Paint the Town in Sound: Online Exhibition

(1st row, left to right)

Out of the Shadows (1962)
Guitarists Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin relocated from the North East to London in 1958 and soon formed The Shadows. The Shadows are the fifth most successful act in the history of the UK singles chart.

Photographer unknown. This image uses a similar lighting effect to another famous EMI album cover, With The Beatles, released the following year.

Pipedream (1973)
A member of Lindisfarne until his death in 1995, Alan Hull also released several solo albums, including Pipedream in 1973 and Squire in 1975.

Artwork taken from The Philosopher’s Lamp by René Magritte, 1936.

Moving Targets (1978)
Penetration formed in Ferryhill, County Durham in 1976 and still perform and record. Singer Pauline Murray is also active as a solo artist and with The Invisible Girls.

Artist Russell Mills has worked as a sleeve designer for Nine Inch Nails, Brian Eno, David Sylvian and many more. He is also a filmmaker and recording artist.

(second row, left to right)

Fog On The Tyne (1971)
Folk-rock group Lindisfarne formed in Newcastle in 1968. Fog On The Tyne topped the UK album charts for 4 weeks in 1972.

Trevor Wiles, Franco Polsinelli and Stewart Cameron based the sleeve on an engraving of the Tyne River at Newcastle found in the Central Library. They would later form the design company Metromedia.

Strange New Flesh (1976)
Jazz-rock group Colosseum II featured Sunderland-born keyboard player Don Airey. Since then Airey has played with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, ELO, Judas Priest and Deep Purple.

Illustrator Ian Emes subsequently worked with Pink Floyd as an animator and is now a BAFTA-winning filmmaker.

Age of Plastic (1980)
Trevor Horn, one half of Buggles, grew up in County Durham. After huge success with Video Killed The Radio Star, Horn became one of the world’s most influential and sought-after producers, crafting hits for Frankie Goes To Hollywood, ABC, Yes, Seal and more.

Design by Glenn Travis Associates.

(Third row, left to right)

Roxy Music (1972)
The line-up for Roxy Music’s debut album featured Washington-born singer and songwriter Bryan Ferry and Paul Thompson from Jarrow on drums. Bryan Ferry studied Fine Art at Newcastle University.

The cover was photographed by Karl Stoecker and features model Kari-Ann Muller, who also appears on Mott the Hoople’s 1974 album The Hoople.

Dire Straits (1978)
Mark and David Knoplfer of Dire Straits grew up in Blyth. The band formed in London in 1977 and have sold more than 100 million albums.

Chuck Loyola was a freelance artist in London in the 1970s. He was commissioned by designers Hothouse to create several album covers including this painting.

Ghost In The Machine (1981)
Primary Police songwriter Sting was born in Wallsend. In May 2019, their song Every Breath You Take was recognised by BMI as being the most played song in radio history .

Designer Mick Haggerty has created sleeve art for artists such as Supertramp, David Bowie and Jellyfish. Since 1980 he has also worked as a director of music videos.

(Top row, left to right)

2,000,000 Voices (1981)
Angelic Upstarts formed in South Shields in 1977 and are still performing and recording. They are considered pioneers of the Oi! subgenre of punk.

Graphic designer Keith Breeden also designed covers for Pink Floyd, Fine Young Cannibals and Scritti Politti. He is now primarily a portraitist and is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Black Metal (1982)
Extreme metal pioneers Venom formed in Newcastle in 1978. Their 1982 album Black Metal gave its name to an entire genre and they were an influence on thrash bands such as Metallica and Slayer.

Artwork credited to the band’s bassist and singer Cronos, though this has been disputed by drummer Abbadon.

She Goes To Finos (1985)
Sunderland’s The Toy Dolls formed in 1979. Their version of children’s song Nellie The Elephant reached #4 in the UK singles chart in 1984. They continue to tour and record.

Cover illustration by House of Viz. The Viz comic was founded in 1979 by Chris Donald. Graham Dury and Simon Thorp, who were key contributors through the 80s, are still members of the editorial team.

(Second row, left to right)

Danceclass (1982)
Across 1980 Danceclass built a large following in the North East through live performances and coverage on Tyne Tees Television. Their only released album was issued by A&M in 1982.

Peter Ashworth’s photographic work can be found in the National Portrait Gallery. Designer Andrew Ellis was as an assistant at Hipgnosis before founding Icon Communications and working for artists such as Paul McCartney, Radiohead and Duran Duran.

Swoon (1984)
Prefab Sprout formed in County Durham in 1979 around brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon. After Swoon, their commercial peak lasted into the 1990s. Paddy still sporadically releases Prefab Sprout music to wide critical acclaim.

Designed by Matthew Caley and Pavlou Goldberg who formed East Orange design company while at university in Newcastle. They worked extensively with Kitchenware Records in the 1980s. Caley is now a poet and lecturer. Goldberg is a photographer, designer and writer.

Boat To Bolivia (1986)
Wearside’s Martin Stephenson and the Daintees released their first single in 1982. Since then Stephenson has produced a huge catalogue of music both with The Daintees and solo.

Photographer Bleddyn Butcher was brought up in Australia but returned to England in 1980 where he took photographs for the NME, most notably of Nick Cave with whom he developed a long association. Design by East Orange (see Swoon, 1984)

(Third row, left to right)

Crazy Nights (1981)
Tygers of Pan Tang formed in Whitley Bay in 1978. They released several singles on Tyneside label Neat Records before signing to MCA, for whom they recorded four albums between 1980 and 1982.

Sleeve artwork by the acclaimed fantasy illustrator and designer Rodney Matthews. Somerset-born Matthews is also an accomplished drummer.

The Bad and Lowdown World of The Kane Gang (1985)
North East trio The Kane Gang formed in 1982. Their debut album contained two Top 40 UK singles and the song Small Town Creed, which was later reworked as the Byker Grove TV theme.

Design by Matthew Caley and Pavlou Goldberg as East Orange (see Swoon, 1984). Photography sourced from Easington District Council archives.

Revenge (1986)
Eurythmics were formed in 1980 by Aberdeen-born Annie Lennox and Sunderland’s Dave Stewart. The duo have topped the singles chart in both the UK and the US, and have sold around 75 million albums.

Painting by Sunderland-born artist Eric Scott.

(Top row, left to right)

Actually (1987)
Pet Shop Boys – Chris Lowe and Newcastle’s Neil Tennant – formed in London in 1981. They have had 22 top 10 singles in the UK charts, including four number ones.

Cindy Palmano became renowned in the 80s for her fashion and music photography. She has also directed documentaries and music videos. Mark Farrow’s award-winning work spans all areas of graphic design. He continues to collaborate with the Pet Shop Boys.

All Roads To Fault (2004)
Washington rock band Yourcodenameis:milo released their debut mini-album in 2004. They released three further albums before pausing the band in 2007. They have a reunion show scheduled for March 2021.

The Designers Republic are graphic designers based in Sheffield. The company was founded in 1986 by Ian Anderson and Nick Phillips.

12.09.09 (2009)
Frankie & The Heartstrings formed in Sunderland in 2008 and have released three albums. Dave and Michael from the band founded record shop/community space Pop Recs Ltd in 2013. Singer Frankie Francis is a radio presenter and Sunderland’s match day announcer.

Cover image from Keith Pattison’s photographic work documenting the miner’s strike in 1984.

(Second row, left to right)

Dog Leap Stairs (1999)
Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams released her first album in 1999 and her second was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2000. Since then she has released numerous solo records and collaborative albums.

Kathryn Williams is also an artist and has created sleeve art for her own records and others.

Songs of Praise (2004)
Sunderland four-piece The Golden Virgins released one album with XL Recordings in 2004. Singer and guitarist Lucas Renney subsequently released one solo album, 2009’s Strange Glory, while drummer Neil Bassett made two albums with Futureheads drummer David Hyde as Hyde and Beast.

Designer and illustrator Victoria Collier has helped to create sleeve art for labels including XL, 4AD, Too Pure and Mantra.

Forecast (2011)
d_rradio, led by Chris Tate of South Shields, have amassed a significant catalogue of releases since 2004. Tate also records as Score.

Cover art by deathrowradio.

(Third row, left to right)

Saturday (2003)
J Xaverre was one of several pseudonyms used on releases by former-Kenickie member Pete Gofton. He is now a producer and music lecturer.

Steve Rowland is a graphic designer based in Brighton. His work for the Memphis Industries label also included the first Field Music album. He has also co-authored a book on Mod culture.

The Night Don Benito Saved My Life (2006)
Sunderland quartet This Ain’t Vegas were an integral part of the city’s music scene in the 00s, both through their own live performances and releases, and through the “Beats Happening” events which brought DIY touring bands to Sunderland.

Photography by Durham-based Steve Landles. Design by Jealous Records co-founder Sophie McIntosh.

Tell Tales (2012)
The Cornshed Sisters are four Tyne and Wear-based singer-songwriters. They have released two albums.

Illustration by Newcastle-based artist and film-maker Kate Sweeney.

(Top row, left to right)

Plumb (2012)
Sunderland-based Field Music released their first album in 2005. They have subsequently recorded many more albums at their own studio as well as recently venturing into guest-curating.

Sleeve collage by the band’s co-leader Peter Brewis.

Silver Fox (2013)
Newcastle-based quartet Silver Fox formed in 2009 and recorded this album with Andrew Hodson of Warm Digits. Band-members Laura Lancaster and Susie Green feature elsewhere in this exhibition.

Artist Phoebe Unwin studied in Newcastle and now lives and works in London. Her work appears in collections across Europe and in South Korea, as well as in the Arts Council Collection.

Frozen By Sight (2014)
Frozen By Sight is a collaboration between Field Music’s Peter Brewis and Paul Smith of Maximo Park. It was originally conceived as a live performance commission for Sage Gateshead.

Artist Peter J Evans studied at Dartington College of Art and then in Newcastle. His work has been exhibited in the UK, across Europe and in Beijing.

(Second row, left to right)

Interchange (2012)
Newcastle-based duo Warm Digits have released five albums since 2011, some featuring guest-vocalists such as Paul Smith, Peter Brewis, Emma Pollock and Sarah Cracknell.

The Interchange project used photography and illustrations from the Tyne and Wear archives to explore the construction of the Metro system. Artwork adapted by the band from stills from the accompanying film and screen-printed by Sam Grant.

Love Your Dum and Mad (2013)
Whitburn singer and songwriter Nadine Shah released this, her debut album in 2013. She has made three further albums including 2018’s Mercury-nominated Holiday Destination.

The album is named after the cover painting by Shah’s friend, artist Matthew Stephens-Scott who passed away in 2012.

Old Fears (2014)
Field Music’s David Brewis has released three albums under the name School of Language since 2008.

“The Temple” painting by artist Flora Whiteley. Whiteley studied in Newcastle and is now based in Berlin. Text and layout by Sunderland-based designer Matthew Tye.

(Third row, left to right)

Heart And Soul In The Milky Way (2013)
Milky Wimpshake formed in Newcastle in 1993. Their most recent album was released in 2020. Band-mainstay Pete Dale is a senior lecturer in music and media at Manchester School of Art.

Cover artwork by Rachel Holborow. Holborow is also a member of Red Monkey and ran the indie label Slampt with Dale.

The Days Run Away (2013)
Frankie & The Heartstrings formed in Sunderland in 2008 and have released three albums. Dave and Michael from the band founded record shop/community space Pop Recs Ltd in 2013. Singer Frankie Francis is a radio presenter and Sunderland’s match day announcer.

Photographs by Sunderland-based Paul Alexander Knox, from his documentary series following boxer Francis “Fearless” Jones.

Too Much Information (2014)
Maxïmo Park formed in Newcastle in 2000 but became more widely-known when Paul Smith joined as singer in 2003. They have released six album since 2005’s Mercury-nominated debut A Certain Trigger.

Newcastle-based multimedia artist Matt Stokes is known for work exploring musical subcultures and how they can influence notions of identity. He created two music videos for songs on this album.

(Top row, left to right)

The Magic Bridge (2015)
Richard Dawson of Newcastle released his first album in 2007. Since then he has released a string of acclaimed albums under his own name and several collaborative records, including four as a member of the group Hen Ogledd.

Ant Macari is a Newcastle-based artist. He is predominantly known for his drawings, but has more recently worked in performance, public art, music and poetry.

Lung Bread For Daddy (2019)
Following one 2012 album as “Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny”, multimedia artist Houghton began recording music under the name Du Blonde. Lung Bread for Daddy was the follow up to 2015’s Welcome To Milk.

Cover self-portrait by Beth Jeans Houghton.

(Second row, left to right)

Blisters In The Pit of My Heart (2016)
Martha formed in Pity Me in Durham and released their debut album in 2014. They have since released two further LPs, including this one.

Photograph of bass player Naomi Griffin by guitarist JC Cairns.

Viscerals (2020)
Newcastle-based Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs released their debut three-track album in 2017 and have quickly become one of the UK’s most-acclaimed heavy bands.

Illustrator Max Löffler has produced artwork for album covers, posters, books and news publications such as The New Yorker, The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times.

(Third row, left to right)

Higgledy Piggledy (2018)
Sunderland’s Ian Black toured as the bass player in Field Music in 2010 before releasing two albums of his own as Slug. He is currently recording a third.

Cover painting by Ian Black.

Spook The Herd (2020)
Lanterns on the Lake formed in Newcastle in 2007. Since 2011 they have release five albums with the Bella Union label.

Kevin Craig is an artist, animator and lecturer at Manchester School of Art. He has frequently worked with Bella Union Records on design and music video projects.

(Top row, left to right)

Puppet Life (1979)
Punishment of Luxury formed in Gateshead in 1976. They fused punk with avant-garde theatre on acclaimed debut Laughing Academy and have sporadically reunited since.

South Shields-based illustrator Peter Dixon was a friend of the band and designed sleeves for several of their early single releases.

Roker Rave / Ain’t No Stopping Us Now (1992)
The Sunderland AFC Squad’s FA Cup Final single was released in conjunction with Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme. Martin Brammer of the Kane Gang was one of the track’s co-writers.

Designer Vaughan Oliver was born in Sedgefield. Through a longstanding association with the 4AD label he created sleeves for the Pixies, The Breeders and Cocteau Twins. He was a lifelong supporter of Sunderland AFC.

(Second row, left to right)

Skillex (1996)
Kenickie formed in Sunderland in 1994. After single releases on Slampt and Fierce Panda, they released their debut album At The Club through EMI. It reached #9 in the UK albums chart in 1997.

Illustration by the band’s singer/guitarist Lauren Laverne, now a radio and television presenter.

Starry Eyes (1997)
Spraydog formed in Newcastle in the mid-90s and the band and its members have formed an enduring part of the city’s independent/DIY scene.

Cover by artist and musician Sarah E Hall, who also provided artwork for several other Spraydog releases and for their label Ferric Mordant.

(Third row, left to right)

Nul Book Standard (2002)
Sunderland’s The Futureheads formed in 2000 and released their debut album in 2004. They have achieved three top 20 singles and three top 20 albums in the UK charts.

Cover painting by the band’s drummer David Hyde.

3rd Planetarium / Drawn By Lines split 7” (2004)
3rd Planetarium and Drawn By Lines were both Tyne and Wear-based groups. Drawn By Lines guitarist Kevin Dosdale later joined Field Music and is also a graphic designer.

Cover illustration by 3rd Planetarium drummer Richard Amundsen.

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