Career|Forming out of the ashes of the band Last Chance, vocalist Dave Couse, guitarist Fergal Bunbury, drummer Dermot Wylie and bassist Martin Healy came together as A House. With a classic, guitar based rock sound, and Couse’s sarcastic and bitter tongued lyrics the band released two self-released singles. Gaining regional popularity, the band signed with Blanco y Negro who released their first album On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round in 1988. The success of the release and growing crowds at their live shows allowed the band to embark on their U.S. tour with The Go-Betweens. After their first major tour, they went back to Ireland, and wrote and recorded the album I Want Too Much in 1988 on the small Irish island of Inishboffin. The response of the press was great for the band, however record sales were poor, and the band were left without a label. Eventually they were picked up by Setanta, a London-based independent label tending to focus on Irish acts.|[edit] I Am the Greatest Towards the end of 1990 Setanta released two EPs: Doodle and Bingo. The latter featured the track “Endless Art”, on which A House first worked with Orange Juice singer Edwyn Collins as producer. The song, featuring a listing of famous dead artists in various fields, and the years of their births and deaths, stabilized the band as a cult favorite among indie lovers, and is an exemplar of the “list” style of song which Couse has often favoured. The album I Am The Greatest was also recorded with Edwyn Collins, and led to the singles “Endless Art” and “Take It Easy on Me”, in 1992. Next they released Wide-Eyed and Ignorant (1994) to little notice outside of their fanbase, and No More Apologies (1996). The single “Here Come the Good Times”, taken from Wide-Eyed and Ignorant was A House’s only UK Top 40 chart placing, reaching number 37.[2]|[edit] Break-up The band broke up in 1997. Singer Couse continues to perform solo work and with his band Couse + the Impossible, alongside Bunbury. Martin Healy went on to perform in the band Petrol with Julie Peel. He is now with David Morrissey in Pony Club. In 2002 the A House best of album The Way We Were was released.|[edit] Discography|[edit] Albums|Year Album UK[2] US Ireland|1988 On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round - - -|1990 I Want Too Much - - -|1991 I Am the Greatest - - -|1994 Wide-Eyed and Ignorant - - -|1996 No More Apologies - - -|1998 A House Live in Concert - - -|2002 The Way We Were - - -|[edit] EPs|Year EP UK[2] US Ireland|1987 Street Carnival Rock - - -|1990 Doodle - - -|1990 Bingo - - -|1991 Zop - - -|1994 360 North Rockingham - - -|[edit] Compilation appearances|Year Albums UK[2] US|1986 Live at the Underground - -|[edit] Singles|Year Song UK[2] US Ireland|1987 “Kick Me Again Jesus” - - -|1987 “Snowball Down” - - -|1987 “Heart Happy” - - -|1987 “Call Me Blue” - - 1 28|1988 “I’ll Always Be Grateful” - - 22|1988 “I Want to Kill Something” - - -|1990 “I Think I’m Going Mad” - - 22|1991 “You’re Too Young” - - -|1991 “I Don’t Care” - - -|1991 “Second Wind” - - -|1992 “Endless Art” 46 - -|1992 “Take It Easy on Me” 55 - -|1992 “Everything’s Gone” - - -|1992 “Slang” - - -|1992 “Santamental” - - -|1994 “I Will Never Forgive You” - - -|1994 “A House A Reintroduction” - - -|1994 “Why Me?” 52 - 20|1994 “Here Come the Good Times (Part 1)” 37 - 21|1994 “Here Come the Good Times (Part 2)” - - -|1997 “Without Dreams” - - - |
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