Freur

Infobox musical artist
Name = Freur


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Origin = Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Genre = Synth pop
Years_active = 1983–1986
Label = CBS Records
Associated_acts = The Screen Gemz, Underworld
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members = Karl Hyde
Rick Smith
Alfie Thomas
John Warwicker
Bryn Burrows

Freur is the name of the second band (following the art school collaboration, The Screen Gemz) of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, of the latter day band, Underworld.

History

Formed in the early 1980s in Cardiff, Wales by Hyde, Smith and Alfie Thomas, the band originally had only a graphic 'squiggle' for a name. In 1983, after recruiting John Warwicker and drummer Bryn Burrows (formerly of the Fabulous Poodles), they got a recording contract with, CBS Records, and met the label's insistence on a pronounceable name, with the compromise that the squiggle was pronounced 'Freur'.

Their first and only hit single (number 59 in the UK Singles Chart), was "Doot Doot" (1983).cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 215
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5] It was recorded and co-produced by Alex Burak at The Point studio in London, which was controlled by Rupert Merton of Point Music publishing. Merton (who also had an early version of the Thompson Twins on his roster of artists) signed Freur.

The band released five further tracks after "Doot Doot", between 1983 and 1985: "Matters of the Heart", "Runaway", "Riders in the Night", "Devil and the Darkness" and "Look in the Back for Answers". All failed to dent the UK chart.

Freur released two albums: "Doot Doot" (1983) and "Get Us Out of Here!" (1985). The second LP was only released in Germany and the Netherlands. Warwicker left the band in 1986 and Freur went into recess. In 1987, Hyde, Smith, Thomas and Burrows, along with bassist Baz Allen signed to Sire Records under a new name, Underworld, and found minor success with the single "Underneath the Radar" (1988) before initially folding in 1990.

The "Guinness Book of British Hit Singles" would list Freur under the symbol, with the translation by the side, until the late 1990s. John Warwicker is a video artist in the graphic design collective Tomato, whose founders include Hyde and Smith. "Doot Doot" was used in Cameron Crowe's "Vanilla Sky" (2001). The now defunct UK magazine "Sounds" referred to the band as "Elephant with a stick of Rhubarb" because of the shape of the squiggle.

Band members

* Karl Hyde (born 10 May 1957, Worcester, Worcestershire) - vocals, guitars
* Rick Smith (born Richard Smith, 25 May 1959, Ammanford, Wales) - keyboards
* Alfie Thomas - bass, keyboards
* Bryn Burrows - drums
* John Warwicker - keyboards

Discography

Albums

* "Doot Doot" (1983) (Reissued 1994)
* "Get Us Out of Here!" (1985) (Not released in the UK)
* "Transmutations (Underworld)" (1985) (A film soundtrack; unreleased)

ingles

* "Doot Doot" (1983)
* "Matters of the Heart" (1983)
* "Runaway" (1983)
* "Riders in the Night" (1984)
* "The Devil and Darkness" (1984)
* "Look in Back for Answers" (1984)
* "The Piano Song" (1986)

ee also

One-hit wonders in the UK

References

External links

* [ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/users/lazlo/discographies/freur Discography: Freur/Underworld/Lemon Interupt] - Detailed discography to 1999
* [http://www.geocities.com/~junebugtd7/freur.html Freur fan page]
* [http://www.bigscreensatellite.co.uk/history.htm Band History page]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opaeNiiizxo Doot Doot video at YouTube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWkccmluYOs Rare early recording of Doot Doot with Welsh lyrics]