Biography
Bristol, England indie pop icons the Flatmates came together in mid-1985 when singer/guitarist Martin Whitehead, founder of the Subway Organization label, teamed up with drummer Rocker. Kath Beach, Rocker's roommate, soon joined on bass. Another roommate, singer Deb Haynes, completed the lineup and prompted Whitehead to step away from vocal duties. The quartet began cutting initial demos built chiefly around covers of tracks by the Ramones, the Stooges, and the Velvet Underground. When a local journalist inquired about the membership of the still-unnamed band, Rocker answered, "Oh, me and my flatmates"; the phrase became the group's permanent name. Their first official performance occurred in early 1986 as support for Half Man Half Biscuit.
Although they did not appear on NME's famous C-86 cassette, the Flatmates arose from the same anorak pop milieu that produced the Shop Assistants, the BMX Bandits, and the Soup Dragons. Their debut single, "I Could Be in Heaven," surfaced that fall, and they frequently opened for C-86 acts at Bristol's Bunker club, which Whitehead and Rocker co-managed. After eight shows Beach departed, making way for bassist Sarah Fletcher. The second single, 1987's "Happy All the Time," reached the U.K. indie Top Five, yet Rocker, a practicing dental surgeon, left the group in mid-1987 because of professional obligations. Drummer Joel O'Beirne came aboard to cut the third single, "You're Gonna Cry."
Its successor, "Shimmer," reached number one on the indie charts in spring 1988. Second guitarist Tim Rippington was added before the Flatmates toured Germany. Once the tour ended, Fletcher exited, forcing Whitehead to play bass for the recording of "Heaven Knows," which failed to equal the success of "Shimmer" despite heavy promotion and thereby brought Subway's operations to a close. Bassist Jackie Carrera joined for a British tour that autumn. Rippington was dismissed after appearing drunk at the University of London gig, and Haynes soon left as well, dissolving the group; the remaining members briefly continued as the Sweet Young Things. The 1989 compilation Love and Death collected the Flatmates' singles together with songs intended for an unrecorded London Records album.
Although they did not appear on NME's famous C-86 cassette, the Flatmates arose from the same anorak pop milieu that produced the Shop Assistants, the BMX Bandits, and the Soup Dragons. Their debut single, "I Could Be in Heaven," surfaced that fall, and they frequently opened for C-86 acts at Bristol's Bunker club, which Whitehead and Rocker co-managed. After eight shows Beach departed, making way for bassist Sarah Fletcher. The second single, 1987's "Happy All the Time," reached the U.K. indie Top Five, yet Rocker, a practicing dental surgeon, left the group in mid-1987 because of professional obligations. Drummer Joel O'Beirne came aboard to cut the third single, "You're Gonna Cry."
Its successor, "Shimmer," reached number one on the indie charts in spring 1988. Second guitarist Tim Rippington was added before the Flatmates toured Germany. Once the tour ended, Fletcher exited, forcing Whitehead to play bass for the recording of "Heaven Knows," which failed to equal the success of "Shimmer" despite heavy promotion and thereby brought Subway's operations to a close. Bassist Jackie Carrera joined for a British tour that autumn. Rippington was dismissed after appearing drunk at the University of London gig, and Haynes soon left as well, dissolving the group; the remaining members briefly continued as the Sweet Young Things. The 1989 compilation Love and Death collected the Flatmates' singles together with songs intended for an unrecorded London Records album.
Albums
