THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH
SONGS FROM THE 80S AND 90S
by Mark Nobes, chief editor
"SONG FOR WHOEVER" (1989)
The video clip is from Top Of The Pops and the band are introduced by DJ Nicky Campbell.
Song For Whoever was the first track to be released as a single from the band's debut album Welcome To The Beautiful South and it was penned by band members David Rotheray and Paul Heaton. Two tracks were included on the B-side; Straight In At 37 and You And Your Big Ideas.

"YOU KEEP IT ALL IN" (1989)

"A LITTLE TIME" (1990)
Paul Heaton was replaced by the softer voice of Dave Hemmingway for this song, with help from the band's first female vocalist Briana Corrigan. She left the band in 1992 to start a solo career and, apparently, argued with Paul Heaton over the lyrics to certain tracks.
Choke was as equally successful as the debut album Welcome To The Beautiful South, reaching #2 in the British album charts and achieving Platinum sales. The 11 track album isn't regarded as the band's best work by critics and fans, but, nonetheless, features an interesting array of foot-tapping tunes. Strangely, the follow-up singles My Book and Let Love Speak Up failed to break into the UK Top 40.
Watch the video for The Housemartins - Happy Hour

"ROTTERDAM" (1996)

"PERFECT 10" (1998)


1989 Welcome To The Beautiful South #2
(Platinum)
1990 Choke #2 (Platinum)
1992 0898 Beautiful South #4 (Gold)
1994 Miaow #6 (Gold)
1996 Blue Is The Colour #1 (5x Platinum)
1998 Quench #1 (3x Platinum)
2000 Painting It Red #2 (Gold)
2003 Gaze #14 (Silver)
2004 Goildiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs #11 (Silver)
2006 Superbi #6
Chart positions are for Great Britain
The Singles
1989 Song For Whoever #2
1989 You Keep It All In #8
1989 I'll Sail This Ship Alone #31
1990 A Little Time #1
1990 My Book #43
1991 Let Love Speak Up Itself #51
1992 Old Red Eyes Is Back #22
1992 We Are Each Other #30
1992 Bell Bottomed Tear #16
1992 36D #46
1994 Good As Gold (Stupid As Mud) #23
1994 Everybody's Talkin' #12
1994 Prettiest Eyes #37
1994 One Last Love Song #14
1995 Dream A Little Dream -
1995 Pretenders To The Throne #18
1996 Rotterdam #5
1996 Don't Marry Her #8
1997 Blackbird On The Wire #23
1997 Liar's Bar #43
1998 Perfect 10 #2
1998 Dumb #16
1999 How Long's A Tear Take To Dry? #12
1999 The Table (feat. The London Community Gospel Choir) #47
2000 Closer Than Most #22
2001 The River/Just Checkin' #59
2001 The Root Of All Evil #50
2003 Let Go With The Flow #47
2004 Livin' Thing #24
2004 This Old Skin (feat. Chip Taylor)
2005 This Will Be Our Year #36
2006 Manchester #41
2006 The Rose Of My Cologne #99

