....'when are we getting Fruits Of Passion' in repect of the great Scottish singles series.The fact that I'm writing about them on a Thursday might give you the answer......
I know that Son Of The Rock is not the only fan of this mid-80s combo, who if memory serves me correctly were from a town called Coatbridge which is just 10 miles or so east of Glasgow, as I've had a couple of e-mails over the years asking for postings.
The thing is, they never made that much of an impact on me at the time, and having got my hands not all that long ago on a second-hand copy of their only LP, I think it is a sound that hasn't dated all that well, but hey, I'm happy to let others listen and make their own minds up.
1986 was the year you need to look at if you want to know more about Fruits Of Passion, who were Sharon Dunleavy (vocals), Glenn Gibbons (guitar), Davey Fullerton (rhythm guitar) and Stephen Alexander (bass). They released a 10-track album on Siren Records, which was a subsidiary of Virgin Records. Four of the tracks were released as singles, none of which troubled the charts:-
mp3 : Fruits Of Passion - Love's Glory
mp3 : Fruits Of Passion - Kiss Me Now
mp3 : Fruits Of Passion - Everything (I Ever Wanted)
mp3 : Fruits Of Passion - No More Tears
There's no denying that Sharon Dunleavy had a powerful voice - very reminscent at times of Maria McKee. But the tunes were a bit too polished and comfortable for my liking, although looking back maybe the band came along just a wee bit too soon to have made it. There's a fair bit of the sort of sounds that would propel Deacon Blue and Texas to fame and fortune just a couple of years later....
Quick question.
The Scotsman newspaper has a sports writer called Glenn Gibbons. Is it the same Glenn Gibbons who was in FoP??
Here's a promo for one of the singles....
Happy Listening.
15 comments:
I'd completely forgotten about those singles. Very slick, but good little tunes that went the way of the dodo with the rest of my vinyl. Thanks!!
Always loved this tune - isn't it the remix? I've got the first press of this, which is a much more "raw" sounding mix....
I've got a 7" of All I Ever Wanted b/w Ambition that has a rawer sound. Maybe it was re-recorded and renamed for the album?
Great to hear some more material from them.
I think Glenn Gibbons who writes for the Scotsman isn't the FoP man. He's a bit too old as he's been a journalist for over 40 years BUT there is a Glenn Gibbons who's the A&R man at Soma Records who I think's yer man!
g.
I remember Grampian TV sticking the "Everything I ever wanted" video on between two programmes.
It was a very odd scenario as Grampian weren't in the habit of doing it.
Definitely not the same Glen Gibbons - I'm sure he went on to form some kind of early rap/hip-hop combo. Give me time and I'll remember the name.....
Sharon Donleavy really did have a wonderful voice though, even if the songs were just a bit too pop-y for my taste.
Nice memories though. Cheers!
Brilliant. Has cheered me up on a day I fear might not be a good one for Britain.
David - was it Equus?:
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Equus
g.
As mentioned above, Glen Gibbons is a director and a&r bod at Soma Records now. Think I'll go and dig out his and Nick Peacocks Universal Principles album since the sun's oot.
JC They did not trouble the charts but were big in Dumbarton.
I was delighted you featured Kiss me now which was my favourite of the time and still is.
I think somewhere in that vinyl pile that creakes in my loft there may be a 12" version that the gorgeous Sharon even does a bit of heavy breathing on someday I must brave the asbestos and look!
I wonder if she still wears her shoulder pads as she wanders through ASDA in Coatbridge.
Thank you once again for brightening up a particularlly bad week.
Son of the rock.
they were really good shame they didnt last too long if memory serves me right the lead singer sharon dunleavy came form a small village just outside of hamilton called ferniegair !
The band Glenn Gibbons went on to form was called Crack. He now runs Glasgow dance-label, Soma, and manages The Cinematics and My Latest Novel.
The original song "All I Ever Wanted" (released in 1985) was a much harder edged version of "Everything (I Ever Wanted)" which like the bands three other singles and their eponymous album was released in 1986.
"All I Ever Wanted" was the first record ever released by Virgin subsidary Siren and had the catalogue number SRN1!
hi just came across u , i played fruits of passion alll summer, as i drove my ice cream van round hillhouse in hamilton.
billy agnew
After the band broke up I saw Sharon working as a library assistant in Hillhead library. Think she is married and staying somewhere around Hamilton now.
Spike aka Stephen Alexander went on to work in eastern Europe for his dad's scrap firm and I'm told is now a foreman for his brothers electrical company in Whiteinch.
one of the best bands i never seen,is to late for a glasgow reunion
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