The Stingrays (Bristol band)
The Stingrays | |
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![]() Cover of their first single, "Countdown" | |
Background information | |
Origin | Bristol, England |
Genres | New wave |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels |
Fried Egg Bristol Beat Heartbeat Cherry Red Circus Bristol Archive YTY |
Website |
The Stingrays Facebook Page The Stingrays Facebook Page 2 The Stingrays on Twitter The Stingrays on Instagram The Stingrays on Myspace |
Members |
Russ Mainwaring Paul Matthews Richard H. Meredith |
Past members | Bill Stair, Pete Thelke, Dean Sidney, Chris Bostock, Sean McLuskey, Paul Johnson, Mark Paton, Biff, Tim Syniad, Pawb |
The Stingrays are a new wave band, which originally formed in 1977 in Bristol, England, and is gigging today but for the most part in Japan.[1] (There are at least three notable bands that have called themselves The Stingrays, Sting Rays or a permutation of the name).
They have experienced various line up changes over the years, but have included: Russ Mainwaring (who is still a member), Bill Stair (Art Objects, Various Artists, Blue Aeroplanes), Chris Bostock, and Sean McLuskey (Subway Sect, JoBoxers, If?).
Their first single, Countdown, was released on local label Fried Egg Records in 1980. They also contributed the track, "Sound", to the seminal Heartbeat Records compilation album, Avon Calling.[2]
The mini-album, The Stingrays At the Dugout in '77: The Sound of Two Hands Clapping, was recorded by Simon Edwards (of Heartbeat Records) live at the Dug Out Club, Park Row, Bristol. According to Steve Bush of Essential Bop, they were "a bit like Bristol's equivalent of The Ramones. A rockin' unit with an advanced sense of irony."[3]
In 2002 "Countdown" was re-released on the 1977 Records label in Japan
A CD of previously unavailable tracks, Back across the Rubicon was released on in 2009.[4]
2010 saw Japanese manga artist Zawa Freakbeat using The Stingrays gig at The Star Lounge in Tokyo as a theme in his manga Private World Volume 2
In 2011 an EP "The Girl in the Greengrocers" was released in Japan
In 2012 a limited edition vinyl release of Countdown was released in Japan
In autumn 2016 a new album Ticket from Home will be released
Band line-ups
Original line-up
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar
- Bill Stair - Bass
- Pete Thelke - Vocals
- Dean Sidney - Drums
This line up is on the album "The Stingrays at the Dugout (1977): The Sound of Two Hands Clapping"[5]
Line-up 2
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar /Vocals
- Chris Bostock - Bass
- Dean Sidney – Drums
Line-up 3
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar / Vocals
- Paul Matthews - Guitar
- Chris Bostock - Bass
- Sean McLuskey - Drums
This line up is on "Sound" from the Heartbeat Records album Avon Calling[5]
Line-up 4
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar/ Vocals
- Chris Bostock - Bass.
- Sean McLuskey - Drums.
This line up is on the Fried Egg Records single "Countdown"[5]
Line-up 5
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar / Vocals.
- Paul Johnson - Bass
- Sean McLuskey - Drums
Line-up 6
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar / Vocals.
- Paul Johnson - Bass.
- Mark Paton - Drums
This line up is on "Satellites", the B side of the Circus Records single "Never Do"[5]
Line-up 7
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar / Vocals.
- Biff - Bass.
- Mark Paton – Drums
This line up is on the A side of the Circus Records single "Never Do"[5]
Line-up 8
- Russ Mainwaring - Guitar / Vocals.
- Tim Syniad - Bass.
- Pawb - Drums.
This line up is on the YTY album Back Across the Rubicon
Line-up 9
- Russ Mainwaring Guitar - Vocals.
- Paul Mathews - Bass
- Richard H Meredith - Drums.
line-up 10
- Russ Mainwaring Guitar - Vocals.
- Marc Raygun - Bass
- Richard H Meredith - Drums.
current line-up
- Russ Mainwaring Guitar - Vocals.
Discography
Singles
- "Countdown" / "Exceptions" / "Actions" (1979, Fried Egg, UK, 7", EGG 006)
- "Never Do" / "Satellites" (1981, Circus, UK, 7", CIRC 0003)
Albums
- The Stingrays At the Dugout in '77: The Sound of Two Hands Clapping (2009, Bristol Archive, Mini Album Download, ARC077)
- Back across the Rubicon (2009, YTY, UK, CD)
Tracks appear on
- Bristol Beat: The Stonehouse Tapes 8-3-80 / 15-3-80 (1980, Bristol Beat, UK, Cassette)
- "Avon Calling" (1980, Heartbeat, UK, LP, HB 1)
- "Avon Calling [Reissue + Unreleased Tracks and Heartbeat Singles Collection]" (2005, Cherry Red, UK, CD, CDMRED292)
- Bristol Beat 1980 - The Stonehouse Tapes (200?, Bristol Archive, UK, Download, ARC036)
See also
- Culture of Bristol
- List of Bands from Bristol
- Heartbeat Records
- Avon Calling
- JoBoxers
- List of Record Labels from Bristol
- Bristol Record Labels
References
- ↑ "Bristol bank Stingrays back on stage . . . 30 years after last gig". Bristol Post. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ George Gimarc Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock, 1970-1982 AVON CALLING is the title of a new collection of new bands from Bristol, in the county of Avon. The lovely black and white... Private Dicks, Moskow, Essential Bop, Sneak Preview, The Stingrays, The X-Certs, Apartment, The Numbers. Vice Squad ...
- ↑ Review of The Stingrays by Steve Bush of Essential Bop "Bristol Archive Records"
- ↑ Details of Back across the Rubicon "TheStingrays.org"
- 1 2 3 4 5 "The Stingrays Discography". Bristol Archive Records. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
External links
- The Stingrays at last.fm
- The Stingrays on YouTube
- The Stingrays Discography at Discogs.com
- Review of The Stingrays at Bristol Archive Records
- The Stingrays official website
- The Stingrays official MySpace page