Chumbawamba

Chumbawamba

Chumbawamba are an English band that started out playing punk rock, but over a 25-year career have gone on to play music ranging from pop-influenced dance music and world music to acoustic folk music. The band are best known for their song "Tubthumping" and are generally influenced by anarchist political stances and an irreverent attitude to authority.

Band history

Early years

Chumbawamba were formed in 1982 from two other bands based in Yorkshire, The Passion Killers and Chimp Eats Banana. Inspired musically by The Fall and the anarchist political stances of Crass, Chumbawamba's activities in the early years were based around a communal house in Armley, Leeds. Stalwarts of the cassette culture scene, the band was featured on many compilations. Chumbawamba were at the forefront of the 1980s anarcho-punk movement, frequently playing benefit gigs in squats and small halls for causes such as animal rights, the anti-war movement, and community groups. The band's collective political views are often described as anarchist.

Sky and Trees and Agit-Prop Records

By the mid-1980s Chumbawamba had begun to release material using the vinyl format on their own Agit-Prop record label, which had evolved from an earlier project, Sky and Trees Records. The first LP, Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records (1986) was a critique of the then current Live Aid concert organised by Bob Geldof, which the band argued was primarily a cosmetic spectacle designed to draw attention away from the real political causes of world hunger.

Their 1988 album English Rebel Songs 1381 - 1914 was a recording of traditional songs from that period, and was very different from their preceding work.

One Little Indian Records

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chumbawamba had begun to absorb influences from techno music and dance culture. The band moved away from their original anarcho-punk roots and evolving a pop sensibility with releases such as Slap! (1990) and the sample-heavy Shhh (1992) (originally intended to be released as Jesus H Christ!, this album had to be withdrawn and re-recorded because of copyright problems).

After signing to the independent One Little Indian record label, Anarchy (1994) lyrically remained as politically uncompromising as ever, continuing to address issues such as homophobia (see song "Homophobia" [1], the music video of which features the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence), the Criminal Justice Act and the rise of fascism in the UK following the election of a British National Party councillor in south-east London in 1993.

Chumbawamba vocalist Danbert Nobacon pictured playing live at the University of Leeds, 1986, supporting Conflict

EMI controversy

Chumbawamba drew criticism from the band's original following in 1997 when the members signed to the major label EMI in Europe, particularly as much of their earlier output had explicitly attacked this corporation; they had even been involved with a compilation LP called Fuck EMI in 1989. However, the band argued that EMI had severed the controversial link with weapons manufacturer Thorn a few years previously, and that experience had taught them that, in a capitalist environment, almost every record company operates on capitalist principles; "Our previous record label One Little Indian didn't have the evil symbolic significance of EMI BUT they were completely motivated by profit." They added that this move brought with it the opportunity to make the band financially viable (all members were up until then working in other jobs to make a living) as well as to communicate their message to a wider audience.

Chumbawamba's biggest chart hit, "Tubthumping", features what, without the context of the accompanying liner notes (removed from the US release of the Tubthumper album for copyright reasons), appears to be one of the most apolitical of any of the band's lyrics. It was also during this period that Chumbawamba gained some notoriety when male vocalist Danbert Nobacon poured a jug of water over UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the 1998 BRIT Awards.

Chumbawamba released the album WYSIWYG on EMI in 2000, and parted from the label in 2001.

MUTT Records

In 2002, Chumbawamba formed their own record label, MUTT, for UK releases.

Under MUTT, Chumbawamba released their eleventh official album, Readymades, as well as Sic - Adventures in Anti-Capitalism, a paperback book of political and musical writings by friends and acquaintances of the band.

General Motors paid Chumbawamba $100,000 to use the song "Pass It Along" for a Pontiac Vibe television advertisement in 2002. Chumbawamba gave the money to the anti-corporate activist groups Indymedia and CorpWatch.

In 2004, the band released an album of 'world music' influenced songs entitled Un, which addressed such current concerns as the looting of the museums in Iraq (On eBay) and Buy Nothing Day.

In 2005 Chumbawamba took a hiatus from full-scale touring and recording projects, but a trimmed-down acoustic line-up of Boff Whalley, Lou Watts, Jude Abbot and Neil Ferguson continued to tour the UK and Europe throughout 2005 and 2006. It was this line-up that recorded the album A Singsong and a Scrap, released late in 2005. The hiatus looks set to continue indefinitely, with the band announcing on their web site in 2006 that there are no plans to perform or record as a full band again.

In 2006 Alice wrote the musical drama 'Love and Petrol' which played for a week in Bradford during June.

In 2007, Chumbawamba played at the Glastonbury Festival.

In early 2007, the band announced via their website that a new album was in the works, stating that "the new album will be acoustic and probably won't sound like A Singsong and a Scrap."

In October 2007, the band confirmed that recording sessions for the album were in progress and that "26 songs [have been] recorded, some of them only 30 seconds long." And that the album will be a concept album with songs "calmly stating their case about the state of the world. Then buggering off."

In December 2007, the band confirmed the title and release date of their new album, called The Boy Bands Have Won. The band said on their website that "It's got twenty-five tracks and it'll be out [in] late February."

The name

Over the years, the band have been asked many times what "Chumbawamba" really means. While there are many speculations, the band generally answer that it's a gibberish word, meaning nothing. According to Chumbawamba's official FAQ :

Chumbawamba doesn't mean anything. At the time we formed (early '80s) there was a rush of bands with obvious names. It was the time of ‘peace punk' and you couldn't get across a youth club dance floor without bumping into a Disorder, a Subhumans, a Decadent Youth or an Anthrax t-shirt. We liked the sound of Chumbawamba because it wasn't nailing ourselves down. Thatcher On Acid were a good band but it's lucky for them that Thatcher stayed in power for 11 years. If her influence had only lasted 18 months Thatcher On Acid's sell-by date would have come and gone a lot sooner. We wanted a name which wouldn't date. [2]

Other explanations which have been given include the following:

• On an episode of BBC2's pop music quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks there was a question about where Chumbawamba got its name. The answer (according to Mark Lamarr) was that it got it from what a monkey wrote on a typewriter when an experiment took place involving monkeys and typewriters (as in the infinite monkey theorem).

• In an interview on a German website[3] with Alice and Boff, the members claimed that the "Chumbawamba" was the mascot of a football team, Walford Town, which they found in the Rothman's Yearbook, a collection of old facts and figures about British football. Boff said "...And we just thought it was funny, so we used the name". There has never been a team in English football called Walford Town, although the name has occasionally been used to represent the local team in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

• In Boff's autobiography he claims that the name was derived from the chanting of African street musicians which he and Danbert heard while busking in Paris. However, in a footnote he goes on to state that this is in fact a lie, as is every other explanation that the band have given over the years.

Line-up

Jude Abbot, Neil Ferguson and Boff Whalley of Chumbawamba in 2005

The band's membership has varied over the years, with the line-up and musical assignments in the early years being especially fluid (members were known to switch instrument between, or even during, gigs).

The longtime members have been:

• Alice Nutter - vocals and percussion
• Lou Watts - vocals and keyboards
• Danbert Nobacon - vocals and keyboards
• Boff Whalley - vocals and guitar
• Harry Hamer - drums
• Dunstan Bruce - vocals
• Mavis Dillon (left 1995) - trumpet
• Neil Ferguson - bass (originally musical engineer)
• Jude Abbot (1996-) - vocals and trumpet

Partial discography

(Original releases dates and labels given. Some material has been re-issued on other labels in the US.)

1980-1985

• Cardboard Box, 1980 (Cassette only release by proto-Chumbawamba group Chimp Eats Banana)
• "Three Years Later" - track on Bullshit Detector Volume 2 compilation LP, Crass Records, 1982 (Nb, Chumbawamba guitarist Boff Whaley (Boffo) also has a solo track, "Garageland", a cover of a song by The Clash, on this LP)
• "I'm Thick" - track on "Back on the Streets" compilation EP Secret, 1982 (Chumbawamba recording as 'Skin Disease', a mock skinhead/Oi! band)
• Be Happy Despite It All, Sky and Trees, 1983 (Cassette only release, joint with The Passion Killers, featuring hand coloured cover)
• Raising Heck with Chumbawamba, Peaceville Records, 1983 (Cassette only release, live material plus songs by Simon Lanzon)
• It Could Be So Much More, Acid Rain Products, 1984 (Cassette only release, joint with Flux Of Pink Indians, recorded live at the Conway Hall, London)
• Let Us Show Them Our Hearts, Sky and Trees, 1984 (Cassette only release, joint with The Passion Killers)
• Another Year of the Same Old Shit, Sky and Trees, 1984 (Cassette only release)
• History Luddite, Homebrew Tapes, 1984 (Cassette only release, live at Luton Library, May 1985)
• "Common Ground", Sky and Trees, 1984 (A benefit 'cassette single' for striking miners)
• To Thine Own Self Be True, Sky and Trees, 1984 (Cassette only release)
• In The Cellar, Sky and Trees?, 1984 (Cassette only release)
• It's Up To You, Sky and Trees?, 1984 (Cassette only release by the Passion Killers)
• The Unfairy Tale/The War Inside Our Heads, Sky and Trees, 1984 (Cassette only release, Danbert Nobacon solo material, much was re-recorded for release on vinyl the following year)
• The Unfairy Tale, Sky and Trees, 1985 (Danbert Nobacon solo release)
• "Revolution", single, Agit Prop, 1985

1986-1990

• "We Are The World", single, Agit Prop, 1986 (Joint release with US band A State of Mind)
• Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records, Agit Prop, 1986
• Know Your Enemy, Doomsday Tapes, 1986 (Cassette only release, live material recorded at the Bull and Gate, London)
• Feed The World, 1986 (Cassette only release, live material recorded in Birmingham)
• "Destroy Fascism!", Loony Tunes, 1986 (Collaboration with Dutch band The Ex under the name 'Antidote')
• Un Toast A La Democratie, 1986 (Cassette only release, an early live incarnation of "Never Mind The Ballots")
• Never Mind the Ballots, Agit Prop, 1987
• "Let It Be" single, no label stated apart from Anti-copyright, 1987, (Released under the name 'Scab Aid' following the Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster)
• There Comes A Time, 1987 (Cassette only release, recordings of two shows)
• "Smash Clause 28!Fight the Alton Bill!", single, Agit Prop, 1988
• English Rebel Songs 1381-1914, Agit Prop, 1988; re-released One Little Indian, 1994; re-recorded 2003.
• Sportchestra: 101 Songs About Sport, Agit Prop (Chumbawamba collaborations with various other musicians recording under the name 'Sportchestra')
• Slap!, Agit Prop, 1990
• "Whoopee, We're All Gonna Die", EP, Rugger Bugger records, 1991 (3 members of Chumbawamba recording under the name 'Passion Killers')
• Jesus H Christ (unreleased due to legal issues (see above). Bootleg copies are in circulation however)
• "I Never Gave Up", Agit Prop, 1990

1991-1995

• Shhh, Agit Prop, 1992
• "Behave", single, Agit Prop, 1992
• First Two, re-releases of Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records and Never Mind the Ballots, Agit Prop, 1992
• "Enough is Enough", single, One Little Indian, 1993, featured MC Fusion #56 UK
• "Timebomb", single, One Little Indian, 1993 #59 UK
• Live In Armley, independently produced live album, 1993
• English Rebel Songs 1381-1914 , Album , One Little Indian 1994
• Anarchy, One Little Indian, 1994
• "Homophobia", single, One Little Indian, 1994
• Showbusiness!, One Little Indian, 1995 (A live album)
• Swingin' with Raymond, One Little Indian, 1995
• Ugh! Your Ugly Houses! - EP, One Little Indian, 1995

1996-2000

• Portraits of Anarchists (Book and CD collaboration with photographer Casey Orr), AK Press/One Little Indian 1996
• Tubthumper, EMI, 1997, US #3, 3x Platinum
• "Tubthumping", single, EMI, 1997, US #6, US Modern Rock #1, UK #2
• "Tubthumping" (Tyler Dunphy Kardance Mix), EMI and DJ Rockin, 1997
• "Homophobia (live)" on Milkshake - A CD to Benefit the Harvey Milk Institute on timmi-kat ReCoRDS (1998)

• "Amnesia", single, EMI, 1998 UK #10
• "Top Of The World (Ole, Ole, Ole)", single, EMI, 1998 UK #21
• The ABCs of Anarchism, Seeland Records, 1999 (Collaboration with Negativland)
• "Tony Blair", one-track CD single sent out to the mailing list as a "Christmas present", it was found by a record company employee who banned Chumbawamba from releasing it, 1999
• WYSIWYG, Universal, 2000

2000-2005

• Readymades, MUTT, 2002
• "Her Majesty", one-track CD single sent out to the mailing list to "commemorate" the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II; an expanded cover version of the Beatles track from Abbey Road, 2002
• Dropping Food On Their Heads is Not Enough: Benefit For RAWA, Geykido Comet Records, 2002
• "Jacob's Ladder (Not In My Name)", Limited Edition anti-war single, MUTT, 2003
• Shhhlap!, double CD of Shhh and Slap!, MUTT, 2003
• Revengers Tragedy, MUTT, 2003
• "Home With Me", single, MUTT, 2003
• "Salt Fare North Sea", single, MUTT, 2003
• English Rebel Songs 1381-1984, MUTT, 2003
• Un, MUTT, 2004
• "On eBay", single, MUTT, 2004
• A Singsong and a Scrap, No Masters, 2005
• "Fade Away", single, MUTT 2005

2006

• Get On With It, live album, MUTT 2006

2007

• "Add Me", song on their MySpace page

Television appearances

• In the episode of TV series Family Guy, "Wasted Talent," the show's parody of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the "Oompa-Loompa"-like characters call themselves "The Chumbawamba," with an Oompa-Loompa-like song, entitled "The Chumbawamba Song."
• "Tubthumping" was performed on the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS Network, USA). Shortly before performing,the band decided to replace one of the choruses with a stripped down chant of "Free Mumia Abu-Jamal". While it was assumed by the band that this would be edited out of the broadcast version, it was broadcast as performed.
• Chumbawamba performed a half hour set for the German television program, Rockpalast in 1996.
• The band's 1997 performance in Katowice was broadcast on Polish television.
• The band were officially banned from German television in 1996 (the same year they performed on Rockpalast) after Danbert Nobacon stripped nude, wrote "PUNK" across his chest and danced in this manner in front of The Smashing Pumpkins on a live broadcast of a rock festival. The ban seemed to have been lifted less than a year later, when Chumbawamba achieved worldwide fame with "Tubthumping".

Chumbawamba songs in film

A partial list of films featuring songs by the band.

• Home Alone 3 (1997) - "Tubthumping"
• In God's Hands (1997) - "Tubthumping"
• Senseless (1997) - "Tubthumping"
• Air Bud 2 (1998) - "Tubthumping"
• Dirty Work (1998) - "Tubthumping", "Amnesia"
• The James Gang (1998) - "Outsider"
• Varsity Blues (1998) - "Tubthumping"
• Mystery, Alaska (1999) - "Amnesia"
• Soft Fruit (1999) - "Tubthumping"
• Stigmata (1999) - "Mary Mary (Stigmatic Mix)"
• Joe Somebody (2001) - "Tubthumping"
• Revengers Tragedy (2002) - "Revengers Tragedy: Soundtrack"

Chumbawamba songs in multimedia

A partial list of multimedia contents featuring songs by the band.

• World Cup 98 (Video Game) (EA Sports, 1998) - "Tubthumping"
• Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMIX (Konami, 1999) - "Tubthumping"
• Samba de Amigo (Sega, 2000) - "Tubthumping" (Cover by No Smoking)
• Taiko Drum Master (Namco, 2004) - "Tubthumping"
• Donkey Konga (Nintendo, 2004) - "Tubthumping"

Further reading/references

• Footnote* - Boff Whalley (Pomona Books, 2003) (Boff's autobiographical account of the band's history) ISBN 1-904590-00-4

See also

• Anarchism and the arts
• The Ex
• Punk ideology

External links

• Official website