The self-styled ‘fourth best band in Hull’ only released two studio albums and nine singles in their all too brief time together before two of them (Paul and Norman) went onto enjoy more fame and fortune in later bands or as solo artists, one of them (Stan) did all sorts of things before becoming a very succesful writer of children’s book and TV scripts for a young audience and the other (Hugh) was part of other indie-pop outfits before he ended up in jail.
Some might argue that they didn’t quite release enough songs to merit an ICA. I beg to differ and will demonstrate otherwise below. And without using any of the a cappella stuff as those songs never did anything for me.
SIDE A
1. Five Get Over Excited from The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death (1987)
Fun, Fun Fun. On the surface that was what The Housemartins seemed to always be having but just about every single lyric masked a bitter take on what life was like in the Thatcherite UK of the mid 80s, particularly if you happened to live in what had been traditionally working-class towns in the north of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. “Feigning concern, a conservative pastime”
2. We’re Not Deep from London 0 Hull 4 (1986)
Wonderful use of ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba as so often utilised by Julian Cope! A two-fingered salute to those politicians who demanded that the youth of the country get themselves a job, despite the fact that outside of London there were next to none available.
3. Flag Day single (1985)
Let’s drop the pace with the song with which they introduced themselves to the listening public only for it to fall on deaf ears, peaking at a miserly #124 in the singles charts. This actually predates Norman Cook joining the band on bass to replace Ted Key who has a writing credit on this track. Morrissey might have ridiculed the British monarchy but The Housemartins went further with “Try shaking a box in front of the queen, cause her purse is fat and bursting at the seams”
A different, piano-led version, was re-recorded and put on debut LP London 0 Hull 4.
4. Anxious, b-side to Sheep single (1986)
“Don’t they know it is wrong, it makes me anxious”
A lyric with even more relevance today.
5. There Is Always Something There To Remind Me single (1988)
The last thing they did before they broke up….and vowed never to reform (although in an interview a few years back, Norman Cook said they would do so, but only if The Smiths reformed first!). And appropriately enough, here’s their equivalent of The Headmaster Ritual, proving that Manchester didn’t have a monopoly on teachers who were all too quick pour scorn on those who weren’t academically minded.
SIDE B
1. Happy Hour from London 0 Hull 4 (1986)
The third single and the first of the big hits. The accompanying video, with its animated plasticine figures of the band, was quite groundbreaking at the time, brilliantly ridiculed one of the growing menaces in mid 80s, namely gangs of young successful men in suits out getting drunk in wine bars on their bonuses all the while thinking they were god’s gift. There were some who actually believed the song celebrated such people….and then Paul Heaton began to be interviewed more widely!
2. Build from The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death (1987)
Some of the social messages could get lost amidst the jaunty upbeat tunes which the band were most famed. Not so when they slowed things right down. New homes, new roads, new infrastructure right across green countryside at a time when traditional communities in poorer parts of the country were crying out for support and investment to recover. Environmental and economic madness.
3. Me and The Farmer from The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death (1987)
A hymn to those who, every year, were exploited as casual labour by those who owned large swathes of the countryside and believed they were pillars of society.
4. Sheep from London 0 Hull 4 (1986)
Another single, which is testament to the fact that the label bosses at Go!Discs were adept at picking out the very best tunes for wider public consumption. Lyrics speak for themselves over a ridiculously catchy and radio-friendly tune that wasn’t a million miles away from Happy Hour.
5. The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death from album of same name 1987
Even more of an anti-royalist rant than The Queen Is Dead and yet didn’t create the same amount of controversy. That’s what happens when you have a jaunty tune that helped to disguise the sentiments involved.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Great to remember all these songs. Thanks for that & kind regards from Austria, Jens
Great comp . Always intrinsically linked to being at poly really regret didnt see them live. Would be a toss up between build and the light is always green from the same lp. They had some great b sides which make a 3rd lp worth of great material, and drop down dead could have sneaked in. Agree they should have left the acappela stuff to the flying pickets.
The closest I came to being stabbed was at a Housemartins gig. The skinheads seemed to love them and it was possibly the most violent gig I attended. Still, it was a greta gig otherwise and I still listen to and enjoy them every now and then.
Loved the Housemartins. But disagree regarding the a cappella stuff it does the trick for me when I’m in the right mood and they were better at it than the Flying Pickets anyway.
Flag Day is probably my favourite song and that line is even more relevant today as yesterday the house of commons voted to double the benefits of the largest family of scroungers in these isles.
Love this, as I loved The Housemartins (in a way I never quite did with the Beautiful South). My own ICA would have been quite similar, as (I suspect) many readers’ would, given the relatively small pool of source material. I’m with the Friend of Rachel Worth though, in that Drop Down Dead might have sneaked into mine too.
Build – great tune. Always thought the second album was the better one. A lot of the songs on the debut sounded the same. There was more depth on the follow-up.
All great picks, even if my personal fave (‘Stand at Ease’) didn’t make the cut. Nice work, JC.
Faultless compilation. Loved The Housemartins, but was left cold by Beautiful South. Very pleased to see ‘There is Always Something There To Remind Me’ make the cut, a song that’s often overlooked.
As a student journalist, I went to a Housemartins gig in Stockton, armed with my tape recorder, hoping to blag something. Unfortunately the gig was sold out, and me and my friends turned away disappointed. Then a young man started following us down the street. “Is that a tape recorder? I like tape recorders.” Suspicious that we were about to be robbed, I clutched it closely to me. But it turned out to be Stan, and he duly got me and my friends “back stage” and into the gig. The band were getting ready, and it reminded me of, bizarrely, Catcher in the Rye. You’ve never seen so many pimples being painfully scraped by razors. And I seem to remember that the person who would become Phil Jupitus was loitering in the background as their press officer. They were, as the saying goes, a great bunch of lads, and gave us an interview, in a fairly jokey fashion. At the time, my only outlet for radio packages was hospital radio, something I blushed to confess. But they took it in good heart, and I remember, possibly Norman, saying “If you’re in hospital listening to this, I hope you get well soon. And if you’re in church listening to this, what are you doing listening to the radio in church.” My lecturer hated the resulting package, which suited me fine. I wish I still had the tape. I seem to remember seeing Hugh a few months later playing with The Penny Candles, who I thought were pretty good, but my memory might be playing tricks.
Great story Jonathan and I dont think your memory is playing tricks on you at all…..if you’ve any more similar tales of interviewing pop stars back in the day then I’d be delighted to have it as a guest posting.
Terrific band, a corking ICA, and great tales from people.