Biography
Hailing from Britain, the Ordinary Boys took shape as a bold, hook-driven rock band shaped by the mod sounds of the Kinks in the 1960s and the post-punk energy of the Jam and the Smiths in the 1980s. Launched in 2002 in Worthing, England, close to Brighton, the lineup—named after Morrissey’s track “Ordinary Boys” from his 1988 solo debut Viva Hate—originally featured Sam Preston on lead vocals and guitar, William J. Brown on guitar and vocals, Charles Stanley on drums, and James Gregory on bass.
Early national attention arrived through support slots with Stellastarr and the Thrills plus live sessions on BBC Radio 1’s Live in Brighton broadcast. The band soon attracted the interest of producer Stephen Street, known for his work with the Smiths and Blur, who guided their first release, 2004’s Over the Counter Culture. The record performed solidly, reaching number 19 on the U.K. albums chart and yielding Top 40 singles such as “Week in Week Out” and “Talk, Talk, Talk.”
Their second effort, Brassbound, again produced by Street, arrived in 2005 and began modestly before Preston’s fourth-place result on the 2006 season of Celebrity Big Brother lifted it to number 11 in the U.K. The ska-tinged lead single “Boys Will Be Boys” likewise surged, peaking at number three on the U.K. Singles Chart.
Riding that momentum, the Ordinary Boys issued their third album, How to Get Everything You Want in Ten Easy Steps, in 2006. Working with DJ Chris Reed, also known as Plastician (formerly Plasticman), they retained much of their mod-rooted style while incorporating more synth-driven, dance-oriented textures. A bonus-track rendition of “Boys Will Be Boys” appeared on the set and later featured in the 2007 film Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. Despite this progress, the band disbanded in 2008 amid a mix of tabloid scrutiny surrounding Preston’s brief marriage to fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant Chantelle Houghton and internal creative tensions.
Preston resurfaced in 2009 with the playful, 1980s-flavored new-wave solo single “Dressed to Kill.” A bicycle accident that fractured both arms halted promotion and shelved plans for a full album, prompting him to step back and focus on DJ work and songwriting for artists including Olly Murs, Enrique Iglesias, and John Newman. Cher later covered “Dressed to Kill” for her 2013 album Closer to the Truth.
From 2011 onward, Preston has led various reunion tours of the Ordinary Boys without Brown and Gregory, who chose not to return. A refreshed lineup in 2015 paired Preston with original drummer Stanley and former Spectrals guitarist Louis Jones for the group’s fourth studio album, titled simply The Ordinary Boys. The release marked a shift back toward guitar-driven, pop-punk territory and included the singles “Awkward” and “Four-Letter Word.”
Early national attention arrived through support slots with Stellastarr and the Thrills plus live sessions on BBC Radio 1’s Live in Brighton broadcast. The band soon attracted the interest of producer Stephen Street, known for his work with the Smiths and Blur, who guided their first release, 2004’s Over the Counter Culture. The record performed solidly, reaching number 19 on the U.K. albums chart and yielding Top 40 singles such as “Week in Week Out” and “Talk, Talk, Talk.”
Their second effort, Brassbound, again produced by Street, arrived in 2005 and began modestly before Preston’s fourth-place result on the 2006 season of Celebrity Big Brother lifted it to number 11 in the U.K. The ska-tinged lead single “Boys Will Be Boys” likewise surged, peaking at number three on the U.K. Singles Chart.
Riding that momentum, the Ordinary Boys issued their third album, How to Get Everything You Want in Ten Easy Steps, in 2006. Working with DJ Chris Reed, also known as Plastician (formerly Plasticman), they retained much of their mod-rooted style while incorporating more synth-driven, dance-oriented textures. A bonus-track rendition of “Boys Will Be Boys” appeared on the set and later featured in the 2007 film Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. Despite this progress, the band disbanded in 2008 amid a mix of tabloid scrutiny surrounding Preston’s brief marriage to fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant Chantelle Houghton and internal creative tensions.
Preston resurfaced in 2009 with the playful, 1980s-flavored new-wave solo single “Dressed to Kill.” A bicycle accident that fractured both arms halted promotion and shelved plans for a full album, prompting him to step back and focus on DJ work and songwriting for artists including Olly Murs, Enrique Iglesias, and John Newman. Cher later covered “Dressed to Kill” for her 2013 album Closer to the Truth.
From 2011 onward, Preston has led various reunion tours of the Ordinary Boys without Brown and Gregory, who chose not to return. A refreshed lineup in 2015 paired Preston with original drummer Stanley and former Spectrals guitarist Louis Jones for the group’s fourth studio album, titled simply The Ordinary Boys. The release marked a shift back toward guitar-driven, pop-punk territory and included the singles “Awkward” and “Four-Letter Word.”
Albums
Singles
