Love and Rockets

Love and Rockets
Daniel Ash at Lollapalooza 2008
Background information
Origin	England
Genres	Alternative rock Gothic rock College rock
Years active	1985–1999, 2007–2009
Labels	Beggars Banquet RCA American Red Ant
Associated acts	Bauhaus Tones on Tail The Bubblemen
Website	www.loveandrockets.com
Former members
Daniel Ash Kevin Haskins David J

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Love and Rockets are an alternative rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash (guitars, saxophone, and vocals), David J (bass and vocals) and Kevin Haskins (drums, synthesizers). Former Bauhaus vocalist, Peter Murphy, had embarked on a solo career after Bauhaus split in 1983. Ash and Haskins had recorded and performed in another band Tones on Tail between 1982 and 1984.

Background

The band's name was taken from the comic book series by Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez.^{[citation needed]} Gilbert later referred to the confusion caused by this in his book Love and Rockets X, as there were several different bands named "Love and Rockets" for a period.

Despite their previous band's status as gothic rock icons, Love and Rockets moved away from that genre, as demonstrated by their first minor hit being a cover of the Motown classic "Ball of Confusion". Their first album release, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven (1985), leaned more towards post-punk, psychedelic music and proto-rave atmospheres.^{[citation needed]} Their second release, Express (1986), continued in that vein. It included the dance hit "Yin and Yang (the Flowerpot Man)". The 1987 follow up Earth, Sun, Moon had a folkier sound^{[citation needed]} and spawned the minor hit "No New Tale to Tell".

In 1989 the band released a self-titled album that presented a more AOR sound. The second single from the album was the T.Rex-inspired^{[citation needed]} song "So Alive". It became a surprise hit, reaching No. 3 on the American singles chart, a feat no Bauhaus-related band or artist has achieved before or since.

After a grueling tour schedule in support of their big hit,^{[citation needed]} Love and Rockets took a few years off before returning to the studio together. The result was a move to an electronic sound that had more in common with the Orb than their rock or goth roots.^{[citation needed]} Their label, RCA Records, dropped them. They signed with Rick Rubin's American Recordings to release Hot Trip to Heaven (1994), followed in 1996 by Sweet F.A.. In April 1995, during the recording of Sweet F.A., a fire broke out in the house owned by American Recordings, where the band were living and recording. All of the members were uninjured, but their visiting friend Genesis P. Orridge of Psychic TV was injured escaping the fire. The band lost their gear (a photo of a burnt guitar was used for the album cover of Sweet F.A.) and months of work on the album. There was a lengthy legal battle between the band, their label, and the label's insurance company. Love and Rockets was found not responsible for the fire, but was left with a large legal bill.^[1] Lift came out in 1998 on Red Ant Records, and the band disbanded in 1999, though the three have reunited with Murphy and reformed Bauhaus since.

Love and Rockets announced in October 2007 on their MySpace page that they would reform to play one song at "Cast a Long Shadow", a tribute to Joe Strummer and benefit for Strummerville, The Joe Strummer Foundation For New Music, on December 22, 2007 at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California. They covered "Should I Stay or Should I Go", playing the song twice, the second time inviting members of the audience to join them onstage to sing along.^[2]

They performed 27 April 2008 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and also at Lollapalooza on 3 August 2008 in Chicago. In an interview in June 2009, Ash emphatically stated that he had no further plans to play with Love and Rockets.^[3] "We've worked together since 1980. I really want to work with new people, I'm sure everybody feels the same."^[3]

A tribute album titled New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love & Rockets was released on August 18, 2009. The Flaming Lips, Frank Black, Puscifer, A Place to Bury Strangers, Film School, Better Than Ezra, The Dandy Warhols, The Stone Foxes and Monster Magnet are among its contributors.^[4]

Discography

Albums

• 1985 – Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven (Beggar's Banquet/RCA)
• 1986 – Express #72 U.S. (Beggar's Banquet/Big Time)
• 1987 – Earth, Sun, Moon #64 U.S. (Beggar's Banquet/Big Time)
• 1989 – Love And Rockets #14 U.S. (Beggar's Banquet/RCA)
• 1994 – Hot Trip to Heaven (American)
• 1996 – Sweet F.A. #172 U.S. (American)
• 1998 – Lift (Red Ant)
• 2003 – Sorted! The Best of Love and Rockets (Beggars UK/Ada)
• 2003 – So Alive (Live) (Psychobaby)

Singles

References

External links

• Official website