Babylon Zoo
{{Short description|English rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Babylon Zoo
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| origin = Wolverhampton, England
| instrument =
| genre = Alternative rock, electronic rock
| years_active = 1992–2000
| associated_acts =
| current_members =
| past_members = {{plainlist|
- Jas Mann
- Carrie Melbourne
- Dave Goodes
- Darrin Mooney
- Paul Alcock
- Robin Alcock
- Mark Bloomer{{Cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/culture/music-nightlife-news/broom-bezzums-germanys-most-famous-6673070|title=Broom Bezzums: Germany's most famous English folk band gear up for UK tour - The Journal|first=David|last=Whetstone|website=Thejournal.co.uk|date=5 February 2014 |access-date=18 October 2019}}}}
}}
Babylon Zoo were an English rock band formed in 1992 in Wolverhampton. Their song "Spaceman" gained considerable exposure through its use in a Levi's jeans television advert in the United Kingdom in late 1995. Released as the band's debut single on 21 January 1996, it entered the UK Singles Chart at number one.{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 38}} "Spaceman" led to the band being perceived as a one-hit wonder, when subsequent releases charted less successfully.
History
Frontman Jas Mann had formerly been in indie music band The Sandkings. In 1993, a three-track demo earned him a contract from Phonogram Records for his next project, Babylon Zoo,{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/babylon-zoo-mn0000076211|title=Babylon Zoo Biography|website=Allmusic|last=Sutton|first=Michael|access-date=7 June 2013}} but ended up being signed to Warner's WEA record label, where the band recorded the album The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes. However, around this time Clive Black, managing director of Warner, was poached by rival record company EMI and so took Babylon Zoo over to EMI.{{Cite web|url=http://www.babylonzoo.net/biography/|title=Babylon Zoo Online :: Biography|website=Babylonzoo.net|access-date=18 October 2020}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.confusedart.com/about/|title=About Babylon Zoo & Jas Mann|website=Confusedart.com|access-date=18 October 2020}}
The band's first single was "Spaceman", which had been recorded and pressed by Warner as a CD single, before being scrapped when Black left the company. However, a promo version was played on a Manchester radio station. An advertising-agency creative heard it and decided it would be perfect for a Levi's jeans TV advert they were developing. Levi's used part of "Spaceman" for their UK TV ad and the hook of the song became popular. Even though the rest of the song turned into a slower grunge-glam style, it still became the fastest-selling debut single in British history.{{cite magazine |last=Borzillo |first=Carrie |title=Popular Uprisings |magazine=Billboard |date=16 March 1996 |volume=108 |issue=11 |page=26 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YA8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26 |access-date=20 May 2020}} The single sold 383,000 copies in the first week of release,{{cite web |title=Clean Bandit score huge-selling Number 1 single with Rather Be |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/clean-bandit-score-huge-selling-number-1-single-with-rather-be__3710/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=26 January 2014}} spending 5 weeks at number 1.
Critic Steven Wells wrote the "Spaceman" single (resembling the Levi's advert version for only "about ten seconds") angered many consumers. He reported Mann drew further ire through self-aggrandising interviews, and noted his ridicule in the media, including by NME and in a 1997 episode of comedy TV series Brass Eye.{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com:80/reviews/reviews/19990019165041reviews.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000831232909/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19990019165041reviews.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 August 2000|title=This week's singles|last=Wells|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Wells|date=23 January 1999|website=NME|access-date=25 June 2017}}
Tim Moore wrote "only failure and embarrassment" followed for Babylon Zoo.{{cite book|last=Moore|first=Tim|author-link=Tim Moore (writer)|date=2012|title=You are Awful (but I Like You): Travels Through Unloved Britain|publisher=Vintage|pages=157–158|isbn=978-0-224-09011-7}} An album entitled The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes was produced at Mann's New Atlantis Productions music and video centre. It peaked at number 6 on the UK Albums Chart on 17 February, but quickly dropped out of the Top 40, lasting only a further two weeks on the chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/19960303/7502/|title=1996 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive 9th March 1996|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=11 June 2013}} Subsequent singles charted progressively lower, failing to match the success of "Spaceman".{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/32407/babylon-zoo/|title=Official Charts: Babylon Zoo - Singles|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=9 January 2025}} The band's reputation was further damaged by a series of scathing live reviews.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Spaceman+band+falls+back+to+earth.-a060199381|title=Spaceman band falls back to earth|publisher=The Free Library|website=Sunday Mercury|date=9 May 1999|access-date=29 May 2013}}
In 1999, a follow-up album was released, King Kong Groover. The album received negative reviews and sold fewer than 10,000 units, failing to chart in the UK. The first single from the album was "All The Money's Gone", released in the UK and Europe and peaking at number 46 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, a cover of Mott the Hoople's "Honaloochie Boogie", was only released as a promotional single in France.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Babylon-Zoo-Honaloochie-Boogie/release/3848021|title=Babylon Zoo - Honaloochie Boogie|website=Discogs.com|date=1998 |access-date=18 October 2019}} The group disbanded shortly after and Mann moved to India where he spent time working for an aid agency.{{Cite web|url=http://blog.comedycentral.co.uk/2010/08/11/watn-babylon-zoo-spaceman/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430045056/http://blog.comedycentral.co.uk/2010/08/11/watn-babylon-zoo-spaceman|url-status=dead|title=Where Are They Now?|archive-date=30 April 2012}}
In 2005, Jas Mann announced he would be issuing a new Babylon Zoo album, called Cold Clockwork Doll, but no official release date was ever announced and no further updates followed.{{cite web|url=http://hangout.altsounds.com/features/128758-happened-babylon-zoo.html |title=Whatever happened to... Babylon Zoo |publisher=altsound.com |last=Edden |first=John |date=21 April 2011 |access-date=29 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429201412/http://hangout.altsounds.com/features/128758-happened-babylon-zoo.html |archive-date=29 April 2014 }}
Musical style and influences
Many journalists felt Babylon Zoo was influenced by David Bowie's musical style.{{cite magazine|last=Thompson|first=Dave|authorlink=Dave Thompson (author)|date=June 1996|title=Babylon Zoo: The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes|magazine=Alternative Press|pages=69}}{{cite journal|last=Spencer|first=Neil|author-link=Neil Spencer|date=11 February 1996|title=Music Releases|journal=The Observer|page=12}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/record-reviews-1316852.html|title=Record reviews|last=Gill|first=Andy|date=2 February 1996|website=The Independent|access-date=16 December 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/rock-pop-1.151968|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206053251/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/rock-pop-1.151968|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 December 2018|title=Rock/Pop|last=Courtney|first=Kevin|date=12 February 1999|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=5 December 2018}} As such, the band can be seen as a 1990s alternative rock band with glam and electronic influences.
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| Title
!Released !UK !AUS
!Certification |
|---|
| The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes
|February 1996 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|28 |
|
| King Kong Groover
|February 1999 |align="center"|– |align="center"|– | |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Song !width="40"|UK !width="40"|AUS !Certification !Album |
| 1995
|"Spaceman" |align="center"|1 |align="center"|3 |
|rowspan="3"|The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes |
| rowspan="2"|1996
|"Animal Army" |align="center"|17 |align="center"|59 | |
| "The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes"
|align="center"|32 |align="center"|– | |
| rowspan="2"|1999
|align="center"|46 |align="center"|– | |rowspan="2"|King Kong Groover |
| "Honaloochie Boogie"
|align="center"|– |align="center"|– | |
| 2000
|"Love Lies Bleeding" |align="center"|– |align="center"|– | | rowspan="1" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{musicbrainz artist|id=22459cde-5212-4d97-aa8f-30f0b83eaff0|name=Babylon Zoo}}
- {{discogs artist}}
{{Babylon Zoo}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:English rock music groups
Category:Musical groups established in 1992
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2000
Category:Musicians from Wolverhampton
Category:Musical groups from West Midlands (county)
Category:1992 establishments in England