It's a funny old world really. Particularly in the music business. Every year thousands of records are released that go unheeded and unwanted by the record buying public. Unwanted that is until they are no longer available. Then for some strange reason up goes the demand. Not to mention the price. Copies of these records become much sought after collectors items carrying exorbitant price tags. The turn if the century has seen a
tremendous demand for these long since forgotten sounds. You have within your grasp a
collection of previously released infectious hypnotic educational cuts that
it would be sacrilege to deny!
In 1991 an independent label called STREETLINK offered a substantial album deal to Lee EL THOMMO Thompson and Chris CHRISSY BOY Foreman,who at the time were resting members of MADNESS. The boys had decided to call their new project CRUNCH! and the album was supposed to be called THE NUTTY BOYS in a tribute to their glorious past. A misunderstanding occurred when someone at STREETLINK made a clerical error and Gallup were also wrongly informed.
Before you could blink, the album had already registered it's presence in the lowest nether regions of the Gallup Hot 200. Promoters then began eagerly booking the NUTTY BOYS for various appearances around the country and a T- Shirt company had made 500 NUTTY BOYS T-Shirts on a sale or return basis.So the band became known as the NUTTY BOYS. But from this day hence they shall be known as CRUNCH!
It's a common saying in England that the music of today is rubbish. On most radio stations cover versions or music of the sixties and seventies dominate the air play. A disc jockey was recently quoted thus: "The music of today is nothing.The artistry is gone. The lyrics are poor and monotonous".
Yesterdays music portrayed today England. Today you hear a hundred songs and all they say is but sweet nothings in a thousand different ways. They don't tell a story and have lost the international fame that the music of yesterday's men achieved whilst straddling the globe like a mighty colossus. Oh what fun you will have when you listen to this work. The memories of bygone days will come flooding back in a torrent of expert craftsmanship.
DIAMOND LEGS LOUIS VAUSE [www.louisvause.co.uk]on the pianoforte is a seasoned veteran of the after hours circuit and has lent his considerable talents to many bands. HACKNEY 5-O and THE BUTTERFIELD 8 plus many more have benefited from his scintillating skill on the ivories and his intro to the CRUNCH! version of "FUR ELISE" has been known to move grown men to tears. HONG KONG DAVEY supplies the Organ and his technical expertise also spreads itself to playing the many samples that litter the set. Dave is another fantastic and wholesome guy with a many chequered past and to list a selection of the stars he has trod the boards with would take too much time and read like a whos who of rocks glittering tapestry past and present. Moving on, we find SEXY STEVE on saxophone who takes a close second place to LEE as the groups resident sex symbol. At his wedding reception [which was held in CAMDENS glamourous and prestigious DUBLIN CASTLE] there were floods of tears from his many disappointed female admirers. Young, fresh faced, TAD is the next on bass. He is the joker of the pack and keeps the band amused with his constant stream of gags and one-liners. A founder member of the RIFFS [a legendary SKA band of the late 8OS] he is a bass virtuoso and also sadly a keen fan of LEVEL 42S Mark King].
SPIDER is yet another talented all round musician is who is on drums and also augments Thommo with some excellent and soulful backing vocals. He is the driving force behind the band and on many occasions has spurred them on to their greatest triumphs.He has been a front man himself with POTATO 5 and spent many long hours coaching Lee in things such as delivery,timing and dynamic pacing. CHRISSY BOY on guitar is from the old, old,old school. Solid and dependable,never playing a million notes when one will do, he is usually the person that the younger members in the band will come to with their problems [often of a private and personal nature]. Finally, what can we say about the main man, EL THOMMO on lead vocals and occasional saxophone. After a few early displays of nerves, he has become one of the most charismatic front men in England, constantly coming up with new personae and way outstage costumes. Always an absolute joy to watch onstage, he transforms from his normal quiet and somewhat laid back self, into a human dynamo of pure energy!!!!
On playing the classic album you will find a MAGIC CARPET sweeping you up in a strong chugga chugga bang bang mood and before you know it you'll be snapping fingers to a "PIPE DREAM" and yelling "Yeah!" at their scatter brained treatment of PEOPLE. Have YOU GOT IT yet? The uncontrollable anger that is THE INNOCENT will leave you standing damp and in a dilemma.CRUNCH! is a handsome portrait of two youthful artists in their continuing voyage to the top. This album has been anxiously awaited by their vast and seemingly ageless legion of fans who still continue to write tributes from all three corners of the world that they have since appeared in. It is my sincere belief that CRUNCH!'S album THE NUTTY BOYS is more than enough to once again propel them into the plush club circuit of never ending star spangled DAYDREAMERS. Truly they are and forever will be CRUNCH!
Ben Sherman 2006
click this link to buy the CRUNCH! album on iTunes
