McAlmont & Butler

Having previously issued a well-regarded solo record and opened for Morrissey on the road, vocalist David McAlmont joined forces with ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler during 1995, creating what looked set to become one of the decade’s standout pairings. Butler, making his first foray into production and multi-instrumental performance, initially envisioned a complete album, yet McAlmont consented only to two singles. Enough tracks were nevertheless laid down for Hut to assemble the full-length The Sound of...McAlmont & Butler once the agreement ended.

The opening release, the May 1995 single “Yes,” fused dramatic Philly-style soul with T. Rex-y glam rock and peaked at number eight on the U.K. chart. Requests that the duo tour behind the hit were firmly declined, although they appeared on several television programs and performed one understated live date that summer.

Their follow-up, “You Do,” surfaced in October and reached number 17. The planned dissolution then turned bitter, with both artists trading heated exchanges in the British music press that suggested permanent separation. In 2002, however, they reconvened to issue the album Bring It Back, which yielded further hits “Falling” and “Bring It Back.” The pair also played live dates, with B-sides on those singles drawn from performances at London’s Cherry Jam.