Fairground Attraction is a Scottish pop/folk band.
Content[]
History[Edit][]
Fairground Attraction began when Eddi Reader (vocals/lyrics), working with Alison Moyet and Eurythmics already had worked as a backup singer, to her friend Mark e. Nevin (author/guitar) asked to write songs for her. Complemented by Roy Dodds (percussion) and Simon Edwards (guitaron) Fairground Attraction came to life. The group played in small clubs and pubs and were gradually more famous.
They signed a contract with RCA in 1987 and in april 1988 they released their debut single Perfect . This number is rendered as a pop/rockabilly-style turned out to be a true success and stood in no time in the highest reaches of the charts, with even 2 weeks number one in the UK single chart.
Their debut album, The First Of A Million Kisses, was a good display of their musical qualities. It was a collection of songs with a mix of folk, jazz, cajun, country and acoustic pop and romantic lyric texts mixed by Mark e. Nevin and the emotional and expressive vocals by Eddi Reader. The album fared well in the album listings. Released in May 1988, the album came in at number three (top position: number two) of the UK-album list.
At the Brit Awards by the following year they got the prize for the best Album for this album as well as the prize for the best single for Perfect. In addition to Perfect three songs from the album were released: Find My Love, A Smile In A Whisper and Clare. Perfect was again later released to promote the compilation album Celtic heart.
They were also popular in other European countries and even did a tour in the Usa. In Japan, where their popularity was just as high as in the UK, they toured around in June and July 1989, at which they gave six sold-out shows. One is recorded and released on the live CD Kawasaki Live in Japan, which 14 years later (2003) was released.
Shortly after their tour in Japan, in september 1989, some sources reported that there is disagreement had arisen during the recording of their second-unreleased-album. It was expected that there would be many songs on that were played during the tour in Japan already. Many of the songs were later released on the album Goodbye to Songtown will honour Sweetmouth, consisting of the former Fairground Attraction memberMark e. Nevin and Brian Kennedy (who had appeared on the Japanese tour by Fairground Attraction).
In January 1990 it was announced officially to the band one more album Ay Fond Kiss with B-sides of earlier singles and some live tracks. The single Walking Round Midnight was released as farewell single.
After leaving Fairground Attraction are Eddi Reader and Mark e. Nevin solo moved on.
Their best known Perfect number is later used in commercials of Hertog Jan beer on the Dutch TV.
Members[Edit][]
Eddi Reader-vocals and lyrics
Mark e. Nevin-guitar, lyrics and music
Roy Dodds-Percussion
Simon Edwards-Guitaron
Discography[Edit][]
Albums[Edit][]
- The First of A Million Kisses (1988)
- A Smile in A Whisper
- Perfect
- Moon On the Rain
- Find My Love
- Fairground Attraction
- The Wind Knows My Name
- Clare
- Comedy Waltz
- The Moon Is Mine
- Station Street
- Whispers
- Allelujah
- Falling Backwards
- Mythology
Credits
- (Lyrics and music)
- 1 ~ 10 and 12 ~ 14. Mark E. Nevin
- 11. Eddi Reader
- (Producer)
- Fairground Attraction and Kevin Moloney
Tracks 13 and 14 are published only on Bonus Cds
- Ay Fond Kiss (1990)
- Jock O' Hazeldean
- The Game of Love
- Walking After Midnight
- You Send Me
- Trying Times
- Mystery Train
- Winter Rose
- Do You Want to Know a Secret?
- Allelujah (Live)
- Cajun Band
- Watching the Party
- Ay Fond Kiss
Credits
- (Lyrics/Music)
- 1. w. Scott -arranged by Fairground Attraction
- 2, 7, 9, 11. Mark E. Nevin
- 3. Don Hecht-Alan Block
- 4. Sam Cooke
- 5. Donny Hathaway & l. Hutson
- 6. Tom Parker & Sam Philips
- 8. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
- 10. Anthony Thistlethwaitelid of the waterboys
- 12. r. Burns -arranged by Fairground Attraction
- (Producer)
- Fairground Attraction and Kevin Moloney
- Kawasaki Live in Japan 02.07.89 (2003)
- Winter Rose + Allelujah/Medley
- The Waltz Continues *
- The Moon Is Mine + Get Happy/Medley
- Don't Be A Stranger *
- Dangerous *
- I Know Why The Willow Weeps *
- Home To Heartache *
- Fear Is The Enemy Of Love *
- Find My Love
- Broken By A Breeze *
- Whispers
- Goodbye To Songtown *
- Fairground Attraction
- Clare
- Perfect
- Moon On The Rain
* all these songs are also released on the album "Goodbye to songtown" by the honour Sweetmouth (Mark e. Nevin & Brian Kennedy).
Compilation albums[Edit][]
- The Collection: Fairground Attraction feat. Eddi Reader
- Perfect
- Do you want to know a secret?
- A smile in a whisper
- Walking after midnight
- Find my love
- You send me
- The moon is mine
- Moon on the rain
- Winter rose
- The wind knows my name
- Comedy waltz (live)
- Allelujah
- Ay fond kiss
- Clare (live)
- Watching the party
- Fairground attraction
- 80s Eternal Best: Fairground Attraction Best (1998)
- Perfect
- Find My Love
- Fairground Attraction
- A Smile in a Whisper
- Clare
- Walking After Midnight
- Do You Want to Know a Secret?
- Allelujah
- The Moon is Mine
- Watching the Party
- Winter Rose
- The Wind Knows My Name
- Jock Hazeldean O7
- The Game of Love
- Comedy Waltz
- You Send Me
- Ay Fond Kiss
- Clare (Live)
Released only in Japan.
- The Very Best of Fairground Attraction featuring Eddi Reader (1996)
- Perfect
- Find my love
- Fairground attraction
- A smile in a whisper
- Clare
- Walking after midnight
- Do you want to know a secret?
- Allelujah
- The moon is mine
- Watching the party
- Winter rose
- The wind knows my name
- Jock O'Hazeldean
- Comedy waltz
- You send me
- Ay fond kiss
- The Masters (1997)
- Perfect
- Find my love
- The game of love
- Walking after midnight
- Fairground attraction
- A smile in a whisper
- Do you want to know a secret?
- Moon on the rain
- Whispers
- Clare
- Allelujah
- The moon is mine
- Comedy waltz
- Ay fond kiss
- The wind knows my name
- Station street
- Perfect: The Best of Fairground Attraction (1995)
- Perfect
- Find my love
- The game of love
- Fairground attraction
- A smile in a whisper
- Clare
- You send me
- Do you want to know a secret?
- Walkin' after midnight
- Mystery train
- Allelujah
- Moon on the rain
- The moon is mine
- Mythology
- Cajun band
- Comedy waltz
Singles[Edit][]
- Perfect (Original, 1988)
- Perfect (Celtic Heart,???)
- Find My Love (1988)
- A Smile in A Whisper (1989)
- Clare (1989)
- Walking After Midnight (1991)
Radio 2 Top 2000[Edit][]
Number (s) with markings
in the Radio 2 Top 2000 |
' 99 | ' 00 | ' 01 | ' 02 | ' 03 | ' 04 | ' 05 | ' 06 | ' 07 | ' 08 | ' 09 | ' 10 | ' 11 | ' 12 | ' 13 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect | 1563 | - | - | 1493 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |