Cornershop
{{For|the article on local shops|Convenience store}}
{{short description|English indie rock band}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Cornershop
| image = Cornershop.jpg
| caption = Cornershop {{circa|1993}}
| landscape = yes
| origin = Leicester, England
| Instruments =
| genre = Alternative rock, indie rock, alternative dance, Britpop{{cite web|author=Madison Bloom |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/cornershop-announce-first-album-in-8-years-share-new-song-listen/ |title=Cornershop Announce First Album in 8 Years, Share New Song: Listen |website=Pitchfork.com |date=2019-11-26 |access-date=2020-03-12}}
| years_active = 1991–present
| label = Wiiija, Rough Trade, Ample Play, Luaka Bop, Warner Bros.
| website = {{Official URL}}
| current_members = * Tjinder Singh
- Ben Ayres
- Nick Simms
- Peter Bengry
- Adam Blake
- Pete Downing
- James Milne
| past_members = * Avtar Singh
- David Chambers
- Anthony Saffery
- Wallis Healey
- Pete Hall
}}
Cornershop are an English indie rock band formed in Leicester, in 1991. The group are best known for their single "Brimful of Asha" from their third album When I Was Born for the 7th Time, whose remixed version topped the UK singles chart in 1998. They were formed by Tjinder Singh (singer, songwriter, and guitar), his brother Avtar Singh (bass guitar, vocals), David Chambers (drums), and Ben Ayres (guitar, keyboards, and tamboura), the first three having previously been members of General Havoc, who released one single (the Fast Jaspal EP) in 1991.{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Great Alternative & Indie Discography |year=1999 |publisher=Canongate |isbn=0-86241-913-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/greatalternative0000stro }}Buckley, Peter (2003) The Rough Guide to Rock, Rough Guides, {{ISBN|978-1-84353-105-0}}, p.229-230 The band name originated from a stereotype referring to British Asians often owning corner shops. Their music is a fusion of Indian music, indie rock, alternative and electronic dance music.
History
=Formation and early years: 1991–1996=
Tjinder Singh formed General Havoc whilst a student at Lancashire Polytechnic in Preston in 1987. He relocated to Leicester, where his brother and sister lived. He formed Cornershop in 1991 along with his brother Avtar and Chambers and Ayres while working as a barman at Leicester's Magazine pub, a popular local music venue near O'Jays, where the band played their first gigs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/?WCI=SiteHome&ID=8354&PageID=44919|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009045007/http://beehive.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=8354&PageID=44919|url-status=dead|title=Leicestershire Live - Latest local news, sport & business from Leicester|archive-date=9 October 2006|website=Leicester Mercury}} Named after the stereotype of South Asians owning corner shops,{{Cite web|url=https://www.weirdozine.com/blog/interview-tjinder-singh-cornershop-2023|title=Interview with Cornershop’s Tjinder Singh|date=3 October 2023|website=WEIRDO}} Cornershop drew inspiration from Singh's experiences as a British-born Sikh, mixing traditional Punjabi music with British indie rock.{{Cite news |last=Dibbell |first=Carola |date=April 16, 2002 |title=Skipping on Air |url=https://robertchristgau.com/u/cd/music/cornershop-02.php |access-date=November 2, 2024 |work=The Village Voice}} In the early 1990s, when the UK music press criticised singer Morrissey after accusations of racism, the band were invited to comment and the Melody Maker ran a story featuring the band burning a picture of the singer outside the offices of EMI.Beaujon, Andrew (1996) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=3ywEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT16 Cornershop: Bhangra Punk!]", CMJ New Music Monthly, February 1996, p. 20.
Their debut release, the In The Days of Ford Cortina EP, produced by John Robb was pressed on "curry-coloured vinyl"Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0231-3}}, p.99-100 and contained a blend of Indian-tinged noise pop. The sound mellowed somewhat with the release of debut album Hold On It Hurts in 1994, described by Trouser Press as "a politically charged popfest, ten tracks of noisy delights that meld incisive social commentary with a firm hold on British post-punk."McCaleb, Ian & Reno, Brad "[http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=cornershop Cornershop]," Trouser Press The album impressed David Byrne, who signed the band to his label Luaka Bop. Although David Chambers left the band in 1994 and was replaced by Nick Simms, the band re-emerged in 1995 with the "6 a.m. Jullandar Shere" single and the album Woman's Gotta Have It, also touring the United States including some dates on the Lollapalooza tour. The band also toured Europe with Beck, Stereolab and Oasis.
=Mainstream success: 1997–2001=
The band released their critically acclaimed album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time, in September 1997. The album incorporates a variety of genres, combining indie rock, Britpop, electronic music, and hip-hop. The track "When the Light Appears Boy" features Allen Ginsberg, while "Candyman" includes Justin Warfield, and "Good to Be on the Road Back Home" features Paula Frazer. The band also covers The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" in Punjabi.
Recorded in multiple studios across London, San Francisco, and Preston, Lancashire, the album was produced by Tjinder Singh in collaboration with Dan the Automator and Daddy Rappaport. Rolling Stone named it one of the essential recordings of the 1990s, and it was ranked No. 1 on Spin
The album's lead single, "Brimful of Asha," topped John Peel's Festive 50 list in 1997 and became an international hit following a popular remix by Fatboy Slim. The song is a tribute to the Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle and reflects Singh's love for Trojan Records and vinyl culture.{{Cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=2002-03-29 |title=Rock around the shop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/mar/29/popandrock.shopping |access-date=2024-11-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Cornershop took a break from touring in 1998, during which frontman Tjinder Singh and guitarist Ben Ayres worked as DJs and formed the side project Clinton. In 2000, they released a disco inspired album, Disco and the Halfway to Discontent, as part of their side-project. This inspired the launch of the London-based club night called Buttoned Down Disco, which took its name from the third track on the album.{{Cite web |last=Bidaye |first=Prasad |date=April 30, 2000 |title=Clinton |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/clinton-disco_halfway_to_discontent |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Exclaim! |language=en}}
=Further activities and recent years: 2002–present=
Cornershop's next official release was the 2002 album Handcream for a Generation. The album was recorded between 2000 and 2001 at West Orange Studios in Preston, Lancashire, and Eastcote Studios in London, with Singh producing most of the album and Rob Swift co-producing two tracks. Drawing on soul, funk, disco, house, reggae, and psychedelic rock, featuring instruments like sitar and tabla, the album also featured a collaboration with Noel Gallagher on guitar. Two singles, "Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III" and "Staging," peaked at 37 and 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Cornershop promoted the album with UK and US tours, festival appearances, and performances with Oasis.
Despite initial success, Cornershop parted ways with Wiiija in October 2002 due to low album sales. Since 2003, they have reportedly been working on a film about London's independent music scene. In 2004, they released Topknot with Bubbley Kaur on Rough Trade Records, followed by the 2006 single Wop the Groove, featuring Rowetta from Happy Mondays. Their song "Candyman" was later used in Nike's LeBron James VI shoe commercial, The Six "Chalk," in 2008. In July 2009, they released the album Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast, led by the single "The Roll-Off Characteristics (Of History in the Making)," on their label, Ample Play.{{Cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=2009-07-23 |title=Cornershop: Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/23/cornershop-judy-sucks-a-lemon |access-date=2024-11-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
In 2011, Cornershop were awarded a prize for Commitment to Scene in the UK Asian Music Awards.{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=John |date=2011-02-17 |title=Cornershop on their new album, six years in the making |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/17/cornershop-interview |access-date=2024-11-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} and released Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of, a collaborative album with Punjabi folk singer Bubbley Kaur, which was critically acclaimed.{{Cite news |date=March 13, 2011 |title=Album: Cornershop feat Bubbley Kaur,...and the Double-O Groove of (Ample Play) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-cornershop-feat-bubbley-kaur-and-the-doubleo-groove-of-ample-play-2240771.html |access-date=November 2, 2024 |work=The Independent}} They also launched the "Singhles Club," a subscription service featuring musical collaborations and digital artwork. Their eighth album, Urban Turban, came out in May 2012, followed by their ninth album, Hold On It's Easy, in February 2015.{{Cite web |last=Goodwyn |first=Tom |date=2012-03-08 |title=Cornershop announce new album 'Urban Turban' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/cornershop-2-1274314 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=NME |language=en-GB}} In July 2015, they released the single "Pinpoint" with Welsh singer Angharad Van Rijswijk, aka Accü.{{cite web |date=8 July 2015 |title=Cornerhop ft. Accü 'Pinpoint' - ample play records |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwqRPY8sY7g |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/CwqRPY8sY7g |archive-date=2021-12-21 |access-date=13 July 2018 |publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
In 2017, they gave an instrumental track called 'Demon is a Monster' to the anti-Brexit podcast 'Remainiacs' as a theme tune.{{cite web | url=https://audioboom.com/posts/6322028-the-one-with-gina-miller | title=The one with Gina Miller | date=22 September 2017 | website=Audioboom.com | access-date=25 April 2018 }} The track was then released digitally.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNkURpQNjLY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/DNkURpQNjLY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=CORNERSHOP 'Demon is a Monster' Remainiacs Podcast theme tune - Ample Play Records|date=24 November 2017|access-date=13 July 2018|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Cornershop are fiercely anti-Brexit.{{Cite news|last=Wyatt|first=Malcolm|title=No Looking Back for Cornershop as their Music Continues to Develop|date=20 February 2020|work=Lancashire Evening Post}} In March 2020, they released a new album, England Is a Garden to generally positive reviews. The first official video from the album accompanying the track 'St Marie Under Canon' was released in February 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/27973-cornershop-england-is-a-garden-review|title=The Quietus | Reviews | Cornershop|website=The Quietus|date=20 March 2020 }}
Band members
;Current members
- Tjinder Singh – vocals, guitars, bass, dholki (1991–present)
- Ben Ayres – guitars, tamboura, keyboards, tambourine, vocals (1991–present)
- Nick Simms – drums, vocals (1995–present)
- Peter Bengry – percussion (1995–present)
- Adam Blake – sitar, guitars (2009–present)
- Pete Downing – guitars (2009–present)
- James Milne – bass
;Former members
- Avtar Singh – bass, guitars, vocals (1991–1995)
- David Chambers – drums (1991–1995)
- Anthony "Saffs" Saffery – sitar, guitars, keyboards (1994–2002)
- Wallis Healey – guitars (1994–1995)
- Pete Hall – percussion (1995)
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" | |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Release date
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Charts ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Certifications | |
|---|---|
| scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| UK {{cite web|url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_C.HTM|title=Chart Log UK: Chris C. - CZR|website=Zobbel.de|access-date=13 July 2018}} ! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| AUS | |
| 31 January 1994
| — | —
| |
| 23 October 1995
| — | —
| |
| 8 September 1997
| When I Was Born for the 7th Time | 17 | 81
| |
| 1 April 2002
| 30 | —
| |
| 27 July 2009
| Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast | 145 | —
| |
| 14 March 2011
| Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of | — | —
| |
| 14 May 2012
| — | —
| |
| 2 February 2015
| — | —
| |
| 6 March 2020
| — | —
| |
=Compilations=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Release date
! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Title |
|---|
| 19 July 1993 |
| 4 March 2013
| Snap Yr Cookies |
| 22 April 2013
| The Hot for May Sound |
=Singles and EPs=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" | |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Release date
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Charts ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:9em;"| Album | |
|---|---|
| scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| AUS | |
| 11 January 1993
| In the Days of Ford Cortina EP | 82 | -
| | rowspan="2"| Non-album singles |
| 30 April 1993
| Lock Stock & Double Barrel EP | 79 | -
| |
| 10 January 1994
| "Reader's Wives" | 91 | -
| | rowspan="2"| Hold on It Hurts |
| 28 March 1994
| "Born Disco, Died Heavy Metal" | 197 | -
| |
| March, 1994
| "Seetar Man" | - | -
| | Non-album single |
| 17 April 1995 {{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/ltd004|title=Cornershop - 6 A.M. Jullander Shere|via=www.45cat.com}}
| "6 a.m. Jullander Shere" | - | -
| | rowspan="4"| Woman's Gotta Have It |
| 1995
| "My Dancing Days Are Done" | - | -
| |
| 26 February 1996
| "6 a.m. Jullander Shere: The Grid and Star Liner Mixes" | - | -
| |
| 24 June 1996
| "W.O.G. – The U.S Western Oriental Mixes" | - | -
| |
| 25 November 1996
| "Butter the Soul" | - | -
| | rowspan="6"| When I Was Born for the 7th Time |
| 9 June 1997
| "Good Ships" / "Funky Days Are Back Again" | 107 | -
| |
| 18 August 1997
| "Brimful of Asha" | 60 | 35
| |
| 16 February 1998
| "Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)" | 1 | -
| |
| 4 May 1998
| "Sleep on the Left Side" | 23 | -
| |
| 26 October 1998
| "Candyman" | - | -
| |
| 4 March 2002
| "Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III" | 37 | -
| | rowspan="2"| Handcream for a Generation |
| 19 August 2002
| "Staging (The Plaguing of the Raised Platform)" | 80 | -
| |
| 26 July 2004
| "Topknot" / "Natch" | 53 | -
| | Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of... |
| 6 February 2006
| "Wop the Groove" | 145 | -
| | Non-album single |
| 25 May 2009
| "The Roll Off Characteristics of History in the Making" | - | -
| | rowspan="2"| Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast |
| 3 May 2010
| The School of Soul EP | - | -
| |
| 9 August 2010
| "Brimful of Asher" (12" Bosom Mix by The Naked Ape) | - | -
| | rowspan="3"| Non-album singles |
| 30 August 2010
| "The Electronic E-Mail Mixes" | - | -
| |
| 22 November 2010
| The Battle of New Orleans EP | - | -
| |
| 17 January 2011
| "Topknot" / "Natch" (reissue) | - | -
| | rowspan="3"| Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of… |
| 14 February 2011
| "United Provinces of India" | - | -
| |
| 9 May 2011
| "Supercomputed" | - | -
| |
| 30 May 2011
| "Non-Stop Radio" | - | -
| | rowspan="3"| Urban Turban - The Singhles Club |
| 27 17 June 2011
| "What Did the Hippie Have in His Bag?" | - | -
| |
| 30 May 2011
| "Non Stop Radio (The Italian Job Remixes)" | - | -
| |
| 19 September 2011
| "Don't Shake It (Let It Free)" | - | -
| | Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of… |
| 9 April 2012
| "Milkin' It" | - | -
| | rowspan="4"| Urban Turban - The Singhles Club |
| 25 June 2012
| "Who's Gonna Lite It Up" | - | -
| |
| 9 July 2012
| "Solid Gold" | - | -
| |
| 5 November 2012
| "Something Makes You Feel Like" | - | -
| |
| 3 December 2012
| "Every Year So Different" | - | -
| | rowspan="6"| Non-album singles |
| 15 July 2015
| "Pinpoint" | - | -
| |
| 4 December 2015
| "Let the Good Times Roll" | - | -
| |
| 1 April 2016
| Hold the Corner EP | - | -
| |
| 20 October 2017
| "Demon Is a Monster" | - | -
| |
| 27 July 2018
| "Double Denim" / "Sugar Sugar" | - | -
| |
| 26 November 2019
| "No Rock: Save in Roll" | - | -
| | rowspan="2" | England Is a Garden |
| 27 January 2020{{Citation|title=Cornershop 'St Marie Under Canon' - ample play records| date=27 January 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvdvaaEe7NE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/MvdvaaEe7NE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2020-02-03}}{{cbignore}}
|"St Marie Under Canon" | - | -
| |
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20200301120037/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/01/cornershop-tjinder-singh-brexit-morrissey-music-england-garden?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2V23IRbvCWzfVPnti-mQ8axuUBqHZIKE2DYYBY9hW2eDoxFBoO5eOaK28 Cornershop's Tjinder Singh: 'My dad said, 'They’ll not always want you here.' That stuck]' by Jude Rogers. The Guardian. 1 March 2020
External links
- {{official website|http://www.cornershop.com}}
{{Cornershop}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups established in 1991
Category:1991 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:English alternative rock groups
Category:Alternative dance musical groups
Category:English indie rock groups
Category:Rough Trade Records artists