Blyth Power

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "For". Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other Blyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer and drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of anarcho-punk bands Zounds and the Mob.[1] The band's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music and Porter's lyrics often centre on themes from mythology and history.

The band have released more than a dozen studio albums, since 1993 on their own label Downwarde Spiral Records.

Career

Established in 1983 and named after a railway locomotive,[2] the one constant in an ever-shifting lineup has been drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Joseph Porter (real name Gary Hatcher, born 21 February 1962 in Templecombe, Somerset, England), who formed the band with Curtis Youé, another former member of anarcho-punk band The Mob.[3] The band have subsequently been through many line-up changes; their 1990 album Alnwick and Tyne featured Jamie Hince, later of The Kills, on lead guitar.

The band's first release was a cassette, A Little Touch of Harry in the Night, in 1984.[3]

Since 1993, Blyth Power recordings have been released on their own label, Downwarde Spiral. Since 2000 they have cut back on their touring schedule due to various personal commitments, but they have organised an annual mini-festival, the Blyth Power Ashes. The festival takes place in August of each year, and combines live music with a cricket match featuring band members and their associates. From 2011 the event moved to The Plough, in Farcet Fen near Peterborough due to its ever-increasing popularity. From 2015 to 2019, The Ashes took place at The Hunters Inn in Longdon, near Tewkesbury.[4]

Joseph Porter has also been involved with various side-projects, such as doing solo guitarist/vocalist performances and collaborating in two other bands, Red Wedding and Mad Dogs & Englishmen.

Musical style

The band's lyrics often deal with episodes from history, ranging from the Trojan War to the Cod Wars, as well as aspects of English culture such as cricket, village life and trains, as well as a lot of politics.[1] Porter is an avowed trainspotter, and in August 1998 the band appeared on the LWT religious affairs television programme Holy Smoke! in a slot in which musicians discussed their individual religions — with trainspotting cited as his religion.[5]

Members

Current members

List of current band members
Title Details
Joseph Porter
  • Joined: 1983
  • Instrument: Drums, Lead Vocals (sometimes plays acoustic guitar)
Annie Hatcher
  • Joined: 1995
  • Instrument: Keyboards, Harmony Vocals
Ben Bailey
  • Joined: 2014
  • Instrument: Bass
Hugo Hatcher
  • Joined: 2019
  • Instrument: Guitar
Dion Lay
  • Joined: 2023
  • Instrument: Guitar

Former members

List of former band members
Title Details
Neil Keenan
  • Joined: 1983
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Guitar
Curtis Youe
  • Joined: 1983
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Bass
Andy Morgan
  • Joined: 1985
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Sarah Lewington
  • Joined: 1985
  • Left: 1986
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Martin "Protag" Neish
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1998
  • Instrument: Bass
Steve Ardcorr
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1988
  • Instrument: Guitar
Jamie Hince
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1990
  • Instrument: Guitar
Sian Jeffreys
  • Joined: 1987
  • Left: 1988
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Julie Dalkin
  • Joined: 1988
  • Left: 1990
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Helen Rush
  • Joined: 1988
  • Left: 1990
  • Instrument: Harmony Vocals
Wob Williams
  • Joined: 1990
  • Left: 1994
  • Instrument: Guitar, Harmony Vocals
Darren Tansley
  • Joined: 1990
  • Left: 1995
  • Instrument: Keyboards, Harmony Vocals
John Rutherford
  • Joined: 1994
  • Left: 1997
  • Instrument: Guitar, Harmony Vocals
Chris Hopkins
  • Joined: 1997
  • Left: 1998
  • Instrument: Guitar
Andrew "Jessi" Adams
  • Joined: 1998
  • Left: 2001
  • Instrument: Guitar
Bambi
  • Joined: 1998
  • Left: 2003
  • Instrument: Bass
Gary Miller
  • Joined: 2001
  • Left: 2001
  • Instrument: Guitar
Steven Cooper
  • Joined: 2001
  • Left: 2014
  • Instrument: Guitar
Jerry Hellfire
  • Joined: 2002
  • Left: 2022
  • Instrument: Bass (2002-2014), Guitar (2014-2022)
Jack Ellis
  • Joined: 2022
  • Left: 2022
  • Instrument: Guitar

Timeline

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Colors = 

 id:lvocals value:red        legend:Lead_vocals
 id:drums   value:orange     legend:Drums
 id:guitar  value:green      legend:Guitar
 id:keys    value:purple     legend:Keyboards
 id:bass    value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:bvocs   value:pink       legend:Harmony_vocals
 id:studio  value:black      legend:Studio_albums
 id:live    value:gray(0.6)  legend:Live_release_recordings
 id:bars    value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

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 layer:back color:live
 at:01/01/1997
 at:01/01/1999



 color:studio
 at:01/01/1984
 at:01/01/1987
 at:01/01/1988
 at:01/01/1990
 at:01/01/1991
 at:01/01/1992
 at:01/01/1993
 at:01/01/1995
 at:01/01/1996
 at:01/01/2000
 at:01/01/2002
 at:01/01/2006
 at:01/01/2009
 at:01/01/2014
 at:01/01/2023

BarData = 

        bar:Joseph   text:"Joseph Porter"
        bar:Neil text:"Neil Keenan"
        bar:Steve text:"Steve Ardcorr"
        bar:Jamie text:"Jamie Hince"
        bar:Wob text:"Wob Williams"
        bar:John  text:"John Rutherford"
        bar:Chris text:"Chris Hopkins"
        bar:Jessi text:"Andrew 'Jessi' Adams"
           bar:Gary text:"Gary Miller"
         bar:Steven text:"Steven Cooper"
       bar:Hugo text:"Hugo Hatcher"
        bar:Jack text:"Jack Ellis"
        bar:Curtis text:"Curtis Youe"
        bar:Protag text:"Martin 'Protag' Neish"
        bar:Bambi text:"Bambi"
        bar:Jerry text:"Jerry Hellfire"
       bar:Ben text:"Ben Bailey"
     bar:Darren text:"Darren Tansley"
        bar:Annie text:"Annie Hatcher"
        bar:Andy text:"Andy Morgan"
        bar:Sarah text:"Sarah Lewington"
        bar:Sian text:"Sian Jeffreys"
         bar:Julie text:"Julie Dalkin"
       bar:Helen text:"Helen Rush"

PlotData = 

width:11
 color:lvocals
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 color:guitar
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 bar:Steve     from:01/02/1987     till:01/01/1988
  bar:Jamie    from:01/02/1987     till:01/01/1990
  bar:Wob    from:01/02/1990     till:01/01/1994
  bar:John    from:01/01/1994     till:01/01/1997
  bar:Chris   from:01/01/1997     till:01/01/1998
 bar:Jessi   from:01/01/1998    till:01/01/2001
 bar:Gary   from:01/01/2001    till:31/12/2001
 bar:Steven     from:01/01/2001     till:01/01/2014
 bar:Jerry  from:01/01/2014     till:01/01/2022
 bar:Hugo from:01/01/2019 till:end
   bar:Jack from:01/01/2022 till:end

 color:bass
 bar:Curtis   from:start      till:01/01/1987
 bar:Protag   from:01/02/1987      till:01/01/1998
 bar:Bambi  from:01/01/1998      till:01/01/2003
 bar:Jerry  from:01/01/2002      till:01/01/2014
 bar:Ben from:01/01/2014 till:end

 color:keys
  bar:Darren    from:01/02/1990 till:01/01/1995
 bar:Annie    from:01/02/1995 till:end 

 color:bvocs
 bar:Annie    from:01/02/1995 till:end width:3
 bar:Andy    from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1987
 bar:Sarah   from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1987
 bar:Sian  from:01/02/1987 till:01/01/1988
 bar:Julie  from:01/02/1988 till:01/01/1990
 bar:Helen  from:01/02/1988 till:01/01/1990
 bar:Wob    from:01/01/1990     till:01/01/1994 width:3
 bar:Darren    from:01/02/1990 till:01/01/1995 width:3
  bar:John    from:01/01/1994     till:01/01/1997 width:3

</timeline>

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK Indie
[6][7]
A Little Touch of Harry in the Night[3]
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: 96 Tapes
  • Formats:
 –
Wicked Women, Wicked Men and Wicket Keepers[3] 6
The Barman and Other Stories[3]
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
 –
Alnwick and Tyne[3]
  • Released: 1990
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
 –
The Guns of Castle Cary[3]
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
 –
Karpov Crosses the Border
  • Released: Recorded 1992, but unreleased until c.2000
  • Label:
  • Formats:
 –
Pastor Skull[3]
  • Released: 1993
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
Paradise Razed[8]
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
Out from Under the King[8]
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
The Bricklayer's Arms[8]
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
On the Viking Station
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
Fall of Iron
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
Land Sea & Sky
  • Released: 2009
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
Women and Horses and Power and War
  • Released: 2014
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –
The Power Behind the Throne
  • Released: 2023
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
 –

Live albums

List of live albums
Title Album details
A Rededication of Pastor Skull
  • Released: 1997
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:
Gladly Give to Caesar
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums
Title Album details
Pont Au-Dessus de la Brue
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Midnight Music Records
  • Formats:
Ten Years Inside the Horse
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Anagram Records
  • Formats:

Singles

List of singles
Title Album details
"Chevy Chase"
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: All the Madmen Records
  • Formats:
"Junction Signal"
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: All the Madmen Records
  • Formats:
"Ixion"
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: All the Madmen Records
  • Formats:
"Up from the Country"
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Midnight Music
  • Formats:
"Goodbye to All That"
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Midnight Music
  • Formats:
"Better to Bat"
  • Released: 1990
  • Label: Midnight Music
  • Formats:
"A Wild Card to Play"
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Downwarde Spiral Records
  • Formats:

Compilation appearances

  • "Reality Asylum" - cover version of the song by Crass on the compilation album You've Heard It All Before (1993)

Related albums

  • When Death Went to Bed with a Lady (1998, Joseph Porter solo album)
  • Going Down with Alice (2000, album by Mad Dogs and Englishmen, including Joseph Porter)
  • Red Wedding (2004, acoustic album by Steven Cooper and Joseph Porter)

Videos

  • Do the One About the Horse (1992)
  • Live in Harlow (1995)

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Authority control

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