Much of today’s post is a reprint from something I put up back in July 2016.
Dubstar began life in the early 90s as a two-piece consisting of Chris Wilkie on guitar and Steve Hillier on keyboards and vocals. By 1994 they had a new vocalist in Sarah Blackwood.
Like an lot of bands kicking around in that era, they were able to land a record deal as the industry decided that Britpop, however you wanted to define it, was the in-thing. Nobody wanted to miss out on the next Blur or Oasis (not that anyone came along and fulfilled the A&R mens wet dreams).
Dubstar were however, more worthy than most of their compatriots and recorded a number of quality songs across Disgraceful and Goodbye, the LPs released in 1995 and 1997 respectively.
A further album, Make It Better was released in 2000 but to little fanfare or acclaim and the band went their separate ways. Sarah Blackwood went on to be part of Client, an electronic act who released four albums in the first decade of the 21st Century but who never really got beyond cult status other than a Top 30 single in 2005, thanks in part to the lead vocal being performed by Carl Labat of The Libertines.
Their biggest hit came in March 1996, when Stars, their debut ‘flop’ single (a flop in as much it had stalled at #40 in July 1995), was re-released and reached #15. A couple of months earlier, they made their first foray into the Top 20, with a song I still have a great deal of time for the best part of 30 years later.
mp3 : Dubstar – Not So Manic Now
Reminds me an awful lot of St Etienne…..
As was the common practice at the time, it was issued via on 2 x CD formats, with CD1 having remixes of the singles and CD2 having three new songs. It’s a huge contrast……
mp3 : Dubstar – Not So Manic Now (Way Out West Remix)
mp3 : Dubstar – Not So Manic Now (Mother’s Whole Dub)
mp3 : Dubstar – Not So Manic Now (Way Out West Prophecy Dub)
mp3 : Dubstar – If It Isn’t You
mp3 : Dubstar – Song No.9
mp3 : Dubstar – A Certain Sadness
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
A band that I link to many happy memories. I did own Disgraceful and played it a lot. It’s no longer with my CDs. Hmmmm.
Flimflamfan
I quite like Goodbye and IMHO they have made the best song ever about infidelity, tucked away as a single “b-side” there is In My Defense. A beautiful piece about the fragility of being a person.
Well, thanks for reminding me about a CD (Disgraceful) that I had completely forgotten I ever owned! Quite nice as I recall, but no longer here. As Flimflamfan says, memories of an era but yes, “Hmmmm…”
I love Saint Etienne, but in this case I prefer the original by Brick Supply (Rough Trade 1994).
Although we’re not particularly interested in football and alcohol, my wife and I are watching the game tonight and drinking a beer. Of course we keep our fingers crossed for the underdog.
Good luck [sk]
Always love hearing Not So Manic Now whenever and wherever it pops up. And the lovely cover of St. Swithin’s Day on Disgraceful too.
Strangeways