Quireboys (London Quireboys)

Biography

The Quireboys formed in London around 1984. The rock group started life as the Queerboys, changing the spelling after gaining some local popularity. The foundation for the band came from two friends, singer Spike Gray and guitarist Guy Bailey. Since those early days there has been a number of deaths and then rebirths for the group. Some of the members that stepped in-and-out along the way include drummers Ian Wallace, Guy Hansen, Martin Henderson, Paul Hornby, and Rudy Richman; guitarists Darrel Bath, Ginger, Luke Bossendorfer, and Guy Griffin; bassists Nigel Mogg and Tim Bewlay; and keyboardists Chris Johnstone and Simon Rinaldo.

In 1987, the Quireboys recorded its debut single, "Mayfair," released under the Survival Records label. Three years later the group's first album, A Bit of What You Fancy, appeared on EMI. Four of the tracks from that full-length debut found their way onto the charts, carrying the Quireboys from hushed fame to the public spotlight. Tours through England and into other countries brought long lines of new fans. A live album was put together in a rush for a sophomore release, conveniently enough titled Live Album. The music was Quireboys, but the live recording was not well-done and held enough flaws to be a disappointment. In 1993, a third album hit the market, Bitter Sweet & Twisted. The writing was already on the wall for the group by then, and members called it quits.

Even though the Quireboys had come to a halt, its music hadn't, and two more albums were released during the band's sabbatical. The first, From Tooting to Barking, came from some early demo works by the band. The second was a double-CD offering that carried the tracks from the albums A Bit of What You Fancy and Bitter Sweet & Twisted, as well as a number of extra tracks.

Through the rest of the '90s, the Quireboys regrouped with new members, then disbanded. Many of those members went on to become part of other bands, like God's Hotel, Dogs d'Amour, Blood From a Stone, and Nancy Boys.

In 2000, the newest makeup of the group released another album, Lost in Space. It carries some 20 tracks. In the summer of the following year, This Is Rock N' Roll was finished. Some of the songs the Quireboys have recorded over the years are "Pleasure & Pain," "Brother Louie," "Can't Get Through," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Tramps & Thieves," "Hey You," "Long Time Comin'," "There She Goes Again," and "Sex Party." ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide