Fat Tulips were an indie pop band from Nottingham, England, who released one album, on the Vinyl Japan label, and over 10 singles on the band's own Heaven Records and others.
The Fat Tulips were formed in the late 1980s in Peterborough by Mark D. Their first release was a flexi disc called You Opened Up My Eyes and featured Sarah C. on vocals. Sarah quickly left the band.
Mark then recruited new members consisting of Katie Keen on vocals, Paul Huckerby on bass, Shelagh Clarkson on guitar and Matthew Johnson on drums.
Soon after the release of their single "Where's Clare Grogan Now" (played by John Peel), Katie left the band and Sheggi became the new singer.
Subsequent releases, including the EP Four Songs for Simon, Ferensway and The Tulip Explodes, led to a recording contract with the London based Vinyl Japan label, home and future home of BMX Bandits, the McCluskey Bros, and Thee Headcoats.
The first of their Vinyl Japan output was an EP entitled Nostalgia and was recorded by Ken McPherson at his studio in Burton upon Trent. A tour of Germany supporting Throw That Beat in the Garbagecan soon followed. The band's debut album, Starfish, also recorded by Ken McPherson, came out in 1994 and was followed by two more singles, "New Spring Rites for Sarah" and "Driving Me Wild" before the band called it a day.
Links to Peel[]
Peel seemed to have discovered the group in the summer of 1989 when he played their single, 'Where's Clare Grogan Now', Clare Grogan being the singer of Altered Images, which the DJ admired and fancied. He would play further material from the group in the early 90's and revealed on his 18 April 1990 show that the band tried to do a rigging campaign on the 1989 Festive Fifty, to get their song 'Where's Claire Grogan Now?' at number 1 in the Festive Fifty. He admitted that if those votes they did were counted, it would have reached number 1 in the 1989 Festive Fifty.
Shows Played[]
- 15 August 1989: Where's Claire Grogan Now (single) Heaven
- 1990
- 18 April 1990: It's So True (7" - Four Songs For Simon) Heaven
- 03 November 1990: Saint Steven (v/a LP - El Dorado) Roman Cabbage Vinyl
- 1991
- 16 November 1991: On The Seventh Day (7" EP - Take Me Back To Heaven EP) Sunday
- 1994
- 06 August 1994: ‘New Spring Rites For Sarah (7 inch )’ (Vinyl Japan)
- 02 September 1994: unknown (CD – Starfish) Vinyl Japan