Fine Young Cannibals

A game I used to play with my friends: ask them to name any two bands, artists, etc., and I'd try to find a link, a la the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.  One interesting thing about this game is that it gets easier as time goes on - first, because you learn more connections between bands, and second, because longstanding artists tend to do sideprojects, and collaborate more.  Mark Lanegan for example, can now be used as a linking move for everyone from REM (through Screaming Trees bandmate Barrett Martin who played in a side group with Peter Buck) to Belle and Sebastian (through the terrific Isobel Campbell-Mark Lanegan albums - check them out.)

So today, through my compulsive Youtube video viewing I learned a new connection - Fine Young Cannibals, to the Clash.  But I'm not going to take you there right away.


Fine Young Cannibals are one of those bands that kind of define "underrated."  Most people I know only know the song "She Drives Me Crazy" - covered by the Muppets, parodied by Weird Al, clearly their biggest hit.  I was also aware that their song "Good Thing" had been a big hit back in the day, though even I was unaware that it had reached #1, following "She Drives Me Crazy" (That's right, the FYC had two #1 singles).  But on Youtube, there are hosts of devoted fans who've put up videos of less known FYC songs, many of which it turns out are terrific.  "Don't Look Back" is a vaguely Springsteen -esque pop song, they had hits with "Johnny Come Home" and a workman-like cover of "Suspicious Minds."  A case was shaping up for the Fine Young Cannibals as one of the great underappreciated guitar pop bands of the '80's (see: The Church).

Then I decided to read about the group's formation.  Most band bio's list whatever band the members had been in before they got together, even if said band was a garage band that played two official "gigs" (not expecting it to happen, but if I ever get famous in a band my bio will list "former guitarist for Black Leather and the Strangers" - who exactly five people in Provo UT still remember).  So I skimmed over the fact that singer Roland Gift  was previously in the unfortunately named Akrylykz, and the guitarist and bass player (Andy cox and David Steele) came from The Beat.  But both of these names had links in Wikipedia.  Turns out they were both ska bands during the 80's ska-fad going on in England - the Beat were actually kind of big - 8 top 40 singles, three albums.  Even Akrylykz charted with a single (and Roland Gift started playing tenor sax before becoming the frontman.)  Akrylykz had opened for the Beat on a few occasions, and so it's easy to see these bands knowing each other - what is weird is that when the two guys from the Beat decided to form a new band with the singer from Akrylykz, they didn't form a ska band, (or even get a drummer, opting for a drum machine) but instead one of the great underappreciated guitar-pop bands of the 80's.

But what of the other members of the Beat?  It turns out that singer Ranking Roger and guitarist Dave Wakeling went on to found General Public with Mick Jones; later, Ranking Roger would briefly join Mick Jones in Big Audio Dynamite in the 90's.  There you go - Fine Young Cannibals, to the Clash, in four moves.  More importantly, this connects them with the larger Rock world, because Joe Strummer and Mick Jones played with tons of musicians.  Mick Jones produced the Libertines debut album, and played on the newest Gorillaz album Plastic Beach.  Strummer's Mescarleros had Andy Glenn who was previously in Pulp, whose song "Common People" was covered brilliantly by William Shatner.  No, I'm not kidding.