{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = The Groovy Little Numbers | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | origin = Bellshill, Scotland | genre = Indie pop | years_active = mid to late 1980s | label = 53rd & 3rd | past_members = Joe McAlinden<br />Catherine Canning <br />Gerard Love<br />Jim 'Gas' Tierney | website = }}
'''The Groovy Little Numbers''' were an indie pop band from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland centred on former member of The Boy Hairdressers, and future BMX Bandits and Superstar member Joe McAlinden.
==History== Formed in the mid-1980s, multi-instrumentalist Joe McAlinden was joined by Catherine Steven (vocals) and Gerard Love (bass, vocals),<ref name="Bibadidi">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bibabidi.com/2021/06/the-groovy-little-numbers-place-so-hard.html |title=The Groovy Little Numbers, "A Place So Hard to Find" |website=Bibabidi |date=28 June 2021 |accessdate=28 December 2021}}</ref> with a brass section from the Motherwell Youth Orchestra comprising Colette Walsh (tenor saxophone), John McRorie (alto sax), Kevin McCarthy (baritone sax), Mairi Cameron (trumpet), and James Wood (trumpet).<ref name="Strong">Strong, Martin C. (2003) "Groovy Little Numbers", in ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, {{ISBN|1-84195-335-0}}</ref><ref name="Lazell">Lazell, Barry (1997) "The Groovy Little Numbers", in ''Indie Hits 1980-1989'', Cherry Red Books, {{ISBN|0-9517206-9-4}}</ref><ref name="TheNewVinylVillain">{{Cite web |url=https://thenewvinylvillain.com/2018/03/27/saturdays-scottish-song-on-a-tuesday-118-groovy-little-numbers/ |title=Saturday's Scottish Song (on a Tuesday) : #118 : Groovy Little Numbers |website=The New Vinyl Villain |date=27 March 2018 |accessdate=28 December 2021}}</ref> The band only released two EPs during their time together,<ref name="TheNewVinylVillain" /> both on 53rd & 3rd, the first of which, "You Make My Head Explode", reached number 25 in the UK Indie Chart.<ref name="Lazell" />
The band also contributed a track ('Get it Together') to the Honey at the Core (Part 2) compilation cassette.
The band split up, with McAlinden joining the BMX Bandits as guitarist in 1991. Love subsequently joined Teenage Fanclub.<ref name="Bibadidi" />
McAlinden later formed a new band, Superstar, releasing five albums between 1992 and 2000, and later forming NOM with Sice from The Boo Radleys.<ref name="Strong" /><ref name="Sprague">Sprague, David "[http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=superstar Superstar]", ''Trouser Press''</ref>
==Discography==
===EPs=== *"You Made My Head Explode" (1988) 53rd & 3rd (UK Indie #25) *"Happy Like Yesterday" (1988) 53rd & 3rd
===Albums=== *''The 53rd & 3rd Singles'' (1998) Avalanche
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Groovy Little Numbers}} Category:Scottish rock music groups