Flamingoes (band)

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Flamingoes
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OriginLondon, England
Genres
  • Alternative rock
  • Britpop
Years active1993–2008
LabelsPandemonium Records
Websitewww.flamingoesmusic.com
Past membersJude Cook
James Cook
Kevin Matthews
Steve Necchi

Flamingoes were an English indie rock band formed in 1993 by twin brothers Jude Cook and James Cook..[1] The band were active during the Britpop era and released two albums before disbanding in 2008.

History

Originally from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, the brothers initially named the band The Shade, with Simon Gilbert, later of Suede, on drums[2][3] before recruiting drummer Kevin Matthews through an advertisement in Melody Maker. The band was renamed after a line from Roxy Music's "Sunset". Deborah Edgley, former head of press at 4AD, offered to manage them. Soon after, the band won Gary Crowley's Demo Clash on BBC Greater London Radio.[4]

Flamingoes played the New Art Riot gig at the 100 Club in December 1993 with S*M*A*S*H, These Animal Men and Echobelly, attracting media interest centred around the New Wave of New Wave movement[5]. In February 1994, the first single, "The Chosen Few", produced by Pat Collier, was released on the indie label LaLaLand[6].

In 1994, the band was signed by Pandemonium Records, an indie offshoot of dance label Kickin Records. A second single, "Teenage Emergency", was released in June 1994, followed by "Disappointed" in October. The band then recorded their debut album Plastic Jewels[7][8], released in February 1995[9].

The album's cover photograph of a young boy clutching a rabbit and posing like a superhero was shot by Nick Waplington. It received notoriety when Fountains of Wayne also used it for their debut album, leading to both albums featuring the same cover image upon their US releases in 1996.[10][11][12][13]

In February 1995, Flamingoes signed a publishing deal with Bug Music. Their catalogue is now managed by BMG UK. Later that year, Flamingoes recorded the song "Water on the Brain" for the Hollies tribute album Sing Hollies in Reverse, and continued to tour Britain with second guitarist Adrian Stevenson. In December 1995, drummer Kevin Matthews left the band, to be replaced by Steve Necchi. Further to its US release, Plastic Jewels was also distributed in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In the following years, the brothers continued to write and record music. In 2007, they signed a distribution deal with Cadiz Music and played their first live shows for over ten years. Their second album Street Noise Invades the House[14], on Distort Boy Records, was produced by Jude and James Cook. The band has been inactive since 2008, after which Jude and James both forged careers in writing, journalism and publishing[15]. The band's contribution to the Britpop era is documented in Paul Laird's history of the scene, The Birth and Impact of Britpop: Mis-shapes, Scenesters and Insatiable Ones (2022)[3], as well as articles in Drowned in Sound[16], Repeat Records[17], and a 25th anniversary retrospective of Plastic Jewels on the Mild Mannered Army podcast in 2025[18]. The history of the band is also documented in James Cook's book Memory Songs: A Personal Journey into the Music that Shaped the '90s (2018)[19][20]

Discography

Albums

  • Plastic Jewels (1995; Pandemonium, UK / Big Pop, US / Mushroom/Festival, Australia / Tokuma, Japan)
  • Street Noise Invades the House (2007; Distort Boy/Cadiz)

Singles

  • "The Chosen Few" (1994; La La Land)
  • "Teenage Emergency" (1994; Pandemonium)
  • "Disappointed" (1994; Pandemonium)
  • "Scenester" (1995; Pandemonium)

Compilation appearances

  • "Water on the Brain" on Sing Hollies in Reverse (1995; Eggbert Records)

References

  1. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2016). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199726363. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Barnett, David (2003). Suede: Love and Poison. United Kingdom: Carlton Publishing Group. p. 52. ISBN 9780233000473.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Laird, Paul (July 2022). The Birth and Impact of Britpop: Mis-Shapes, Scenesters and Insatiable Ones. Barnsley: White Owl. pp. 145–154. ISBN 9781399017473.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave. Enfield: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 149. ISBN 978-0851126579.
  5. ↑ Pattenden, Sian (March 1994). "Bird Watch - The Flamingoes". Select Magazine. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Flamingoes Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Album: Plastic Jewels". Spotify. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Plastic Jewels - Album by Flamingoes". Apple Music. Apple. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  9. ↑ Strong, Martin (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate. p. 740. ISBN 9781841953359.
  10. ↑ Simons, Ted (1 May 1997). "Wayne's World". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  11. ↑ Robbins, Ira (28 November 1996). "Fountains of Wayne Bubble with Power Pop". Rolling Stone. Rock's Back Pages. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "Fountains of Wayne". Los Angeles Times. The Times Mirror Company. 1996. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Mojo Says". MOJO. No. 385. December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Album: Street Noise Invades the House". Spotify. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  15. ↑ Creamer, Ella (28 April 2025). "New independent press to focus on male writers". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  16. ↑ Doble, Anna (2 September 2025). "Inside the other Britpop". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  17. ↑ R*E*P*E*A*T, Rosey. "An interview with James Cook". Repeat Fanzine. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "The Mild Mannered Army Episode 17 - Plastic Jewels at 25". Spotify. The Mild Mannered Army.
  19. ↑ Cook, James (May 2018). Memory Songs: A Personal Journey Into the Music that Shaped the 90s. Unbound. ISBN 9781783525218.
  20. ↑ Clayton-Lea, Tony (30 June 2018). "Van Morrison to Jeff Buckley and the Secret DJ: the latest in music books". Irish Times. Retrieved 7 January 2026.

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