Reef
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary:
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Reef·-band
n. (rēf"bănd`)
(Naut.) A piece of canvas sewed across a sail to strengthen it in the part where the eyelet holes for reefing are made. Totten.
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| For The Record... |
| Members include Jack Bessant (born, 1972), bass; Domenic Greensmith (born, 1971), drums; Kenwyn House (born, 1971), guitar; Gary Stringer, vocals. Stringer and Bessant met while studying at Strode College, where they formed a band that eventually became known as Chief and included future Kula Shaker drummer Paul Winterhart; the four band members began playing together in 1993 and were signed to the Sony label under the name Naked; toured with Paul Weller; after changing their name to Reef, the band’s second single, “Naked,” rose to number 11 on the U.K. chart; released debut album, Replenish, 1995; toured with the Rolling Stones and Soundgarden; debut release Replenish reached the U.K. Top Ten in 1995; performed for the first time in the U.S. in 1995; released Glow, 1997; Glow reached number one on the English charts in 1997. Addresses: Record company—Epic Records, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3297. |
Rock band
Reef, from England’s West Country in Somerset, astounded even their staunchest fans in 1997 by attaining the number one position on the British charts with their second album, Glow. This feat was foreshadowed by two back-to-back top ten singles, "Place your Hands" and "Come Together," before the release of Glow. The Los Angeles Daily News included Reef’s Glow on their "Best of ‘97 Music" list and described the release as, "Bluesy, guitar-driven rock from Britain of the sort the Rolling Stones used to make." Jim Farber of the New York Daily News wrote, "(Reef) clearly recalls the early-70s rock-soul of Humble Pie and Spooky Tooth. Reef’s not as slavishly retro as, say, the Black Crowes or Primal Scream—even though they share the same producer."
Vocalist Gary Stringer and guitarist Kenwyn House were raised in Somerset, England near Glastonbury. Bassist Jack Bessant and drummer Domenic Greensmith were raised in nearby towns. Stringer told Live magazine’s Tom Lanham, "When I was fourteen and living in Glastonbury—7,000 people, real small town—there were no cool clubs to go to, nothing to do. So I went over to my mate’s house and noticed he had a guitar. My other mates had a drum kit and a bass so I started shouting, which turned into singing—it was just something to do. From then on, I never, ever thoughtof being a singer. I wasa singer." Lanham described Stringer’s vocal style as "a unique blend of Joe Cocker and Van Morrison, with a little scratchy Howlin’ Wolf thrown in for good measure." Stringer and Bessant met while studying at Strode College, where they formed a band that eventually became known as Chief. Chief included future Kula Shaker drummer Paul Winterhart. Stringer told Lanham that his friends all chuckled when he quit college to work for the equivalent of $125 a week at a local newsstand, but he knew what he wanted. He was saving up for a P. A. system.
When Chief disbanded, Bessant went first to Canada, and then to America. He bought an acoustic guitar and began to write his own material. Stringer took a three-month trip to Morocco and began crafting his own songs, as well. When Stringer and Bessant returned to Somerset they formed a new group. After relocating to London, they met drummer Greensmith, who introduced the duo to House. House was already somewhat familiar to Stringer from a pool hall in Glastonbury, where House was perceived as a bit of a pool hustler. The four began playing together in 1993 as Naked, and were soon signed to Sony’s S2 label. After hearing the band’s demo tape, Paul Weller invited them to join his tour as an opening band. Stringer told Lanham, "We used to pick fruit on the farms in the mornings to make ends meet. We’d cut our hands up from picking so much, and we’d be real dirty as well. (We would) straight away dive into the sea and catch those waves. Then we’d go onstage at night with wet hair. Wicked laughs, wicked times."
After changing their name to Reef, the band’s second single, "Naked," rose to number eleven on the British chart. Their debut release, Replenish, followed soon after and established a trademark sound for Reef, characterized by tough, solid guitar riffs, relaxed drums, and a soulful, scratchy vocal style. Their popularity blossomed after non-stop touring, which included high-exposure tour dates with the Rolling Stones and Sound-garden. Replenish, reached the British top ten in 1995 and Reef performed for the first time in the U.S. later that year. After their U.S. tour, the band toured Europe for the remainder of 1995, and then toured Japan and Australia at the start of 1996.
Reef teamed with American producer George Drakoulias, in 1996 for their sophomore release, Glow, on Epic. Drakoulias had previously worked with such diverse musicians as Black Crowes, the Beastie Boys, Maria McKee, and Charlie Rich. Reef’s members were initially skeptical about working with Drakoulias because they wanted to avoid comparisons with the Black Crowes, but the match proved to be ideal. The sessions for Glow began in England and were finished in Los Angeles,
since Drakoulias wanted Reef to work with his engineer, Jim Scott. Drakoulias and Scott inspired Reef by playing "Proud Mary" and other hits by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Reef’s Glow reached number one on the English charts in 1997.
Glow’s first single and video, "Place Your Hands," revealed a new direction for Reef: the fusion of a gospel choir with a reggae beat, and sad, poignant lyrics. That song was written about the devastation Stringer felt after the death of his grandfather. "Place Your Hands"— meant to ease the pain of death—reached number six on the U.K. charts. Farber, writing about the band’s new sound, said, "Without accompaniment Gary Stringer begins "Place Your Hands" by aping the most salacious phrasings of Mick Jagger—only knocked down an octave to recall the gritty drawl of Otis Redding." Glow’s second single, "Come Back Brighter," reached number eight on the U.K. charts. Reef toured the U.S. in 1997, traveling from the east coast across the Midwest. The band’s video for "Place Your Hands" was directed by David Moulder and features band members on pulleys and wires to create an aerial dance. MTV chose the video for its coveted "Buzz Bin," which prompted Epic to push up Glow’s release. G/owpushed Reef squarely into the mainstream, and Stringer revealed the bands’ outlook and basic tenet when he told Lanham, "I always believed that if you just make a good record, then people are gonna pick up on you at some time or another."
Selected discography
Replenish, Sony, 1995.
Glow, Epic Records, 1997.
Sources
Bass Player, May 1997.
CMJ, September 1997.
Live!, July 1997.
Los Angeles Daily News, December 28, 1997.
New York Daily News, July 7, 1997.
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- Genres: Rock
Biography
Emerging at the height of Brit-pop, Reef had little in common with their British peers -- instead of sounding like an amaglam of the Beatles, the Jam and Stone Roses, they were indebted to the Stones and the Black Crowes -- but through constant touring, as well as being featured in a television commercial for Sony's Minidisc player, they managed to cultivate a large fan-base which expanded significantly with the release of their second album, Glow.Comprised of Gary Stringer (vocals), Kenwyn House (guitar), Jack Bessant (bass) and Dominic Greensmith (drums), Reef formed in Street, England, a small town out side of Glastonbury. Forming under the name Big Talk, Stringer and Bessant were the core members of the group and House rejected their initial overture to join the band. Big Talk relocated to Cornwall, where they merged with the Glastonbury-based No Smoke, who were looking for a new singer, since their previous vocalist had left to become a Hare Krishna. The new band became Chief. After a few months, Chief broke up; its drummer, Paul Winterhart, would later join Kula Shaker. Stringer and Bessant split temporarily as they travelled the world to find themselves. Bessant returned to England, where he began studying music at the West London Institute, where he met House and Greensmith. Shortly afterward, Stringer returned to London, and all four musicians formed Naked. The band recorded a handful of demos in the fall of 1993, sending the results, entitled "The Purple Tape," to S2, a subsidiary of Sony Records. S2 signed the group but asked them to change their name; the group settled on Reef. The label had Reef begin touring the UK, and after a few months, the group graduated to headlining appearences, eventually opening for Paul Weller at the Royal Albert Hall in 1994.
In March of 1995, the group released their debut single, "Good Feeling," which climbed into the Top 20. A few months later, Reef contributed "Naked" for a television commercial for the Sony Mini-Disc player. The commercial substantially increased the size of Reef's audience, and shortly afterward, "Naked" reached number 11. Both singles were from their 1995 debut, Replenish, which climbed into the UK Top 10 and received good reviews from British metal publications. Following performances at summer festivals, the band released the non-LP "Weird," which became their third Top 20 hit. On the strength of constant touring, including opening slots for the Rolling Stones and Soundgarden, Replenish reached the UK Top 10 in early 1996.
Reef returned with the new single "Place Your Hands" in the fall of 1996. Unexpectedly, "Place Your Hands" became a huge hit, rocketing into the Top 10 hit and laid the groundwork for their second album Glow. The album entered the charts at number one upon its January 1997 release, going gold in its first week. "Come Back Brighter," which was released two weeks before the LP, and "Consideration" both followed the album into the Top 10. Glow was released in the US in the spring. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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An infolding or tuck of tissue, as a tuck made in plication.
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Reef (band)
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2011) |
| Reef | |
|---|---|
 Reef playing at Glastonbury 2010. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Glastonbury, England |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, Britpop, funk-rock, blues-rock, hard rock |
| Years active | 1993–2003, 2010— |
| Labels | Sony BMG |
| Members | |
| Gary Stringer Kenwyn House Jack Bessant Dominic Greensmith |
|
Reef are an English band from Glastonbury, England. The band members include Gary Stringer on vocals, Kenwyn House on guitar, Jack Bessant on bass and Dominic Greensmith on drums.
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Contents
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Career
Early days
Although most members of Reef have West Country connections, it was not until the four members met in London that the band was formed.
In 1993 while Bessant and Stringer were looking for band members, House had met up with Dominic Greensmith (from Ilfracombe, Devon) in London, and discussed forming a band. The foursome finally got together, and started to jam, producing the extremely rare "Purple Tape" demo. The band initially called itself Naked, but later renamed themselves to Reef as other bands had the same name.
After recording a couple of tracks, the band spent much of 1994 touring and building up a fan base. They signed to S2, an off-shoot of Sony. Their first single "Good Feeling" was released on an independent label, but financed by Sony, then as an official Sony S2 release in early 1995. This paved the way for "Naked" which was used in a TV advert for the Sony MiniDisc in which a record company executive hears the track on MiniDisc, throws it out of the window disapprovingly, but a young man outside picks it up, listens to it and likes it (demonstrating the format's durability). There has been some disapproval of the band's participation in this campaign, but in interviews they have emphasised that they were a young band and were offered a chance that any young band would not resist.
Commercial success
During their touring in '94 and '95 Reef supported Paul Weller, The Rolling Stones and Soundgarden, amongst others.
Both the Good Feeling and Naked singles came from Reef’s 1995 release, their now gold debut album Replenish. The album was recorded in the remote Cornish Sawmills recording studio and in a studio in Bath.
"We wanted our first album, Replenish, to be a really honest statement. Four people playing in a room and getting something that’s totally their own. It was recorded in the most basic way possible. Minimal room sounds. Up until recently, all I used for effects was a wah-pedal and I only used that on two songs." Kenwyn House.[citation needed]
Hot on the heels of Replenish, in summer 1995, came a non-album, four-track single release entitled "Weird". It was a very non-commercial track and Reef had said the release was aimed at the fans. Sunrise Shakers, one of the B-sides to Weird, was later featured in snowboarding film Day Tripper, by independent film maker Christian Stevenson. Stevenson, known for his films about extreme and free sports, was later to direct a promotional video for Reef, for their Sweety single in 1999.
The follow-up to Replenish was 1997's Glow, which was more diverse, with the band using different instruments and creating a more interesting style. Glow was recorded under the direction of The Black Crowes' record producer, George Drakoulious and engineered by Jim Scott, in Los Angeles. It spawned the hit singles "Place Your Hands", "Come Back Brighter", "Consideration" and "Yer Old" which increased Reef’s profile in the UK and abroad. On the week of its release, Glow went straight to number 1 in the UK Albums Chart.
"Place Your Hands", released on 21 October 1996, was Reef’s most successful single to date, reaching number 6 in the UK singles chart. The song explains the grief that Stringer felt following the death of his grandfather, and easing the pain of death. The video for "Place Your Hands", directed by David Moulder, features the band members on pulleys and wires to create an energetic aerial display.
During their touring in late 1996, Reef were supported by Feeder, who were at the time laying the foundations for their own career.
In early 1999 Reef released their third album Rides, recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, the same studios used by The Beach Boys for Pet Sounds and Michael Jackson for Thriller. They swapped instruments on some tracks with Stringer and Greensmith playing guitar and Bessant singing on one song. Working again with Glow producer George Drakoulias, the band also enlisted the skills of David Campbell (father of American artist Beck) for the string arrangements. Rose Stone of Sly and the Family Stone fame features as a backing singer. Jack told NME magazine that the album was showing a more mature side to Reef but they were still having fun, using slide guitars, and trying to achieve a “filmic” feel to some tracks.[1] The album was very well received by critics, but commercially could not match the earlier success of its predecessor Glow.
Later work
The fourth album and most commercial work yet, Getaway (Sony) was released in 2000, and was produced by Al Clay, who has also produced for the Pixies and Stereophonics. "Set The Record Straight" was the highlight of the album, and this track was also used as the theme tune for the BBC Television drama series Red Cap, starring Tamzin Outhwaite.
The "Superhero" single released in the same year, features a video of an impromptu gig held at Bessant's Hoxton Square flat, in London, in the summer of that year. Bessant was vacating the property and used the opportunity to hold a small gig with a select guest list, predominantly from the music industry. One notable guest was Andrea Corr, whilst also in attendance were BBC Radio 1, plus Kerrang! and NME magazines.
The third and final release from Getaway, was “All I Want,” a ballad, and substantially different from the first two releases. Despite good airplay on Radio 2, the single only peaked at number 51 in the UK charts. The video features the members of the band stranded in a drifting lifeboat, drawing straws for who would sacrifice themselves to save the others.
Late 2000 saw Reef facing legal action from the U.S. company South Cone Inc. for infringement of their trademark, Reef Brazil (as found on sandals and footwear), on the basis that t-shirts, and other merhandising such as stickers, caps and keyrings could cause confusion in the marketplace. The South Cone action failed on account of their mark actually being REEF BRAZIL rather than REEF, and because their primary business and reputation was with the sale of sandals and footwear. Also important to the outcome was the fact that Reef (the band) were using the t-shirts and other items as marketing for the band rather than trying to promote the t-shirts (or any other clothing, including footwear) as a commodity in themselves.[2] Reef (the band) were awarded £1000.
During 2001, after a low key tour supporting Texas, they took a long summer break, in North Devon, to write new material for their fifth album. The self financed sessions were deliberately performed at arms length from their record label and the music industry in general, and Reef enjoyed the opportunity to return to their earlier, more basic approach to making music. In an interview to the BBC Jack said “It's a harder sound, like when we first came out - a deep sound, heavy, I really like that.”[3] Whilst they had a lot of new material, Sony forced Reef to only use around a third of this material as part of a greatest hits offering entitled Together - The Best of Reef released in January 2003.[citation needed] Jack Bessant denounced the complete lack of support from Sony and Kenwyn House called the release “a kiss of death.”[4] Many fans felt the new material had been some of their best work for some time.
At the end of 2001 Reef played the Surfers Against Sewage Christmas Ball, in Bournemouth. They had previously played the SAS summer ball in 1995 in Newquay.
In January 2003, their original drummer Greensmith quit the band on the eve of a major UK tour, and as the greatest hits were released. He was replaced by the relatively unknown Nathan Curran. Curran had also drummed for Basement Jaxx and R&B act, Lady Sovereign.
It was on this tour that the Live DVD was recorded at Bristol’s Carling Academy. Around this time Reef also appeared on the BBC's re:covered programme covering Black Sabbath’s "War Pigs", which appeared as a B-side to "Waster", Reef’s last single, and their only single on the Snapper Music record label.
Headlining the Falmouth Regatta Week, on 15 August 2003, was to be the final live Reef appearance, before the band split up.
In total they have had eight UK Top 20 singles.
"Place Your Hands" remains a party and compilation favourite. Reef played a small parody of this for Chris Evans TFI Friday show in the late nineties, for a feature called ‘It’s Your Letters’. Evans claimed that the band had contacted him to stop playing the clip, as fans were apparently singing along at gigs, but these allegations were largely unfounded. However Evans later denied the claims stating he was misquoted. Indeed the band had written to Evans, however Gary Stringer explained it differently, “We don’t want people to think that’s all we’re about” and went on “... he’s gone on telly and said we storm offstage whenever someone in the crowd sings that version of it. But no-one ever does sing that version. I think he thinks his influence and power is a lot more widespread than it actually is.”[5]
They also played at the Reading Festival in 1999 and have had several appearances at Glastonbury Festival, and its local offshoot the Pilton Party held every year in September for local residents.
2004 - Change of direction
Reef took a long break from their constant touring.
Stringer appeared at the Bristol Academy as a guest DJ on 28 February 2004.
Tragedy struck on 3 April 2006 when Martin Gilks, their former manager and The Wonder Stuff drummer, was killed in a motorcycle accident. He died aged 41, from internal injuries at St George's Hospital, Tooting, London. Gilks managed Reef with his brother Tank, alongside other bands, through their management company Furtive Mass Transit Systems. The original Reef line-up reformed to play three songs at the memorial in April 2006.
House formed a short lived project called McArthur, while Greensmith started touring with his new band, Kubb fronted by vocalist Harry Collier, formerly of Cornish funk band Rootjoose. Kubb released their first album in 2006, and during spring 2007 they are writing material for their second album. In March 2007, he was recruited as a touring member of Carbon/Silicon, a rock duo consisting of punk rock legends Mick Jones of The Clash and Tony James of Generation X.
In 2006 their "Come Back Brighter" was named the thirty second best indie anthem of all time by The Hits. The band were reported as being "delighted and honoured".
House is also a teacher and assessor at Brighton’s Institute of Modern Music.
Stringer and Bessant formed a new band "Them Is Me". Other members include Jonas Jalhay on guitar (other bands: Lady Sovereign, Imma) and Nathan "Tugg" Curran on drums (ex-Reef, Basement Jaxx, Kano). Stringer and Bessant continue with their original roles as singer and bass player respectively. Having rehearsed in London over the summer, they played their first gig at the Sandsifter bar in Gwithian near Hayle, Cornwall, on the 14 September 2007. After several low-key venues in Cornwall, they recorded some demo tracks at a recording studio in Monmouth.
Stringer and Bessant have an acoustic project called "StringerBessant" with both musicians playing acoutic guitars. Their debut album "Yard" is released on "Xtra Mile Recordings" on 12 July 2010.
2010
In November 2009, Reef announced a reunion tour consisting of six UK concerts planned for April 2010. Tickets went on sale on 30 November 2009. The warm-up appearance at The Monto Water Rats in London, was their first in seven years. The band also performed at the 2010 Isle Of Wight Festival, Cornbury Festival and Glastonbury Festival.
2011
On 7 August 2011, Reef played before the Community Shield final between Manchester City and Manchester United
2012
In May 2012 they are due to play at Lakefest festival.[6] Reef will be touring Australia in June. [7]
Festival appearances
Reef performed at the Reading Festival in 1995, 1996 and 1999 and at Glastonbury in 2010 and 1997. They also played Australia's The Fall's Festival in 2000
In May 2012 they are due to play at Lakefest festival.
Band members
- Gary Stringer - vocals
- Jack Bessant - bass guitar
- Kenwyn House - guitar
- Dominic Greensmith - drums (1993–2003, 2010 onwards)
- Pawel N - guitar (to January 2004)
- Nathan ‘Tugg’ Curran - drums (February to August 2003)
Discography
Main article: Reef discography
References
- ^ "Up On The Reef | News". Nme.Com. 1999-01-28. http://www.nme.com/news/the-rakes/905. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ "Intellectual Property Office - Welcome to the Intellectual Property Office". Ipo.gov.uk. http://www.ipo.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ Peter Henley (2011-10-11). "BBC News - Hampshire & Isle of Wight". Bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/music/reef_iv.shtml. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ NME magazine, “Men Behaving” article by Johnny Cigarettes, page 29, 17 April 1999
- ^ "Lakefest 2012: Line-up 2012". Lakefest.co.uk. 2012-01-20. http://lakefest.co.uk/line-up-2012. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
- ^ "Current Tours Display". Select Touring. 2012-03-26. http://selecttouring.com.au/page/Current+Tours+Display?select=Tours_selector_name&rowid=3792. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
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