The Icicle Works

During the 1980s The Icicle Works emerged as a United Kingdom outfit whose lengthy domestic career contrasted sharply with a solitary unexpected American success. Formed in 1980, the band centered on singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Ian McNabb, who had already performed with several earlier ensembles, among them Young World, a group that played private functions and included drummer Chris Sharrock. After McNabb moved to City Lights and Sharrock joined the Cherry Boys, the two musicians reunited to launch their own project, recruiting former Eleanor bassist Chris Layhe. An early six-song cassette sold quietly through Liverpool’s Probe Records, yet the band’s proper introduction arrived only in October 1982 with the Troll Kitchen single “Nirvana,” which climbed to number 15 on the United Kingdom chart and drew the attention of Beggars Banquet’s Situation 2 imprint.

Produced by Hugh Jones, “Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)” became the group’s most visible United States release. Issued in 1984 through Beggars Banquet’s American partnership with Arista, the track appeared under the rearranged title “Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly).” It spent four weeks on the Hot 100, reaching number 37, while its United Kingdom peak stalled at number 53. American interest nevertheless propelled the band’s self-titled debut album to number 40 on the album chart. A steady sequence of further recordings—1985’s The Small Price of a Bicycle, 1986’s Understanding Jane and Seven Singles Deep, 1987’s If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song, and 1988’s Blind—sustained a dedicated following drawn to McNabb’s fervent songwriting. Each set contained its share of lesser material; by Blind the band was experimenting with an expansive, directionless blend of soul, funk, blues, and rock.

Once Blind was completed, Sharrock departed for the Lightning Seeds and Layhe also stepped away. McNabb continued with bassist Roy Corkhill and drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr. Additional lineup shifts followed, so that Permanent Damage, recorded in 1990, featured McNabb alongside Corkhill, Dave Baldwin, Paul Burgess, and Mark Revell. Despite McNabb’s persistence the album made no commercial impression, and the group disbanded. McNabb subsequently pursued a solo career that emphasized the folk-rock tendencies already surfacing during his band’s later years.