The Charlatans

The Charlatans are an English indie rock band from the West Midlands, formed in 1988 and active since then. They are also known in the United States as The Charlatans UK, and later become associated with Northwich, Cheshire.

Line-up and formation

The band is founded by bassist Martin Blunt. The original line-up includes Rob Collins on keyboards, Jon Brookes on drums, Jon Day on guitar and singer-guitarist Baz Ketley. Tim Burgess replaces Ketley after first supporting the group with his own band, the Electric Crayons. Jon Day leaves after the 1991 single "Over Rising" and Mark Collins takes his place. Tony Rogers later joins on keyboards. Martin Duffy contributes to recordings after Rob Collins dies in a traffic accident in 1996. The verified membership also includes John Baker.

Sound and style

The Charlatans are associated with alternative rock, britpop, indie pop, indie rock, madchester and neo-psychedelia. Early recordings from 1988 in Birmingham and Dudley feature Collins’s Hammond organ, Blunt’s bass and Brookes’s drumming, combining elements of 1960s soul, R&B and garage rock, with an influence from Blunt’s earlier band Makin’ Time. Later releases also bring in country, soul, reggae and dub influences.

Albums and singles

The band release thirteen studio albums, all of which reach the UK Top 40, including three number ones. Their albums include Some Friendly (1990), Between 10th and 11th (1992), Up to Our Hips (1994), The Charlatans (1995), Tellin' Stories (1997), Us and Us Only (1999), Wonderland (2001), Up at the Lake (2004), Simpatico (2006), You Cross My Path (2008), Who We Touch (2010), Modern Nature (2015) and Different Days (2017). A fourteenth album, We Are Love, is also listed. Their singles include 22 Top 40 entries and four Top 10 singles, among them "Indian Rope", "The Only One I Know", "Weirdo", "Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over", "One to Another", "North Country Boy", "How High" and "Love Is Ending".

Career milestones

The band relocate to Northwich before the release of their debut single "Indian Rope" on Dead Dead Good Records in 1990. They then sign to Situation Two, an offshoot of Beggars Banquet. "The Only One I Know" reaches the UK Top 10, and Some Friendly follows later in 1990. Between 10th and 11th is produced by Flood. Rob Collins is imprisoned for four months in 1992 after pleading guilty to assisting an offender. Up To Our Hips reaches number eight, and the self-titled 1995 album reaches number one. During the recording of Tellin' Stories, Rob Collins dies, but the band complete the album and release it in 1997. After Melting Pot, they sign with Universal Records. Us and Us Only introduces a more country-influenced sound. Simpatico, produced by Jim Lowe, brings reggae and dub elements. You Cross My Path is first issued as a free download through XFM and later appears on Cooking Vinyl. Who We Touch appears in 2010, and Modern Nature features contributions from temporary drummers Peter Salisbury, Stephen Morris and Gabriel Gurnsey, along with backing singers and additional instrumentation.

Later activity

Jon Brookes collapses on stage in 2010 and is later diagnosed with a brain tumour; Peter Salisbury covers live dates while he is absent. Brookes dies in 2013. The band continues to perform and support other acts, including The Who, The Rolling Stones, Liam Gallagher and Gerry Cinnamon. They issue the compilation Forever: The Singles in 2006, and later release A Head Full of Ideas: The Best of Charlatans in 2021.