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Balaam and the Angel are a Scottish rock band founded by Mark, James (Jim), and Desmond (Des) Morris in Cannock, England in 1984.[1][2]
Balaam and the Angel | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Birmingham, England |
| Genres | Rock, gothic rock, glam metal, hard rock |
| Years active | 1983–1989, 1991–present |
| Labels | Virgin |
| Members | Mark Morris Jim Morris Des Morris Chris P Notes |
| Past members | Ian McKean Dom Roche |
| Website | Balaam and the Angel Official website |
Career
editAs children in Motherwell, Scotland, the Morris brothers worked in the entertainment industry as part of a cabaret act.[3] They moved south to Cannock, Staffordshire, England, where they formed Balaam and the Angel.[4]
Initially the band self-released a series of EPs and an album entitled Sun Family[5] via their own Chapter 22 label and played some tour dates opening for The Cult.[4] This caught the attention of Virgin Records, who signed them and released their debut album, The Greatest Story Ever Told.[6][4] It peaked at No. 67 in the UK Albums Chart in August 1986.[7] They toured in the United States with The Mission, Kiss and label mate Iggy Pop.[citation needed]
A second guitarist and the first non-sibling, Ian McKean of Twenty Flight Rockers,[8][9][10][11] was added to the band in 1988.[4] The band began to move away from gothic rock music styles into a sound that had more in common with hard rock. With their new-found style, they recorded the album Live Free or Die.[12] This was soon followed up in similar style when they recorded Days of Madness,[13] before leaving Virgin Records.[4] Their song "I'll Show You Something Special" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.[14]
Their presence was largely ignored by the time that their 1993 album, Prime Time, had failed to interest record buyers.[3]
Members
edit- Mark Morris - vocals, bass (1983–1989, 1991–present)
- Jim Morris - guitar, keyboards (1983–1989, 1991–present)
- Des Morris - drums (1983–1989, 1991–present)
- Karen Morris - keyboards (2019–present)
- Chris P Notes (Chris Williams) - keyboards (1994–2019)
- Ian McKean - guitar (1988–1989, 1991–1994)
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Date of release | Album Title |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Sun Family |
| 1987 | The Greatest Story Ever Told |
| 1988 | Live Free or Die |
| 1989 | Days of Madness |
| 1991 | No More Innocence |
| 1993 | Prime Time |
| 2019 | That's Not the Real World |
EPs
edit| Date of release | EP Title |
|---|---|
| 1984 | World of Light |
| 1985 | Love Me |
Singles
edit| Date of release | Single Title |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Day and Night |
| 1986 | She Knows UK No. 70[7] |
| 1986 | Slow Down |
| 1986 | Light Of The World |
| 1986 | New Kind of Love (Australia only) |
| 1987 | I'll Show You Something Special |
| 1987 | I Love The Things You Do to Me |
| 1988 | Live Free or Die (Texas Redbeard Mix) |
| 1989 | I Took a Little |
| 1990 | A Little Bit of Love |
| 1993 | Shame on You |
Compilation albums
edit| Date of release | Compilation Title |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Young Virgins (featuring "Light of the World".) |
| 2002 | Sun Family |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "MusicMight :: Artists :: BALAAM AND THE ANGEL". 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Balaam And The Angel". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 82/3. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ a b c d e Moore, Christie (2006) The Unultimate Rockopedia, AuthorHouse, ISBN 1-4259-6474-5, p. 27-8
- ^ "Balaam And The Angel - Sun Family". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Balaam & The Angel - The Greatest Story Ever Told". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 40. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Gregory, Andy (18 October 2002). The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002. Psychology Press. ISBN 9781857431612 – via Google Books.
- ^ International Who's who in Music: Popular music. Vol. two. Melrose Press. 18 October 1996. ISBN 9780948875076 – via Google Books.
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (18 October 2002). The Great Scots Musicography: The Complete Guide to Scotland's Music Makers. Birlinn, Limited. ISBN 9781841830414 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Long and Winding Road: The Music of Mark Ferrick and Thirteen". 20 November 2013.
- ^ "Balaam & The Angel* - Live Free Or Die". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Balaam And The Angel - Days Of Madness". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.