13 March 2025
Band: THE VERVE
Bittersweet symphonic Brits, led by
charismatic voice/face Richard Ashcroft.
Album: FORTH
4th and final one.
Singles: Love Is Noise and Rather Be.
📸 by Chris Floyd
The track that should have been a single too.
The LP’s epic opener SIT AND WONDER.
.
Top singles from the past
26 February 2025
Today 60 years ago, on 26 February 1965, eternal rock emperors THE ROLLING STONES released their third number-one hit in their home country (UK) with THE LAST TIME with that awesome Keef riff. It was the first No 1 credited to songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, nicknamed The Glimmer Twins. The song was recorded in California.
The resemblance with The Staple Singers‘ tune This May Be The Last Time was
pretty obvious, but no claim was filed. On the other hand, the money greedy former
Rolling Stones business lawyer Allen Klein, whose company ABKCO Records owns the rights to all 60s Stones music, sued English rock band The Verve for using samples of the Andrew Oldham Orchestra (the band’s young, but tremendously clever manager) recording ofÂ
The Last Time for their mega-hit Bitter Sweet Symphony.
THE ROLLING STONES
THE STAPLE SINGERS
THE ANDREW OLDHAM ORCHESTRA
THE VERVE
21 October 2024
Band: THE VERVE
(1989–1992, 1995–1999, 2007–2009)
Album: URBAN HYMNS
Their 3rd and most successful one.
Track: VELVET MORNING
Magnificent power pop ballad.
STUDIO
LIVE
Monday 3 June 2024
Richard Ashcroft, Belgium, 2017 – photo by Turn Up The Volume
Another blue Monday.
‘Make It ‘Till Monday’ by THE VERVE.
From 1993 debut LP Storm In Heaven
Live at Glastonbury, 1993.
Hey my friend are we gonna make it till Monday?
Another Friday night waiting for a revelation
I can see a million faces in the condensation
Hey my friend are we gonna make it till Monday?
Hey my friend you better leave now
I’m gonna go my own way
You said I suffer from inner frustration
In a moment you changed
Now things weren’t the same
You were talking at me not with me
And your tongue was burning up in flames
Are you coming back?
Are you coming back?
When Monday comes you’ll be alone
With the whole world staring at you
Better leave now
Epic!
The Verve: Story
Top singles from the past
16 March 2024
Today 58 years ago, on 16 March 1965, imperishable rock icons THE ROLLING STONES scored their third number-one hit in their home country (UK) with rad rocker THE LAST TIME with that awesome Keef riff. It was the first No 1 credited to songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, nicknamed The Glimmer Twins. The song was recorded in California.
The resemblance with The Staple Singers‘ tune This May Be The Last Time was
pretty obvious, but no claim was filed. On the other hand, the money greedy former
Rolling Stones business lawyer Allen Klein, whose company ABKCO Records owns the rights to all 60s Stones music, sued English rock band The Verve for using samples of the Andrew Oldham Orchestra (the band’s young, but tremendously clever manager) recording ofÂ
The Last Time for their mega-hit Bitter Sweet Symphony.
The Rolling Stones
The Staple Singers
The Andrew Oldham Orchestra
The Verve
Works faster than caffeine
13 September 2022
Brit-pop-rock band THE VERVE scored their first and only UK No.1 single with THE DRUGS DON’T WORK, 25 years ago today, on 13 September 1997. Taken from their biggest album Urban Hymns.
Not a song about charismatic frontman Richard Ashcroft‘s personal drugs problems,
it’s actually about his very sick father and the fact that the medication he took didn’t had any effect anymore at one point.
THE VERVE: Bio – Discography
Great magazine covers from the past
RICHARD ASHCROFT
The Verve
August 1997
Music Express (Germany)
C’mon, Richard, one more time…
13 December 2021
Back to 1997…
Band: RADIOHEAD (UK)
Album: OK COMPUTER
Released: 21 May 1997 – their 3rd LP
Score: No 1 in the UK, Scotland
and Belgium, #21 in the USA
Pitchfork said: “The record is brimming with genuine emotion,
beautiful and complex imagery and music, and lyrics that are
at once passive and fire-breathing. OK Computer is like tossing
David Bowie, old U2, Spacehog and lots of Pink Floyd into a
blender and pushing the ‘kill’ button.” Score: 5/5.
Stream here…
.
RADIOHEAD: Facebook
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Band: THE VERVE (UK)
Album: URBAN HYMNS
Released: 29 September 1997 – 3rd LP
Score: #1 in the UK, Ireland, New-Zealand
and Ireland, #23 in the USA
NME wrote: “Its sheer magnificence and spirit is such that
the danger of it overwhelming anything that follows it is obvious.
This, after all, is the musical signature of the year.” Score: 4/5.
Stream here…
.
THE VERVE: Facebook
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Band: SPIRITUALIZED (UK)
Album: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE ARE FLOATING IN SPACE
Released: 16 June 1997 – 3rd LP
Score: #4 in the UK
Pitchfork: “Masterpiece. The music is timeless.” Score: 5/5.
Stream here…
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SPIRITUALIZED: Facebook
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Band: PRIMAL SCREAM (Scotland/UK)
Album: VANISHING POINT
Released: 7 July 1997
Score: No 2 in the UK and Scotland
AllMusic said: “The group is still capable of creating exotic,
thoroughly entrancing sounds, which is what makes Vanishing
Point a remarkable comeback.” Score: 4.5/5.
Stream here…
.
PRIMAL SCREAM: Facebook
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Band: GRANDADDY (US)
Album: UNDER THE WESTERN FREEWAY – debut LP
AllMusic said: “A fairly brilliant album, combining a warm, earnest,
and rustic feel with sometimes goofy experimentation.” Score: 4/5.
Stream here…
.
GRANDADDY: Facebook
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6. The Boatman’s Call by NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
7. Evergreen by ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
8. Time Out Of Mind by BOB DYLAN
9. ‘Stupid Stupid Stupid’ by BLACK GRAPE
10. ‘Dig Your Own Hole’ by THE CHEMICAL BRORTHERS
11 December 2021
1. Bitter Sweet Symphony by THE VERVE (Wigan, UK)
Released: 16 June 1997
Album: Urban Hymns
Score: No 2 in the UK, No 12 in the USA
“Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life
Tryna make ends meet, you’re a slave to money then you die
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah”
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2. ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ by ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (Liverpool)
Released: 20 June 1997
Album: Evergreen
Score: #8 in the UK
“I want it now, I want it now
Not the promises of what tomorrow brings
I need to live in dreams today
I’m tired of the song that sorrow sings”
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3. ‘Kowalski’ by PRIMAL SCREAM (Scotland/UK)
Released: 5 May 1997
Album: Vanishing Point
Score: #2 in Scotland, #8 in the UK
“This radio station was named Kowalski
In honor of the last American hero to whom
Speed means freedom of the soul
The question is not when he’s gonna stop
But who is gonna stop him”
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4. ‘Get Higher’ by BLACK GRAPE (UK)
Released: 10 September 1997
Album: Stupid Stupid Stupid
Score: #24 in the UK
“Nancy is joining me because the message this evening is not my message, but ours
“Despite our best efforts, shortages of marijuana are now being reported. From the early
days of our administration, Nancy has been abusing marijuana on a daily basis and her
personal observations and efforts have given her such dramatic insights that I wanted
her to share them with you this evening.”
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5. ‘Brimful Of Asha’ by CORNERSHOP (UK)
Released: 18 August 1997
Album: When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Score: #1 in the UK, #1 in Scotland
“Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well, it’s a brimful of Asha on the 45
Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well, it’s a brimful of Asha on the 45”
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6. Song 2 by BLUR (UK)
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7. ‘All You Good People’ by EMBRACE (UK)
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8. ‘Electricity’ by SPIRITUALIZED (UK)
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9. ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’ by CHEMICAL BROTHERS (UK)
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10. ‘D’you Know What I Mean’ by OASIS
11 September 2021
Richard Paul Ashcroft was born on 11 September 1971 in Wigan, UK. Happy 50 to the former madman maestro of THE VERVE with whom he scored a classic masterpiece LP
in 1997 with Urban Hymns. But the band had more fights than albums, so after a couple of splits and reunions, it was over (well, you never know with these guys).
Ashcroft delivered 5 solo albums so far with Natural Rebel (2018) as his most recent one.
Here come 3 big RA moments to celebrate the loudmouth’s birthday…
– BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY –
(awesome live rendition)
– THIS IS MUSIC –
– THIS IS HOW IT FEELS –
RICHARD ASHCROFT: Career
Don’t forget to have your vaccinations, RichardÂ