The Parachute Men

{{Short description|British indie pop/indie rock band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Use British English|date=October 2012}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = The Parachute Men | background = group_or_band | image = | image_size = | caption = | origin = Leeds, England | genre = Indie pop, indie rock | years_active = 1985–1990 | label = Fire | associated_acts = | website = | past_members = Fiona Gregg Stephen H. Gregg Andrew Howes Mark Boyce Matthew Parkin Paul Walker Colleen Browne Tony Hodges }} '''The Parachute Men''' were a British indie pop/indie rock band from Leeds, England, formed in 1985. They released two albums and several singles before splitting up in the early 1990s.

==History== The Parachute Men formed in 1985, with a line-up of Fiona Gregg (vocals), Stephen H. Gregg (guitar), Andrew Howes (bass and keyboards), and Mark Boyce (drums and keyboards).<ref name="Strong">{{cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Great Alternative & Indie Discography |url=https://archive.org/details/greatalternative0000stro |url-access=registration |year= 1999 |publisher=Canongate |isbn=0-86241-913-1 }}</ref> After two years of gigging, the band were signed by large London indie label Fire Records in 1987.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |title=The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music |year= 1992|page=206 |publisher=Guinness Publishing |isbn=0-85112-579-4 }}</ref> Their first release was a four-track EP with "Sometimes in Vain" as the lead track, in May 1988. This was followed in August of the same year by debut album ''The Innocents'', which made the ''NME'' top 50 albums of that year.<ref name="Strong" /><ref name="Larkin" /> The album was followed with two singles, "If I Could Wear Your Jacket" (which author Mike Gayle has stated is one of his all-time favourite records)<ref>{{cite web|title=Dinner For Two Q&A|url=http://www.mikegayle.co.uk/dinner_2_qa.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321062806/http://mikegayle.co.uk/my-books/dinner-for-two/|archive-date=21 March 2016|work=mikegayle.co.uk|quote=though it’s probably not my all time favourite record it is definitely in my (non-ranked) top ten. The first time I heard it was in a club that my friends and I used to attend on a weekly basis. The moment I heard it I was smitten and asked the DJ what the record was called. Armed with the information I bought it the day it came out and now must have played it a million times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1988.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912083844/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1988.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=12 September 2012 |title=NME Albums 1988 |access-date=8 February 2008 |website=Rocklistmusic.com }}</ref> and "Bed and Breakfast". A further single, "Leeds Station" was released and also featured on the ''NME'''s ''Carry On Disarming'' video.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.twee.net/misc/release.aspx?key=vacarryondisarming|title=Carry On Disarming Video on TweeNet|website=Twee.net|access-date=20 June 2021}}</ref>

Howes and Boyce departed soon after, with Fiona and Stephen continuing as an acoustic duo until they recruited Matthew Parkin (bass) and Paul Walker (drums).<ref name="Larkin"/> 1990 saw the release of the second album, ''Earth, Dogs, and Eggshells'',<ref name="Larkin"/> preceded by the single "Every Other Thursday" (a reference to signing on to the dole). The album was released over a year after it was recorded, losing much of the momentum the band had built up.<ref name="Larkin" /> The band line-up changed again, with Canadian Colleen Browne replacing Matthew Parkin.<ref name="Larkin"/> They eventually recruited a further bass player, Tony Hodges, but after playing just one gig, at Liverpool University, split in the early 1990s with no further releases.<ref name="Strong" />

Mark Boyce later turned up in the band The Durbervilles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/music/unsigned/durbervilles_2.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104175537/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/music/unsigned/durbervilles_2.shtml#hear |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 January 2008 |title= Straight from the Batley Delta! (Cont) |access-date=8 February 2008 |year=2003 |publisher=BBC }}</ref> Andrew Howes has recorded music for the netlabels Surrism-Phonoethics (Germany) and CJC/LEEP (France) and is a contributor to the quarterly surveys published by Classwar Karaoke (UK) under the name Kalistongue. Matthew Parkin went on to play with The Starlings, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Mission, Miranda Sex Garden, and Silver Sun. Colleen Browne later joined Pale Saints, The Warm Jets, The Heart Throbs, and White Hotel. Stephen Gregg gained a PhD in English literature at the University of Leeds and is now a senior lecturer at Bath Spa University, specialising in eighteenth century literature.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/about/profiles/profile.asp?user=academic\gres4 |title=Bath Spa University Profiles |access-date=2009-01-25 |publisher= Bath Spa University|date=8 September 2008 }}</ref>

==Discography== ===Albums=== *''The Innocents'' (1988) Fire *''Earth, Dogs, and Eggshells'' (1990) Fire

===Singles=== *"Sometimes in Vain" (1988) Fire (12" EP) *"If I Could Wear Your Jacket" (1988) Fire *"Leeds Station" (1989) Fire *"Bed and Breakfast" (1989) Fire *"Every Other Thursday" (1990) Fire <ref name="Strong" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://twee.net/bands/p/parachutemen.html The Parachute Men at TweeNet] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x2Fv6EGFXA "Leeds Station" on YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parachute Men}} Category:Musical groups established in 1985 Category:Indie rock groups from Leeds Category:1985 establishments in England Category:English indie pop groups