Blue Plate Special: The Mighty Lemon Drops
The Mighty Lemon Drops were formed in the spring of 1985 in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England just outside of Birmingham. The original lineup included Paul Marsh (vocals), Dave Newton (guitar), Tony Linehan (bass), and Keith Rowley (drums). Known for their psychedelia-influenced post-punk sound, they drew comparisons to Echo & the Bunnymen. The band gained early success with their independent single “Like an Angel,” which topped the UK Indie Chart.
They became part of the C86 movement and signed with Rough Trade’s Blue Guitar label in the UK and Sire Records in the US. They achieved notable success with albums such as Happy Head and World Without End, the latter becoming a number one Modern Rock/College album in the US. Despite parting ways with Chrysalis in the UK after three albums, they continued to release music in the US, with their album Laughter reaching the Billboard 200.
My first time hearing The Mighty Lemon Drops was the 1987 Warner Records / Sire sampler “Just Say Yes (Winter Sampler)” with songs by Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Smiths, James, Erasure, and many more. For me, their 1989 album Laughter is when they hit their peak. It is one of those albums that you can listen to from beginning to end again and again. One of my Top 50 favorite albums of all time.
The band eventually split in 1992 after releasing two more albums, Sound … Say Goodbye to Your Standards and Ricochet. They have had several reunions, including a one-off comeback gig in 2000. Guitarist Dave Newton has since become a prominent recording engineer and producer, working with various artists. In 2014, the band released Uptight: The Early Recordings 1985–1986 on Cherry Red Records, and all their albums are available through Wounded Bird Records.
Here are some of my favorites from their catalog:
Where Do We Go From Heaven – from the album Laughter (1989)
Inside Out – from the album World Without End (1988)
My Biggest Thrill – from the album Happy Head (1986)
(She’s So) Out of Touch – from the album Ricochet (1992)
Beautiful Shame – from the album Laughter (1989)
Happy Head (C86 Version) – from the album Uptight: The Early Recordings 1985/1986 (2014)
Out of Hand – from the album Out of Hand (1987)
