Band History
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This is a very brief history
of the two bands (actually one of the first things I wrote for the site back
in October 1998). There is much more detail (and a much better story!) about the history in the 'Interviews' and 'Articles' sections of the site. |
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Ferg
Harper Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Steve
Hogarth Keyboards, Programming, Lead Vocals
Geoff
Dugmore Drums, Percussion, Programming, Vocals
Colin
Woore Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
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In 1980, a Scottish band called Motion Pictures (Ferg
Harper, Colin Woore, Geoff Dugmore) advertises in the music press for a
keyboard player. After an audition, Steve Hogarth, who has recently moved
down to London from Doncaster, is chosen. The band start extensive rehearsals
in Shepperton, and in the spring of 1981 change their name to Europeans. |
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Their first appearance on record is as the backing band on
John Otway's "All Balls and No Willy" in 1982. Later that year, Europeans sign a
contract with A&M. Three singles. "The Animal Song",
"A.E.I.O.U." and "Recognition" are released before the
first LP, "Vocabulary." Lead vocals are handled by bassist Ferg
Harper, and one, "Kingdom Come" by Steve Hogarth. Kiki Dee and Toni
Childs are among the backing vocalists. Another single, "American
People" is released, and the band extensively tours. |
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The second LP "Live" is released on February
11th 1984. Recorded on December 15th and 16th 1983 in London, the LP contains
6 "Vocabulary" numbers performed live, "Going to Work"
originally the b-side of the "American People" and 3 new songs,
"Typical", "Joining Dots" and "Tunnel Vision."
(The first of which was released as a promo single.) The LP charts at number
100, the highest (and only) position the band recorded. To promote the LP, Europeans perform
"Innocence" and "Tunnel Vision" on the UK's youth music
show The Tube.
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Ferg Harper |
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In the creative environment, Steve Hogarth begins to
contribute increasingly more songs to the group. He also prefers to take the
lead vocals on the material that he had written. In 1984, his upbeat
"Listen" is chosen as the next single, backed with "Climb the
Wall" sung by guitarist Woore |
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Hogarth recalls, "I joined as the keyboard player,
then later, when we got into writing together, I began doing the lead vocals
on some tracks as well. Usually things I had written the lyrics for. Up until
then I was always very shy about singing. I knew I had a voice, I'd started
singing in Harlow [his first band], and really enjoyed it. But it had always
been from behind a keyboard. The whole front-man thing, though, was something
else. It wasn't until towards the end of the Europeans that I started getting to
grips with that with any confidence." |
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Steve Hogarth |
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A free promo single `Acid Rain' is released to promote
their 3rd album. The sleeve claimed "There are very few opportunities to
hear album tracks these days. This record is not a single, but a trailer for
our new album We hope the music speaks for itself but you'll make up your own
minds." The b-side contained edits of a further 3 album tracks, all
about a minute long. |
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Geoff Dugmore |
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The last studio album, "Recurring Dreams" is
released on October 30th 1984. Five of the eight tracks now featured lead
vocals by Steve Hogarth, who is particularly pleased with the band's
progression. However, the album is not promoted the way it should have been.
This is not helped when the Managing Director of A&M leaves the company a
day after the release of the LP, and most of his A&R staff who had
originally signed the band are all made redundant. |
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"We were very affected by the fashion of the
times," says Hogarth. "We were very fast anxious and industrial, if
you know what I mean. But by the time of the second studio album, we'd
developed. If we hadn't left A&M when we did, I think we might have done
something..." |
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Colin Woore |
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Steve
Hogarth Vocals & Keyboards
Colin
Woore Guitars
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In 1985, Steve Hogarth and Colin Woore split to form a
band on their own called How We Live. They had
been writing together for the last six months of the Europeans,
finding that they complemented each others writing. They are signed to CBS
and start recording at Peter Gabriel's studio in Bath. The first song,
Hogarth's autobiographical "Working Town" is released as a single
on July 7th 1986. The LP "Dry Land", produced by Europeans friend
David Lord, is released in January 1987. It contains 10 tracks, covering a
variety of feels and moods |
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"All Time in the World" is chosen as the next
single. Failing to excite the charts, it is re-released, but again gets no
recognition. Subsequent singles "Working Girl" and "Games In
Germany" are also ignored. |
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Hogarth, to this day, is very proud of the "Dry
Land" album: "I was very, very happy about [it], up to the moment
that I delivered it to CBS. That was a very demoralizing experience." As
with the last Europeans
LP, "Dry Land" is plagued with promotional problems at the record
company. How We Live
have problems with the managing director of CBS, which leads to the album
being "buried, completely lost in politics and bullshit." Says
Hogarth, "It never stood a chance." |
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There is potential material for a second album, but
Hogarth finds it difficult to trust the record company's interest in the
band. "I spent about a year trying to write a second album for How We Live, but
my heart wasn't in it and I thought the whole thing was futile. I think if
you do good work and it goes nowhere, you say "Hang on a minute, what's
the point?" Towards the end of 1988, I decided enough was enough and I'd
look for something new to do other than music." A year after the release
of `Dry Land' CBS eliminates the band's contract. "How We Live kind of gradually hit the wall, ran out of
money, ceased to exist." |
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Click here for details of members' post Euros & HWL session work
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