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[British indie pop band] [Popinjay (disambiguation)] [date=April 2022]
[date=June 2010] {{Infobox musical artist |name = The Popinjays |background =
group_or_band |image = Popinjays.jpg |image_size = 275 |caption = Wendy
Robinson and Polly Hancock |origin = London, England |genre = Indie pop<!--
Note: Please visit the talk page if you have any concerns about the genres
listed. --> |instrument = |years_active = 1988–1994, 2015–present |label =
One Little Indian Records<br />Epic Records (US) | website = Popinjaysband.com
|current_members = Wendy Robinson vocals<br />Polly Hancock vocals, guitar |}}
THE POPINJAYS are a British indie pop band, mainly active between 1988 and
1994,[1] and again from 2015 to the present. Most of their records were
released on the One Little Indian Records label in the UK, and on Epic/One
Little Indian in the US.
** Career
The band was formed by Wendy Robinson (vocals) and Polly Hancock (vocals,
guitar), initially with a drum machine.<ref name="Larkin90"/> This line-up
recorded the debut "Don't Go Back" EP on Big Cat UK (catalogue number BBA02)
in August 1988)[2] achieving "Single of the Week" in _Melody Maker_. A John
Peel session, produced by Dale Griffin and recorded at the BBC studios in
Golders Green, London, was first broadcast on 21 September 1988 and repeated
on 11 October 1988. It featured four original songs; "Perfect Dream Home",
"Fine Lines", "Dr Fell" and "Backward" Daydream. They then recruited Dana
Baldinger (born Seattle, Washington), and signed to One Little Indian Records,
releasing "Please Let Me Go" as a single in April 1990; this too attained
Single of The Week in _Melody Maker_. Baldinger was eventually replaced by
Anne Rogers of The Crowd Scene.<ref name="Larkin90"/> In December 1989, the
British music magazine _NME_ reported that the Popinjays, along with others
such as Power of Dreams, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and The
Charlatans, were their pick as 'stars of tomorrow'.[3]
Their debut album, _Bang Up To Date With The Popinjays_, was released in April
1990,<ref name="Larkin90"/> and was followed by a live tour in May and June
1990 with One Little Indian label mates Kitchens of Distinction. In late
1990, Seamus Feeney joined the line up on drums making the band a four-piece
for the first time.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The band continued with live shows
through the autumn, touring with both Cud and The Heart Throbs. The next
single, "Vote Elvis", was produced by Jessica Corcoran[4] at The Greenhouse
Studios in London. In 1991, The Popinjays signed to US Independent label
Alpha International, and the single "Vote Elvis" was released in the United
States in April 1991, entering the _Billboard_ Modern Rock Chart the following
month peaking at number 17 in June 1991.
In August 1991, the band played at the Reading Festival.[5] and, in December
of that year, their second album _Flying Down to Mono Valley_ was recorded at
The Farmyard with Ian Broudie producing.<ref name="Larkin90"/>
On 11 May 1992, the single "Monster Mouth" was released by One Little Indian
Records. A UK tour to support the release of _Flying Down to Mono Valley_
followed, from August to October 1992.
In 1992, the rhythm section was replaced by two brothers and former members of
the band Airhead, namely bassist Ben Kesteven and drummer Sam Kesteven.
In 1994, the third and final album _Tales from the Urban Prairie_ was recorded
and released, again on One Little Indian Records.<ref name="Larkin90"/> A BBC
Radio live session with Mark Radcliffe was broadcast on 1 June 1994.
After a 21-year hiatus, the Popinjays original line up of Wendy Robinson and
Polly Hancock played their first live show in 21 years at The Lexington,
London on 4 April 2015, and again at Indie Daze at The Forum London on 3
October 2015.
** Discography
*** Singles
{| class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !Chart positions
!rowspan="2"| Album |- ! US Modern Rock |- | 1988 | "Don't Go Back" | | |-
|rowspan="2"|1990 | "Perfect Dream Home" | | _Bang up to Date with the
Popinjays_ |- | "Vote Elvis" |align="center"|17 | |- | 1991 | "Please Let Me
Go" | | _Bang up to Date with the Popinjays_ |- |rowspan="2"| 1992 | "Monster
Mouth" | |rowspan="2"| _Flying Down to Mono Valley_ |- | "Too Jung" | |- |
1992 | "I'm a Believer" | | |}
*** Albums
- _Bang up to Date with the Popinjays_ (1990, One Little Indian)
- _Flying Down to Mono Valley_ (1992, One Little Indian)
- _Tales from the Urban Prairie_ (1994, One Little Indian)
** References
[Reflist]
[Authority control]
[DEFAULTSORT:Popinjays] Category:British pop music groups Category:One Little
Independent Records artists