imported>Tropicola: Fixed truncated former band name.

2024-05-03T16:16:57Z

Fixed truncated former band name.

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{{Short description|English pop band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Frazier Chorus
| image = Frazier Chorus.JPG
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[Brighton]], England
| instrument =
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[dream pop]]
| years_active = 1986–1996
| label = [[4AD]] [[Virgin Records|Virgin]] Pinkerton
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/20180317120047/http://frazierchorus.co.uk/|http://frazierchorus.co.uk}}
| past_members = Tim Freeman Kate Holmes Chris Taplin Michéle Allardyce
}}

'''Frazier Chorus''' were an English [[pop music|pop]] [[band (music)|group]] from [[Brighton]], England.<ref name=cherry /> They were known for their unconventional instrumentation, including synthesizers, trumpets, flutes and clarinets, as well as frontman Tim Freeman's "soft, heavily accented ... talk-singing" and sarcastically witty lyrics.<ref name="AllMusicSue">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sue-mw0000800864 |last=Sutton |first=Michael |title=Frazier Chorus - Sue Album Reviews, Songs & More |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=12 December 2022}}</ref>

==History==
Frazier Chorus was formed in [[Brighton]], England, by Tim Freeman (the brother of actors [[Martin Freeman]] and [[Jamie Freeman]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.doyouremember.co.uk/memory/frazier-chorus | title=Frazier Chorus | date=16 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/sue/ | title=Sue }}</ref> on vocals and keyboards), Michéle Allardyce (percussion), Kate Holmes (flute) and Chris Taplin (clarinet, programming).<ref name="AllMusicBio">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/frazier-chorus-mn0000796368/biography |last=Ankeny |first=Jason |title=Frazier Chorus Biography, Songs & Albums |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref> Original names for the band included both Fishing For Clouds and Plop!,<ref name="AllMusicBio"/> but the band eventually settled on Frazier Chorus, a phrase they'd seen on a jacket for the Frazier College football team's cheerleaders in the United States.<ref name="Chaos">{{cite web |url=https://chaoscontrol.com/frazier-chorus/ |title=1996 Interview with Frazier Chorus |last=Gourley |first=Bob |website=Chaos Control Digizine |date=1996 |access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref>

The band first signed to British indie record label [[4AD]]<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=913}}</ref> and released the single "Sloppy Heart" in 1987.<ref name="4ad"/> Shortly afterwards, they moved to [[Virgin Records]] and achieved chart success with a string of melodic pop songs taken from their 1989 debut album, ''[[Sue (album)|Sue]]''.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Allardyce was eventually dismissed from the band.<ref name="AllMusicBio"/>

Their second album, ''[[Ray (Frazier Chorus album)|Ray]]'', followed in 1991, and its singles were remixed by a number of top remixers, including [[Paul Oakenfold]],<ref name="LarkinGE"/> [[Chad Jackson (DJ)|Chad Jackson]] and [[Martin Glover|Youth]]. Following the album's release, the band was let go from Virgin after the label was purchased by [[EMI]] and began purging a number of its artists; subsequently, Holmes and Taplin fired Freeman before ultimately disbanding entirely.<ref name="Chaos"/> Holmes later moved into [[electronica]] via the bands Sirenes, [[Technique (band)|Technique]], and [[Client (band)|Client]].

Freeman took several years off and re-emerged in the mid-1990s, resurrecting the band name with permission from Holmes and Taplin.<ref name="Chaos"/> In 1995, Freeman released a mini-album as Frazier Chorus, ''[[Wide Awake (Frazier Chorus album)|Wide Awake]]'', which did not reach the [[UK Albums Chart]]. He later released ''[[Monkey Spunk]]'', a collection of five demos recorded prior to the sessions for ''Wide Awake'', available exclusively via the band's website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.frazierchorus.co.uk/releases/relfram.htm |title=New release from Frazier Chorus...Monkey Spunk! |website=Frazier Chorus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031213193821/http://www.frazierchorus.co.uk/releases/relfram.htm |archive-date=13 December 2003 |access-date=12 December 2022}}</ref>

After leaving the band, Holmes became a member of the synthpop band [[Technique (band)|Technique]], before joining Dubstar's Sarah Blackwood in the electronic band [[Client (band)|CLIEͶT]] in the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wildhorseclub.com/blogs/diary/meet-kate-and-queenie-the-inspiration-behind-the-new-dancing-queen-collection | title=Kate Holmes - Read Her Story }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/kate-holmes-starts-fashion-revolution-1821761 | title=Kate Holmes starts her own fashion revolution | date=16 July 2011 }}</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Album !! [[UK Albums Chart|UK Albums Chart]]<ref name=chartstats /> !! [[Record label|Label]]
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Sue (album)|Sue]]'' || align=center|56 || [[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
|-
| 1991 || ''[[Ray (Frazier Chorus album)|Ray]]'' || align=center|66 || Virgin
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Wide Awake (Frazier Chorus album)|Wide Awake]]'' || align=center|- || Pinkerton
|-
| align=center colspan=13 style="font-size:8pt" | "-" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2" width="35"|Year
!rowspan="2"|Song
!colspan="3"|Peak chart positions
!rowspan="2"|Album
!rowspan="2"|[[Record label|Label]]
|-
!width="80"| [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref name=chartstats />
!width="80"| [[Alternative Songs|US Alternative Songs]]<ref name=billboard1 />
!width="80"| [[Hot Dance Club Songs|US Dance/Club Play Songs]]<ref name=billboard2 />
|-
|align="center"|1987
| "Sloppy Heart"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
| style="background:#ddd;" |Non-album release
| [[4AD]]
|-
|align="center"|1988
| "Dream Kitchen"
|align="center"|57
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|rowspan="3"|''[[Sue (album)|Sue]]''
|rowspan="6"|[[Virgin Records|Virgin]]
|-
|align="center" rowspan="2"|1989
| "Typical!"
|align="center"|53
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|-
|-
| "Sloppy Heart"
|align="center"|73
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|-
|align="center" rowspan="2"|1990
| "Cloud 8"
|align="center"|52
|align="center"|17
|align="center"|14
|rowspan="3"|''[[Ray (Frazier Chorus album)|Ray]]''
|-
|-
|-
| "Nothing"
|align="center"|51
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|28
|-
|-
|-
|align="center" |1991
| "Walking on Air"
|align="center"|60
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|-
|-
|align="center" rowspan="2"|1996
| "Driving"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|rowspan="2"|''[[Wide Awake (Frazier Chorus album)|Wide Awake]]''
|Pure
|-
|-
| "Wide Awake"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|Seedy Singles
|-
|-
| align=center colspan=13 style="font-size:8pt" | "-" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
|}

===Compilations===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Album
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Monkey Spunk]]''
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=cherry>{{cite web |title=Frazier Chorus - Sue |url=http://www.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred/artists/frazierchorus.php |publisher=[[Cherry Red Records]] |access-date=17 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121085314/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred/artists/frazierchorus.php |archive-date=21 January 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=4ad>{{cite web |title=Frazier Chorus |url=http://www.4ad.com/frazierchorus/ |publisher=[[4AD]] |access-date=17 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116143912/http://4ad.com/frazierchorus/ |archive-date=16 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=chartstats>{{cite web |title=The Official Charts Company: Frazier Chorus |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ |work=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=18 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name=billboard1>{{cite web |title=Frazier Chorus: Billboard Chart History - Alternative Songs |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=frazier chorus|chart=Alternative Songs}} |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |access-date=19 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name=billboard2>{{cite web |title=Frazier Chorus: Billboard Chart History - Dance/Club Play Songs |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=frazier chorus|chart=Dance/Club Play Songs}} |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |access-date=19 January 2011}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* {{discogs artist|Frazier Chorus}}
* {{IMDb name|14185894}}

{{Frazier Chorus}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:4AD artists]]
[[Category:British dream pop musical groups]]
[[Category:English synth-pop groups]]
[[Category:English new wave musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Brighton and Hove]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1986]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1996]]

Frazier Chorus - Revision history

imported>Tropicola: Fixed truncated former band name.