If you know them at all, it's for their 1990 indie groover Madchester-flavored hit-of-sorts "Perfume" (video) - a top track indeed. What many don't know is that they actually released an album, and 3 other singles.
Paris Angels came together in 1990 or so right as Madchester was cresting. They managed to create quite a New Order-ish blend of rock and dance, at times sounding oddly like a blend of Electronic/Revenge/The Other Two - isn't that New Order? Yes it is, but the blend they created doesn't have that classic Hooky bass sound.
First surfacing on a compilation of Manchester acts entitled "Home" with the song "Stay", the band then released their classic debut single "Perfume". Riding "Perfume" as long as the music press allowed them, they released 2 other singles on Manchester indie label Sheer Joy (owned by a disgruntled ex-Factory Records employee!), then signed to a major label and reissued Perfume (different mixes), then finally an LP. After one more single they fell off the face of the earth. Apparently the band were victims of a Great Purge after Virgin sold itself off to EMI - they finished recording a 2nd LP but when turning up with the record were shown the door.
Guitarist Paul Wagstaff would later resurface in Shaun Ryder's post-Happy Mondays act Black Grape.
So without further ado, I present... Paris Angels, Complete Discography. If there's any tracks missing beyond the odd radio session, I've never heard of them existing.
Paris_Angels-Complete.part1.rar
Paris_Angels-Complete.part2.rar
(you'll have to download both files to extract, it's one RAR archive split into two files - grab the decompression software here if you don't have anything to extract RAR files)
-----------------------------
HOME (compilation)
(Compilation CD, 1989 Sheer Joy SHEER CD001)
Stay
PERFUME (single)
(1990 Sheer Joy SHEER 002/CD)
Perfume
All On You (Perfume)
Muffin 2
Techno (Live at Subterania)
SCOPE (single
(1990 Sheer Joy SHEER 004/CD)
Scope
Give Me More...Scope
Scope Two
GBF
OH YES (single)
(1991 Sheer Joy SHEER 005/CD)
Oh Yes
I Understand
Oh Yes instrumental
Too Easy
PERFUME (single - Virgin issue)
(1991 Virgin VSCDT 1360)
Perfume (Loved Up)
Pure
Perfume (All On You)
SUNDEW (debut LP)
(1991 Virgin CDV 2667)
Eternity
Fade
Smile
Slippery Man
What Goes On
Perfume (All On You)
Louise
Breathless
Chaos (Stupid Stupid)
Purest Values
Oh Yes
FADE (single)
(1991 Virgin VSCDG 1365)
Fade
Fade (Tag Mix)
Fence
Fade (Polo Mix)
--------------------
Anything missing? Drop a line in the comment box....
enjoy!
Can you believe you made me discover the Paris Angels?
ReplyDeleteIt's unbelievable, I had read their name somewhere but never had heard them.
Thank you so much, they're fantastic! I'm totally obsessed now by
Perfume, the chorus is pure genius, the way Jane's "oooh" over all
those chords finally brings to Wags' voice.... love his half arsed
vocals... the video is funny, they look like a baggy version of Deacon
Blue... ;-)
Anyway many of the other songs are excellent as well.
I was already a fan of Northside, but I might even prefer the Paris
Angels in the end, they sound like the missing link between A Certain
Ratio and Happy Mondays, and almost as good as either.
Quality stuff, they should have been on Factory, definitely!
ok... if you are reading this, Mr. or Ms. Oswego, IL - please ID. I grew up in the western suburbs - DuPage County - and I really find it amazing there are more than two Paris Angels fans in the entire Chicago area, much less within 10 miles of each other.........
ReplyDeletegreat post, thanks for this. Still got my originals of Perfume and Scope on vinyl somewhere. Had Sundew as well, but it's M.I.A.
ReplyDeleteFull discography - minus a couple pending 7" edits/mixes - now posted as FLAC including a whole bunch of tracks missing from this earlier post! Check the sidebar over ---->
ReplyDeleteSorry to say that the drummer, Si Worrall, died a couple of days ago. He was my neighbour and one of my brother's best friends. My fondest memory (other than going to loads of Man City matches with him) was seeing the Angels at the International 2 in Manchester. Their support was a virtually unknown, but up-and-coming band... St. Etienne! How things changed. Those were the days. Thanks for the discography by the way. I used to have everything, but now I live in Thailand and lost it all.
ReplyDeleteR.I.P. Si... from the Paris Angels to real angels.
hey there, was really hoping to get a hold of Sundew by Paris Angels and I can't find it anywhere!
ReplyDeletereckon you could help me out?
alextaylor1991@gmail.com
hey there, was wondering if you might be able to help me get a copy of Sundew by Paris Angels...
ReplyDeletecan't find it anywhere now!!
Hello! Good to have found a posting dedicated to Paris Angels, as it is quite difficult to find your material. The links are fallen, no way resubirlos? And I read that also recorded material for a second album that never came out. You get to listen to that stuff? It would be great. Thank you very much from Buenos Aires!
ReplyDeleteMy mail is ojoalpiojo@hotmail.com