The Pale Fountains

{{Short description|English pop/new wave band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2010}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Pale Fountains | image = | alt = | caption = | image_size = | landscape =  | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Liverpool, England | genre = {{hlist|Pop<ref>{{cite web|first= Andy |last= Kellman |title= Pale Fountains – From Across the Kitchen Table |publisher= AllMusic. All Media Network |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/from-across-the-kitchen-table-mw0000466814 |accessdate= 30 April 2016}}</ref>|jangle pop<ref>{{cite web|first= Mike |last= Mineo |title= Forgotten, unlucky, but still fantastic… Shack |date= 17 December 2006 |work= Obscure Sound |url= http://www.obscuresound.com/2006/12/forgotten-unlucky-but-still-fantastic-shack/ |accessdate= 30 April 2016}}</ref>|new wave<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oFY1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=eCUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1480,26529883&dq=the-pale-fountains+new-wave&hl=en Drowning in my Nostalgia Philippine Daily Inquirer September 7, 2002 "''...bands like..The Pale Fountains...etc. They were more than your average New Wave acts''"]</ref>}} | years_active = {{start date|1981}}–{{end date|1987}}, 2008 | label = Operation Twilight Les Disques du Crépuscule Virgin | associated_acts = Shack | website =  | current_members = | past_members = Mick Head Chris McCaffery Thomas Whelan Andy Diagram John Head Ken Moss }}

'''The Pale Fountains''' were an English band formed in Liverpool in 1980, and composed of Mick Head (vocalist/guitarist), Chris McCaffery (bassist), Thomas Whelan (drummer), trumpet player Andy Diagram (horns) and Ken Moss (guitarist). Diagram was simultaneously a member of Dislocation Dance for most of the Pale Fountains' existence.

==Career== Inspired by 1960s music such as Love, Burt Bacharach and the Beatles, the group released their debut single "(There's Always) Something on My Mind" on Les Disques du Crépuscule before signing a major label deal in October 1982. Although the Pale Fountains failed to make much commercial headway, the band would earn critical praise for the two albums released on Virgin, ''Pacific Street'' (1984) and ''...From Across the Kitchen Table'' (1985), produced by Ian Broudie, who later found fame with the Lightning Seeds. Their sole UK Singles Chart top 50 single was "Thank You", which reached No. 48 in 1982.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>

The band split up in 1987, with Mick Head going on to form Shack with his brother John. Andy Diagram had already left in 1984 and would later join James. Bassist and founder member Chris "Biffa" McCaffery died in 1989 of a brain tumour.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"> {{cite book | first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | pages= 863–864 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref>

In November 2007, Head announced that he was reforming the Pale Fountains for two gigs; one at the Carling Academy in Liverpool on 2 February 2008, and another at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on 3 February 2008. The group remains particularly popular in France and Japan. Two compilations have been issued: ''Longshot for Your Love'' (Marina, 1998) and ''Something on My Mind'' (Crépuscule, 2013), the latter with a bonus live CD recorded in 1982.

==Members== * Mick Head – vocals, guitar (1981–1987) * Chris McCaffery – bass guitar (1981–1987; died 1989) * Thomas Whelan – drums (1981–1987) * Andy Diagram – trumpet (1982–1984) * John Head – guitar (1984–1987)

===Timeline=== <div style="text-align:left;"> {{#tag:timeline| ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:90 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1988 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1981 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1981

Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lguitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:rguitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:trumpet value:redorange legend:Trumpet id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.93)

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 BackgroundColors = bars:bars ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1981 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1981

LineData = at:02/27/1984 color:studio layer:back at:02/04/1985 color:studio layer:back

BarData = bar:Mick text:Mick Head bar:Chris text:Chris McCaffery bar:Thomas text:Thomas Whelan bar:Andy text:Andy Diagram bar:John text:John Head

PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Mick from:start till:end color:vocals bar:Mick from:start till:end color:rguitar width:3 bar:Chris from:start till:end color:bass bar:Thomas from:start till:end color:drums bar:Andy from:01/01/1982 till:12/31/1984 color:trumpet bar:John from:01/01/1984 till:end color:lguitar

}} </div>

==Discography== ===Albums=== ====Studio albums==== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details !Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | UK <ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=PALE FOUNTAINS {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19868/pale-fountains/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" |''Pacific Street'' | * Released: 27 February 1984 * Label: Virgin * Formats: LP, MC |85 |- ! scope="row" |''...From Across the Kitchen Table'' | * Released: 4 February 1985 * Label: Virgin * Formats: LP, MC |94 |}

====Compilation albums==== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details |- ! scope="row" |''Longshot for Your Love'' | * Released: 15 May 1998 * Label: Marina * Formats: CD, LP * Germany-only release |- ! scope="row" |''Something on My Mind'' | * Released: 9 December 2013 * Label: Les Disques du Crépuscule * Formats: LP+CD, digital download |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:17em;" | Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:2em;" | Year ! colspan="3" |Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | UK <ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Singles Charts: 1983 (including chart panel sales) |url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/10845490-uk-singles-charts-1983-including-chart-panel-sales |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=UKMIX Forums |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Singles Charts: 1984 (including chart panel sales) |url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/10895472-uk-singles-charts-1984-including-chart-panel-sales |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=UKMIX Forums |language=en}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | UK Indie <ref>{{cite book |last=Lazell |first=Barry |title=Indie Hits 1980–1989 |publisher=Cherry Red Books |year=1997 |isbn=0-9517206-9-4}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NL <ref>{{Cite web |title=Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?cat=s&cat2=s&search=pale+fountains |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=dutchcharts.nl}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" |"(There's Always) Something on My Mind" / "Just a Girl" | rowspan="2" |1982 |— |28 25 |— |- ! scope="row" |"Thank You" |48 |— |48 |- ! scope="row" |"Palm of My Hand" |1983 |102 |— |— |- ! scope="row" |"Unless" | rowspan="3" |1984 |115 |— |— |- ! scope="row" |"(Don't Let Your Love) Start a War" |174 |— |— |- ! scope="row" |"Jean's Not Happening" |— |— |— |- ! scope="row" |"...From Across the Kitchen Table" |1985 |— |— |— |- | colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}

==See also== * Shack * Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.michaelhead.co.uk Michael Head's Official Website ] *[https://www.shacknet.co.uk/ Shacknet – The Magical World of Shack & Pale Fountains] *[https://www.lesdisquesducrepuscule.com/the_pale_fountains.html Pale Fountains biography page at Crépuscule] *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p19750|label=The Pale Fountains}} *{{Discogs artist|artist=The Pale Fountains|name=The Pale Fountains}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pale Fountains, The}} Category:English new wave musical groups Category:English pop music groups Category:British jangle pop groups Category:Musical groups from Liverpool Category:Musical groups established in 1981 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1987