* En anglais uniquement
The Rockingbirds were an anomaly, a British country-rock band on the hip Heavenly label whose peak activity unfortunately coincided with the fallow period between the roots-rock movement of the 1980s and the "No Depression" resurgence of the mid-'90s. Formed in London in 1990, the Rockingbirds were founded by singer/songwriter Alan Tyler, singer/tambourine player Sean Reed guitarist
Andy Hackett, pedal steel guitarist
Patrick Arbuthnot, bassist Dave Goulding and former
Weather Prophets drummer Dave Morgan. The success of their debut singles "A Good Day for You" and "Jonathan, Jonathan" (a tribute to
Jonathan Richman) led to the release of their 1992 eponymous debut, which earned a warm critical response but met with commercial failure. A cover of
Right Said Fred's "Deeply Dippy," released on an EP of
Fred covers recorded with Heavenly labelmates
Saint Etienne and
Flowered Up, garnered some airplay, but a subsequent EP, Rockingbirds R Us, also stiffed. After 1995's oft-delayed but excellent
Whatever Happened to the Rockingbirds met a similar fate, the group disbanded. ~ Jason Ankeny