The Chesterfields

Midway through 1984, the indie pop group the Chesterf!elds emerged in Yeovil, England, initially featuring singer/guitarist David Goldsworthy alongside bassist Simon Barber and drummer Dominic Manns. A year afterward, second guitarist Brendan Holden joined, heightening the buoyant and buoyant melodies that positioned the Chesterf!elds among the leading acts in the brief C-86 scene, named after the New Musical Express cassette that spotlighted this style of shambling guitar pop. Their connection to C-86 grew stronger upon signing with Subway Organization, the imprint run by the Flatmates' Martin Whitehead and also home to the Razorcuts and the Shop Assistants; together with the latter they appeared on late 1985's The Legendary Subway Golden Flexi, which included the Chesterf!elds' first recording, "Nose Out of Joint." Early 1986 brought the EP A Guitar in Your Bath, followed later that year by the much-loved single "Completely and Utterly." Their 1987 release "Ask Johnny Dee" displayed a smoother production, while the debut album Kettle represented the band's artistic peak by merging the raw vitality of prior singles with a more developed songwriting sensibility.

Holden's departure in April 1987 triggered a succession of guitarists, among them future Blue Aeroplane Rodney Allen and ex-Loft member Andy Strickland, until Mark Barber, Simon's brother, took the role permanently. The singles compilation Westward Ho! wrapped up the year, and in 1988 the Chesterf!elds departed Subway to establish their own Household label. Their first Household single, "Blame," preceded the second album Crocodile Tears, yet neither matched the acclaim of earlier material. Goldsworthy and Manns then announced their exits, the former later appearing in Furnt. The Barber brothers continued briefly, issuing one final Chesterf!elds single, "Fool Is a Man," before the group disbanded in mid-1989. Simon Barber subsequently led Basinger, while Mark fronted Grape, though neither project matched the praise or recognition of their prior band. In 1994 Goldsworthy rejoined the Barbers to record the new Chesterf!elds single "Down by the Wishing Pool," with drummer Richard Chant added for the sessions; the full-length Flood appeared the same year on Vinyl Japan. The band then split once more, permanently. On November 19, 2003, Goldsworthy died in a hit-and-run accident in Oxford.