Home Service

Home Service is a British folk rock group formed in late 1980 from musicians who had been playing in Ashley Hutchings’ Albion Band. The group grows out of a period of line-up change around the Albion Band’s work with Bill Bryden’s National Theatre productions, and several members also take part in other projects and solo careers. The original line-up includes John Tams, Bill Caddick, Graeme Taylor, Michael Gregory, Roger Williams, Howard Evans, Colin Rae and Malcolm Bennett. Rae leaves early on, and the group first uses the name The First Eleven before becoming Home Service, a name that suggests both Britishness and the old BBC Home Service radio station.

Formation and early recordings

In late 1980, eight members begin rehearsing together in Southwark, London and split away from the Albion Band. The band releases the single “Doing The Inglish”, backed with “Bramsley”, in 1982, originally intended as a demo session and linked to their appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival and a BBC television performance on A Little Night Music. Bass player Malcolm Bennett then leaves to become Musical Director of the National Theatre’s production of Aeschylus’ Oresteia, and Jon Davie replaces him.

During this period, the group continues to work alongside theatre productions, returning to the National Theatre as a backing band. Keyboard player Steve King joins while they are recording, and the band releases its self-titled debut album in 1984. The album combines original songs with traditional material, drawing on the songwriting of Tams and Caddick and the arranging skills of the wider group. It is followed by music associated with Bryden’s cycle of mystery plays, The Mysteries, which appears in 1985 with contributions from Linda Thompson on vocals and Andy Findon on saxophone, clarinet and flutes.

Albums and changing line-ups

Andy Findon later becomes a full member. Bill Caddick leaves after the London run of The Mysteries, and the band works on Alright Jack (1985), which centres on six folk songs arranged by Percy Grainger. The album also includes three other traditional tunes and several of Tams’ compositions, including the title track, “Sorrow/Babylon” and “Scarecrow”. It becomes the group’s most significant studio statement, after which Tams leaves and the remaining members move on to other projects.

Home Service reunites without Tams in 1991 for the charity compilation All Through the Year. A touring line-up with Caddick later records material issued as Wild Life in 1995. The group disbands soon after, then returns for live performances in 2011. In 2016, John Kirkpatrick replaces Tams as main singer.

Later activity and personnel

The later line-up includes John Kirkpatrick on vocals, melodeon and guitar; Graeme Taylor on electric guitar; Rory McFarlane on bass guitar and vocals; Andy Findon on saxophone, clarinet and flutes; Steve King on keyboards and vocals; Michael Gregory on drums and percussion; Paul Archibald on trumpet and flugelhorn; and Nigel Barr on trombone and tuba. Past members include Bill Caddick, Howard Evans, Malcolm Bennett, Colin Rae, John Tams, Jon Davie and Roger Williams.

Selected recordings

The band’s studio albums include The Home Service (1984), later reissued as Early Transmissions, The Mysteries (1985), Alright Jack (1986), and A New Ground (2016). Live releases include Wild Life (1995) and Live 1986 (2011). The 1991 collaboration All Through the Year features various artists.