The Beautiful South were massively successful in the UK during the 1990s. An estimated one in seven households owned their 1994 Carry On Up the Charts singles compilation. Their studio albums Blue is the Colour (1996) and Quench (1998) sold in the millions. They had a number one single with 'A Little Time' and both 'Song For Whoever' and 'Perfect 10' peaked at #2. But The Beautiful South were a uniquely British phenomenon — their success at home wasn't repeated elsewhere around in the world. Even during their mid-90s peak, they remained largely unknown here in Australia. I only knew about them because I'd been in London in 1990 when 'A Little Time' was number one. Anyway, I was playing their albums over the weekend and wondering: three decades later, are The Beautiful South still remembered and loved in the UK, or have they been forgotten?
One of those bands I considered getting into but never did. Maybe I'll give them a listen one of these days. What album would make the best starting point?
I don't own them all, but I really like Quench and 0898. Probably the best place to start is the Carry On singles compilation — you'll know pretty quickly if you like them or not. I find a whole studio album can be a bit... much, but their singles were all pretty great.
They definitely aren't. I love most of their songs & listen to their music & sing along sometimes. (I don't care for perfect 10. I prefer Rotterdam or anywhere & A little time.)
Not "forgotten" at my house. Love the Beautiful South. I have all of their CDs and several of the LPs on vinyl and play them fairly regularly. UK pop at its best in my humble...
Still love them. I have Carry on and a few early albums. Paul Heaton is well on his way to "National Treasure" status in the UK. BBC News - Beautiful South singer Paul Heaton pays for birthday drinks https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-61378243 BBC News - Paul Heaton praised for 'lovely' Q Magazine gesture https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54485919
I bought Blue is the Colour back in the day after hearing "Don't Marry Her" on the radio. The radio version goes "Don't marry her, have me". The CD version uses a different verb.
I still own everything through Blue is the Colour, but I feel like the quality dropped off a cliff after that record. From what I’ve heard of Heaton’s solo work, it’s an improvement over those later Beautiful South records.
Nice place to start is Paul Heaton comp, The last king of pop - great mix of old and new, Housemartins, Beautiful south and solo Heaton. By the way, for me, he's up there with Ray Davies and Noel Gallagher in terms of songwriting, great hooks, clever lyrics...
They were never big in the US to begin with. I don't own any of their individual cds except the covers one, borrowed them from a friend in the 90s and put together my own comp that I listen to a LOT. They also had some really good UK cd singles with cover songs. definitely one of the most unusual Harry cover songs ever: But it works!
Their singles collection was released in North America, but they’re incredibly obscure in the States and Canada, unfortunately
I think their first album Welcome to the Beautiful South was their best but they always had some solid songs on each record. My favorite was always Woman in the Wall. Such a dark twisted theme with an absolutely beautiful melody.
I still listen to them have since 0898 came out. I don't know any stuff after Blue is the Colour, but very familiar with the early stuff.
Grabbed the Paul Heaton compilation The Last King Of Pop dirt cheap on Deep Discount a few months back—collects key tracks from The Housemartins, Beautiful South, solo, and with Jacqui Abbott on a single disc. Taken as a whole, it really does make the case for Heaton as a hall-of-fame level talent. Playing the collection in the car led me to bust out my Housemartins LPs and later the first 3 Beautiful South albums. Happy to report that all of them have stood the test of time quite well.
Yes, The Housemartins had some great songs — I think 'Build' is my favourite of their singles, but 'Happy Hour', 'Think For A Minute', 'Five Get Over Excited' and 'Me and the Farmer' are all very strong.
I think Quench is my favourite, but that one doesn't seem to be very popular with fans? I actually don't know Blue is the Colour. I'll have to give it a listen.
Carry on up the Charts was all I had for many many years. It wasn't until I came to Canada that I actually started buying the individual albums. It is hard for me to get totally into the albums because I am so ingrained with the songs off the compilation. However I have now got all the albums up to and including Painting it Red and the Solid Bronze compilation that encompasses their hits up to that album. Playing them today for the first time in a long time and finding them very strong indeed. Some great vocal harmonies between the three singers. Amazed to find the albums in Canada, usually in thrift stores as they seem a quintessentially British group to me. I love the little "Kitchen Sink Dramas" and sideway glances at the British way of life. Actually, looking today, I don't have Quench. I need to fix that.
I enjoyed all of their albums through Quench and managed to see them in concert 4 times. I just listened to Welcome to the Beautiful South a few days and it has held up very well. I agree that Woman in the Wall is one of their iconic songs.
Not forgotten as much as you might think. Paul Heaton/Jacqui Abbott seem to play pretty dang big venues here in the UK. Including some stadium shows! Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott Now, "The South", a tribute band of ex-Beautiful South members that now probably has no original Beautiful South members left... that's a grisly tale.
I loved The Beautiful South and 0898 and recall seeing them in a small Cleveland club in 1992. Kind of lost track of them after that, but this thread has me wanting to go back and revisit their stuff again.
Canada's a geographically large country, so I cannot comment on the entire land mass but I can tell you that the Beautiful South were a modesty successful band in the Toronto/Southern Ontario area, especially if you went to university in the late 80's, early 90's. Even when I saw them live in 2000, they were able to draw a good crowd at the fairly cavernous Warehouse nightclub in T.O. Albums #1 and #3 and the singles comp. all made the top 50 album chart in Canada.