The Housemartins formed in Hull in 1984 with Paul Heaton on vocals, Stan Cullimore on guitar, Norman Cook on bass, and Dave Hemingway on drums. Their first album, 'London 0 Hull 4,' came out in 1986, followed by 'The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death' the next year. They had a hit with 'Happy Hour,' which became one of their best-known songs.
Their music had a jangly guitar sound and straightforward lyrics. They covered songs like 'Caravan of Love' and 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother,' giving them a slightly different feel than their originals. The band broke up in 1988, and the members went on to other projects.
After The Housemartins, Heaton and Hemingway started The Beautiful South. Norman Cook became Fatboy Slim, working as a DJ and producer. The band's songs still get played, but they didn't stay together long enough to build a huge catalog.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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