and celebrate the 30th anniversary of *Unisex*, Blueboy performed a full-band show on the 18th of May at the Water Rats in London.[6] Another new single, "Deux", followed on the 2nd of November.[1] ## Discography [7] ### Albums Year Album Label 1992 If Wishes Were Horses Sarah Records 1994 Unisex Sarah Records 1998 The Bank of England Shinkansen Recordings ### Singles - "Clearer" (1991), Sarah - "Popkiss" (1992), Sarah - "Cloud Babies" (1993), Sarah - [flexi-disc](/source/Flexi-disc) - "Meet Johnny Rave" (1993), Sarah - *Some Gorgeous Accident* EP (1993), Sarah - "River" (1994), Sarah - *Bikini* EP (1995), Aquavinyle - "Dirty Mags" (1995), Sarah - "Love Yourself" (1996), Shinkansen - *Marco Polo* EP (1998), Shinkansen - *One* (2024), Prenew ### Compilations - *Speedboat* (1993 - Quattro Records) ### Discography as *Arabesque* - *Roma EP* EP (1995), Siesta - *The Grooming Gambit EP* (1997), Siesta [8] ### Discography as *Beaumont* - *This Is...* (2000), Siesta - *Discotheque a la Carte* (2001), Siesta - *Tiara* (2003), Siesta - *No Time Like The Past* (2005), Siesta [9] ## Compilation album appearances - *Grimsby Fishmarket 4 Norrkoeping 0*, featured "Chelsea Guitar" - *In This Place Called Nowhere* (1992) Quattro, featured "Clearer" - *Sound of Music - An Anti-Racist Benefit* (1993) Bring on Bull, featured "My Favourite Things" - *La Rue du Chat Qui Pêche* (1993) Sarah/Quattro, featured "Elle" and "Air France" - *Gaol Ferry Bridge* (1994) Sarah, featured "Try Happiness" and "Air France" - *Engine Common* (1995) Sarah, featured "Clearer" and "Popkiss" - *Battery Point* (1995) Sarah, featured "Dirty Mags", "River", and "Toulouse" - *There and Back Again Lane* (1995) Sarah, featured "The Joy of Living" - *PREGO! The Menu of Trattoria* (1995) Trattoria, featured "My Favourite Things" - *Country Music: Songs for Keith Girdler* (2008) Siesta, featured "80's Diaries" ## References 1. Morehead, Jason (3 November 2024). [""Deux" by Blueboy"](https://opus.ing/posts/deux-blueboy). *Opus*. Retrieved 4 November 2024. 1. Ankeny, Jason "[ Blueboy Biography]", allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation 1. Strong, Martin C. (2003) *The Great Indie Discography*, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 633-4 1. [Details of Blueboy's Peel session from the BBC's *Keeping It Peel* site](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/b/blueboy/) 1. [Bandcamp announcement of Sarah's arrival](https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/news-sarah-records-comes-to-bandcamp) 1. Key, Iain. ["Blueboy to Release First Single in 25 Years"](https://louderthanwar.com/blueboy-to-release-first-single-in-25-years/). *Louder Than War*. Retrieved 18 May 2024. 1. [*Blueboy* on Discogs.com](http://www.discogs.com/artist/140485-Blueboy) 1. [*Arabesque* on Discogs.com](http://www.discogs.com/artist/1586706-Arabesque-5) 1. [*Beaumont* on Discogs.com](http://www.discogs.com/artist/1397806-Beaumont-2) ## External links - [Unofficial Blueboy band web site](https://web.archive.org/web/20050206102343/http://techmart.com/blueboy/) - [Blueboy band on TweeNet](http://www.twee.net/bands/blueboy.html) - [Blueboy releases on Sarah Records](http://home.clara.net/koogy/sarah/bands/blueboy.htm) - [Blueboy at discogs.com](http://www.discogs.com/artist/Blueboy) - [Blueboy's bandcamp page](https://blueboy.bandcamp.com/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Blueboy (band)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueboy_(band)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueboy_(band)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.