The Charlatans Biography

Two seconds into 'Blackened Blue Eyes', when Mark Collins' guitar punctuates the super groove of Tony Roger's piano, one thing is clear -- The Charlatans are a vital force. And then Tim Burgess's vocals come in, with a melody that's so beguiling it almost disguises the disturbing intensity at the heart of the song.

It's great to have the band back with a record, 'Simpatico', that finds them better and fresher than ever, and ready to take on the world again. It's a record, in short, that sees every member of The Charlatans step up to the plate and give it everything.

But first, a little history. It's a singular tale of success tarnished by acute tragedy. Formed in 1989, the band put their first single, 'Indian Rope', out on their own label Dead Dead Good records and sold 20,000 copies (that's enough to get a number one nowadays). They were snapped up by Beggars Banquet and achieved their first Top Ten single with 'The Only One I Know', a perennial Nineties' favourite that defined the Madchester scene while simultaneously signposting such 21st Century sounds as Kasabian.

The Charlatans sported insouciance and looks to spare, but with talent to match - their debut album 'Some Friendly' charted at number one. Then in 1992 disaster struck when keyboard player Rob Collins was unwittingly involved in an armed robbery and was sent down for eight months. The band, however, bounced back with 'Up To Our Hips', a record that saw them get some of the most extraordinary critical applause in the band's long career.
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