# The High > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_High > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_High.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High > Source revision: 1307093866 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) English rock group from Manchester This article is about the British rock band. For the street in Oxford, see [High Street, Oxford](/source/High_Street%2C_Oxford). For other uses, see [High (disambiguation)](/source/High_(disambiguation)). Not to be confused with [The Higher](/source/The_Higher). This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "The High" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The High Origin Manchester, England Genres Alternative rock, psychedelic rock, Madchester, baggy, jangle pop Years active 1989–1993, 2015–present Label London Members Andy Couzens John Matthews Tony Meehan Richard Thomas Scott Parkinson Past members Simon Davies Chris Goodwin Jack Couzens **The High** are an English [rock](/source/Rock_music) group from [Manchester](/source/Manchester), whose sound combines [alternative rock](/source/Alternative_rock) with a 1960s pop/[psychedelic guitar](/source/Psychedelic_rock) sound. ## History The band was formed in 1989 by former Turning Blue singer John Matthews, along with former [Buzzcocks F.O.C.](/source/Buzzcocks_F.O.C.) members Andy Couzens ([guitar](/source/Guitar), also formerly of [The Stone Roses](/source/The_Stone_Roses) and pre-Roses bands The Patrol and Waterfront),[1] Simon Davies ([bass](/source/Bass_guitar)), and drummer Chris Goodwin (also formerly of the Waterfront as well as the [Inspiral Carpets](/source/Inspiral_Carpets)), when [Steve Diggle](/source/Steve_Diggle) left Buzzcocks F.O.C. to reform the [Buzzcocks](/source/Buzzcocks).[2][3] They were signed by [London Records](/source/London_Records)[4] (who would sign a number of other baggy/Madchester acts such as Camden's [Flowered Up](/source/Flowered_Up) around the same time), who put out The High's debut album in 1990 (the album, *Somewhere Soon*, peaked at number 59 in the [UK Albums Chart](/source/UK_Albums_Chart)).[5] The band also had three minor [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) hits in 1990 before breaking into the top 30 in 1991 with a revamped version of their debut single, the [Martin Hannett](/source/Martin_Hannett)-produced "Box Set Go".[2][6] However, London Records was fined £50,000 by the BPI in 1991, for suspected chart hyping in the UK Singles Chart in regards to their single "More",[7][8][9] with the suspicion that their chart position may have been bought by the record company and not due to fans purchasing the record. In addition to this, the Madchester scene started to lose favour with the critics (who had moved on to covering new forms of dance music and the Seattle grunge scene) and so the band's later releases failed to chart. The band split up in 1993.[2] John Matthews and Chris Goodwin went on to form the group One Summer, with Manchester musicians Stephen Fitzpatrick (guitar) and Carl Wolstenholme (bass). One Summer worked with Factory Records group [A Certain Ratio](/source/A_Certain_Ratio) and recorded a demo for the label before it went into administration. ## Reformation The High reformed in early 2015, with John Matthews and Andy Couzens the only original members; they are joined by Tony Meehan (bass), Jack Couzens (drums), and Richard Thomas (keyboards). The new line-up headlined at the Gigantic Festival in Manchester at the Academy 2 on 23 May 2015, as their comeback gig and have played a number of headline shows since. ## Recent work The band has also been writing and recording new material, and in June 2016 released their first single in 25 years, "Kiss the Sun" on their own label Thin Line Productions. Warner Brothers re-released their debut album *Somewhere Soon* in June 2016, and a long-awaited album was due for release in early 2017. In 2016, new drummer Jack Couzens left due to schedule clashes and was succeeded by Scott Parkinson. The High have recently appeared on Jon Savage's compilation, *Perfect Motion - Jon Savage's Secret History of Second-Wave Psychedelia 1988-93*. In 2020 The High released *The Martin Hannett Sessions*, a collection of previously unreleased demos, as part of [Record Store Day](/source/Record_Store_Day). ## Discography ### Albums Year Album Label UK [5] 1990 Somewhere Soon London Records 59 1992 Hype — 2020 The Martin Hannett Sessions Vinyl Revival — "—" denotes releases that did not chart. ### Singles Year Single UK [5] 1990 "Box Set Go" 28 "Up and Down" 53 "Take Your Time" 56 1991 "More..." 67 1992 "Better Left Untold" — 1993 "Sweet Liberty" — "—" denotes releases that did not chart. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Robbins, Ira. ["The High - *Somewhere Soon*"](http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=high). [Trouser Press](/source/Trouser_Press). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Strong_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Strong_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Strong_2-2) Strong, Martin C. (1999). *The Great Alternative & Indie Discography*. Canongate. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-86241-913-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-86241-913-1). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The High - Biography"](http://www.kolumn.co.uk/thehigh/biography.htm). *Kolumn.co.uk*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Larkinindie_4-0)** [Colin Larkin](/source/Colin_Larkin_(writer)), ed. (1992). *[The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)* (First ed.). [Guinness Publishing](/source/Guinness_Publishing). pp. 135/6. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85112-579-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85112-579-4). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-UK_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-UK_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-UK_5-2) ["HIGH - full Official Chart History"](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26304/high/). *[Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company)*. Retrieved 24 October 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-raggett_6-0)** Raggett, Ned. ["*Somewhere Soon* Review"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/somewhere-soon-mw0000317260). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** O'Brien, Lucy (23 October 2011). ["Into the limelight by any means necessary"](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/into-the-limelight-by-any-means-necessary-1319526.html). *The Independent*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/into-the-limelight-by-any-means-necessary-1319526.html) from the original on 18 June 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** McCready, John (23 October 2011). ["What's cookin'?"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/what-s-cookin-1253809.html). *The Independent*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/what-s-cookin-1253809.html) from the original on 18 June 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Carter, Meg (23 October 2011). ["The numbers game is up"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-numbers-game-is-up-1319973.html). *The Independent*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-numbers-game-is-up-1319973.html) from the original on 18 June 2022. ## External links - [The High](https://www.discogs.com/artist/90596) discography at [Discogs](/source/Discogs) Authority control databases International ISNI Artists MusicBrainz --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The High](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.