The Lightning Seeds: Biography

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• Pet Shop Boys
• Icicle Works
• The La's
• Blab Happy
• The Fall
• Echo & the Bunnymen
• Del Amitri

• The Beatles
• Sergio Mendes
• New Order
• The Turtles
• XTC
• The Divine Comedy
• The Smiths

• Starlet
• They Go Boom!
• Plushgun
• The Little Ones
• Kara's Flowers
• The Cardigans
• Le Concorde

• Original Mirrors
• Big in Japan
• Care

Formed:

Jan 1, 1989 in Liverpool, England

Genres:

British Pop Music, Rock Music, Alternative Rock Music, Adult Alternative

Decades Active:

1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Low

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

The wispy pop outfit the Lightning Seeds were essentially the solo project of noted producer Ian Broudie. Born August 4, 1958 in Liverpool, England, Broudie first emerged as a member of Big in Japan, a product of the same Liverpudlian post-punk scene which gave rise to Echo the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes and Icicle Works. After Big in Japan split in 1979, Broudie followed a brief tenure in the Original Mirrors by producing the first two Bunnymen LPs, Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here, as well as work by the Fall, Wah and Frazier Chorus.

Seeking to return to performing, in 1982 Broudie teamed with Wild Swans vocalist Paul Simpson; under the name Care; the duo released a series of shimmering singles which pointed in the direction Broudie followed in the Lightning Seeds, a one-man band backed by pop luminaries and session players. After scoring an international hit with the lush single "Pure," the Lightning Seeds issued their debut LP Cloudcuckooland in 1989. Still, despite the record's success, Broudie again returned to production, helming albums for groups like the Primitives, Sleeper, Alison Moyet and the Frank Walters.

In 1992, Broudie revived the Lightning Seeds guise for Sense, on which he made synth programmer Simon Rogers (formerly of the Fall) a full musical partner; for 1994's Jollification, he formed a touring band (comprised of keyboardist Ali Kane, former Rain bassist Martin Campbell and ex-Icicle Works drummer Chris Sharrock) to play his first live shows since serving in the Original Mirrors over a decade ago. The British chart hits "Ready or Not" and "Three Lions on a Shirt" followed in 1996.

- Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide