A HOUSE

'A House' were an Irish band from the 1980s.

Contents

Career

I Am The Greatest

Break Up

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Compilation Appearances

Trivia

References

External links

Career

Forming out of the ashes of the band Last Chance, vocalist Dave Couse, guitarist Fergal Bunbury, drummer Dermot Wylie and bassist Martin Healy came together as A House. With a classic, guitar based rock sound, and Couse's sarcastic and bitter tongued lyrics the band released two self-released singles.
Gaining regional popularity, the band signed with Blanco y Negro who released their first album ''On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round'' in 1988. The success of the release and growing crowds at their live shows allowed the band to embark on their U.S. tour with The Go-Betweens.
After their first major tour, they went back to Ireland, and wrote and recorded the album ''I Want Too Much'' in 1988 on the small Irish island of Inishboffin. The response of the press was great for the band, however record sales were poor, and the band were left without a label.

I Am The Greatest

Towards the end of the year the indie label Setanta released two EPs: ''Doodle'' and ''Bingo.'' The latter featured the now infamous track "Endless Art" which first brought in Orange Juice singer Edwyn Collins to record with. The song featured a listing of famous dead people and the day they were born and the day they died, which stablized the band as a cult favorite among indie lovers.
''I Am The Greatest'' was also recorded with Edwyn Collins, and led to the bands first major charting singles "Endless Art" and "Take It Easy On Me" in the UK, in 1992. Next they released ''Wide Eyed and Ignorant'' (1994) to little noterity outside of their fanbase, and ''No More Apologies'' (1996).

Break Up

The band broke up in 1997. Singer Couse continues to perform solo work and with his band Couse + the Impossible, alongside Bunbury. Martin Healy went on to perform in the band Petrol with Julie Peel.
In 2002 the best of album ''The Way We Were'' was released.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	UK	US
1988	''On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round''	-	-
1990	''I Want Too Much''	-	-
1991	''I Am the Greatest''	-	-
1992	''Wide-Eyed and Ignorant''	-	-
1996	''No More Apologies''	-	-
1998	''A House Live In Concert''	-	-
2002	''The Way We Were''	-	-

EPs

Year	EP	UK	US
1987	''Street Carnival Rock''	-	-
1990	''Doodle''	-	-
1990	''Bingo''	-	-
1991	''Zop''	-	-
1994	''360 North Rockingham''	-	-

Singles

Year	Song	UK	US
1987	''Kick Me Again Jesus''	-	-
1987	''Snowball Down''	-	-
1987	''Heart Happy''	-	-
1987	''Call Me Blue''	-	9 (Modern Rock Charts)
1988	''I'll Always Be Grateful''	-	-
1988	''I Want To Kill Something''	-	-
1990	''I Think I'm Going Mad''	-	-
1991	''You're Too Young''	-	-
1991	''I Don't Care''	-	-
1991	''Second Wind''	-	-
1992	''Endless Art''	46	-
1992	''Take It Easy On Me''	55	-
1992	''Everything's Gone''	-	-
1992	''Slang''	-	-
1992	''Santamental''	-	-
1994	''I Will Never Forgive You''	-	-
1994	''A House A Reintroduction''	-	-
1994	''Why Me?''	52	-
1994	''Here Come The Good Times (Part 1)''	37	-
1994	''Here Come The Good Times (Part 2)''	-	-
1997	''Without Dreams''	-	-

Compilation Appearances

Year	Albums	UK	US
1986	''Live at the Underground	-	-

Trivia

★ The single "Here Comes The Good Times" was re-recorded by various Irish celebrities and boy band members for use as the official Irish World Cup anthem in 2002. Proceeds went to charity, and €40,000 was raised for Our Lady's Hospital for Children, Crumlin.

★ Due to the list of dead people in "Endless Art" being made up of male artists, poets and musicians, a second version was recorded using the names of prominent dead women instead, and it was called "More Endless Art".

★ Dave Couse now performs a third live-version of "Endless Art" called "Endless Art 06" which lists people who have died since the first recording.

References

★ ''Rock: The Rough Guide'' The Rough Guides ISBN 1-85828-457-0

External links

★ Dave Couse

★ ZOP, an A House fan site

★ A House on MySpace

★ A House entry in The Irish Punk & New Wave Discography