One of the weirdest nuttiest stories in pop history, the streetwise Farm was formed in Liverpool, England in 1985 by singer Peter Hooton a onetime youth worker searching for a musical outlet to voice his political concerns. Rounded out by guitarists Steve Grimes and Keith Mullin, bassist Carl Hunter and drummer Roy Boulter, the primary incarnation of the Farm recalled both the leftist identity and horn-powered sound of urban soul. They were dubbed "the Soul of Socialism". The group promoted its music not only through live appearances but also via football fanzine 'The End', a soccer fanzine published by Hooton - a forerunner and inspiration for loaded magazine.
Then in 1990, imagine the utter surprise as popular Saturday morning music feature The Chart Show played the video for new Farm release, and former Monkees hit, Stepping Stone. Why Surprise? Well, apart from ORS, a reasonable documentary by Miles Copeland (brother of Stewart, The Police) on Liverpool bands and Kevin Sampson's indie flick The Final Frame, the band had seldom appeared on screen. This was awesome stuff. The band were lucky to have had a full half page dedicated to them in any article in the music press to this particular date. Suddenly it sank-in, they were going places and good luck to 'em. Ben Leach was new soundman as keyboard player. Kevin Sampson and Suggs were soon the management team behind the band. Terry Farley was mixing their sound and the band were steadily gaining new ground in terms of popularity. Produce records was set up. The band played at the grand opening of The Palace, located in Slater Street and facing Wade Smith's original shop. The Palace was a typical shopping arcade of the Indie/Dance era (i.e Manchester's Afflecks Palace) and was well placed in the new cultural centre of younger Liverpool, the former warehouse laden Bold Street area.
The band were a regular fixture in the area, as their base was Produce Records at Holmes Building in nearby Wood Street. Soon Groovy Train followed and proved more, much more popular than their previous release. It was to peak at no.6 in the national singles chart. The band had featured on Ibiza - A Short Film About Chilling, shown on Channel 4, and their fan base spread rapidly. They were now BIG news.
Old farm favourite No Mans Land was re-worked as All Together Now,
the tune was to be brilliantly fused with Pachelbel's Canon. Steve Grimes, what genius! It was a top spot contender, sadly up against pop heavyweight Cliff Richard. The Xmas hit rounded off a memorable year for the band. No other single release from the band was to equal the success of the two aforementioned tracks, all the same each one was of true Farm quality. Don't Let Me Down
was a slower number and maybe this break in momentum sealed its fate. Groovy Train had been a much heavier fast paced sunburst dance tune. Some believed All Together Now was propelled by Xmas fever and the situation in the Gulf region. But, isn't that exactly what makes a tune truly memorable? The excellent arrangement and pure pop orientation catchiness can never be dismissed. Spring 1991 saw the album Spartacus
shoot in at no.1 in the album chart. Indie/Dance was at its peak. There was the legendary gigs. The Town & Country and Royal Court classics. Pete Wylie and B.A.D's Mick Jones were two heads often seen with the band. Jones was a hero to Hooton, and to many others, as former Clash guitar player. The band had Pete Wylie provide backing vocal on All Together Now and thus allowed him to re-invent himself. Soon, there was a collaboration for a new version of his excellent 80's number Sinful.
Mind
and
Love See No Colourwere to be new single releases from the band's second album, Love See No Colour. Despite doing less, in the usual commercial sense, these two tracks were excellent and gave hard hitting lyrics reminiscent of old style Farm contributions. Rising Sun
was a re-working of East & West. East & West was a late 80's Farm track (still remember the T-Shirts for the tour of the said name).
The band were also popular in the US and they had signed with Sire in 1991, Madonna's label. Problems regarding the direction in which the band was heading began a wilderness for The Farm. Divisions on musical direction split the camp into factions. Suggs bailed out and the band ditched Produce and signed to Sony, the £1,000,000 venture. The 1994 album Hullabaloo
had some excellent tracks. Messiah
was released as a single and despite the great attention given to it and crowds turning up at gigs stateside, the album and single were not great commercial successes. Sire were promoting some of their other acts and interest in the band wasn't a priority. Was Pete Hooton's 1970's Gerry Conlon hairdo to blame? They were also one of the bands that played The Last Night Of The Kop. An emotional occasion for Pete and Roy, both red hot Liverpool FC fans. The event marked the end of The Kop as a terrace, a result of Hillsborough and the conclusions drawn afterwards. The band eventually split and the late 1990's presented that all too familiar post-band great The Best Of.
album. Pete Hooton and Keith Mullin formed Hunkpapa and Carl Hunter and Steve Grimes, Brite. Roy Boulter provided Wylie's Wah! with percussion and Ben Leach went on tour for 10 years with various bands including the Happy Mondays.
Today many muso journalists dismiss the band and refer to them as bargain bin material. Many of these same individuals had once embraced the band. It was typical fickle practice that these middle class journos put up with the unwashed antics from the lower classes, while members of their own social class in other bands struggled for media attention. Thanks Terrace Retro
After the rampant success of Altogether Now 2004 (the official England European Championships Single), The Farm were badgered by Get Loaded promoters to reform, and perform alongside The Happy Mondays at Brixton Academy for two nights in March 2005. The shows sold out!!! In addition, Get Loaded in the Park 2005, a new festival, was blessed with a live performance .in front of 25,000 people @ Clapham common, 10,000 Glasgow and 17,000 in another gig with the Mondays at Manchester Evening News Arena.
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