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The Verve
The third time was the charm for Wigan, England's the Verve, who after forming in 1990 released two staggering albums and then broke up acrimoniously before regrouping to record Urban Hymns, the 1997 album that would become their worldwide breakthrough (thanks mainly to its first single, the baroque masterpiece "Bitter Sweet Symphony," which in turn received a major push from its prominent inclusion in a much-seen Nike commercial). But even this success was, no pun intended, bittersweet: the Verve were swindled out of their "Bitter Sweet Symphony" royalties by infamous legal eagle Allen Klein (due the song's use of a sample from the Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra's version of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time"), and the departure of guitarist Nick McCabe (who'd quit the band more than once) left the band's future up in the air. Long-standing rumors of another impending breakup were finally confirmed in April of '99; the split was a lamentable finish to a group that might have many more amazing and successful albums in its future.
The Verve was a British rock and roll band of the 1990s, originally formed in Wigan, England in 1989. Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and Peter Salisbury signed a deal with Hut Records, not long after forming, and released "All in the Mind" (1992), which topped the indie charts. This was followed by other successful singles, including "She's a Superstar" and "Gravity Grave".
1993's A Storm in Heaven was critically acclaimed but a commercial failure. Pop audiences did not go for the long, dark psychedelic jams that the critics and indie rock audiences loved. In 1994, the band was on a disastrous Lollapalooza tour; Ashcroft was hospitalized for dehydration, while Salisbury was arrested for destroying a hotel room in Kansas.
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Artist Biography - The Verve
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 The next album, A Northern Soul (1995) was a difficult one to record, as personality conflicts, creative differences and liberal use of Ecstasy provided great tension. The album sold disappointingly, and Ashcroft soon quit the Verve, only to reform it a few weeks later, replacing McCabe with Simon Tong until McCabe agreed to return in 1997. With McCabe, the Verve recorded Urban Hymns, which is now recognized as one of the masterpieces of Britpop; the group hit the mainstream in a big way with "Bittersweet Symphony", a complex, orchestral song based around a sample from a symphonic recording of the song "The Last Time" (which was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards). The song was a smash success in the UK, and the album sold well, as did the next three singles, "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man" and "Sonnet". But, the band were sued for songwriter credits for "Bittersweet Symphony". Before release The Verve negotiated a licensing agreement with The Rolling Stones to use the sample. Later The Rolling Stones accused The Verve of using too much of the sample, thus breaking the original licensing agreement. A bitter legal battle followed, the result being that The Verve were forced to hand over 100% of all royalties earned from "Bittersweet Symphony".
To compound their disappointment, when "Bittersweet Symphony" was nominated for a Grammy it was Mick Jagger and Keith Richards who were named as nominees rather than The Verve
At the height of their popularity, the group disbanded in 1998 after McCabe unexpectedly pulled out during a tour.
Although McCabe was still reportedly an official member of the band, he showed no signs of returning any time soon, and the Verve remained fairly silent after the McCabe-less tour concluded--in fact, the next time we heard from the Verve, it was when they were officially announcing their breakup. Singer Ashcroft is reportedly in the process of readying his first solo album, which will feature playing by ex-Spiritualized member Kate Radley as well as his former bandmates Simon Jones and Pete Salisbury.
Discography
A Storm in Heaven (1993) #27 UK
A Northern Soul (1995) #13 UK
Urban Hymns (1997) #1 UK, #23 US
This is Music: The Singles 92-98
Hit singles
from A Northern Soul
1995 "This Is Music" #35 UK
1995 "On Your Own" #28 UK
1995 "History" #24 UK
from Urban Hymns
1997 "Bitter Sweet Symphony" #2 UK, #12 US
1997 "The Drugs Don't Work" #1 UK
1997 "Lucky Man" #7 UK
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For more information , enjoy the official homepage of The Verve
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