Shed Seven formed in 1990 from the remnants of Brockley Haven, a band featuring frontman Rick Witter, guitarist and songwriter Paul Banks, bassist Tom Gladwin, drummer Magnus Thompson and keyboardist John Leach. The band twice entered the local Fibbers/Evening Press Battle of the Bands competition, and twice failed to win, but their live reputation attracted initial press attention, and eventually garnered complimentary comparisons to The Smiths. After signing to Polydor Records, they released their debut single, the double A-side 'Mark'/'Casino Girl' in March 1994 to considerable acclaim from some sections of the music press, although it failed to make the UK Top 40, peaking at number 80. The follow-up single, 'Dolphin', was released on 13 June 1994 and peaked at number 28, with first week sales reaching 15,000, leading to the band's first Top Of The Pops appearance on 23 June 1994. Despite their third single release, 'Speakeasy', entering the UK charts at number 24 and giving them their biggest hit to date, the first negative press reviews began to emerge, with NME opining that it sounded like "four clumsy blokes trying to come over all sensuous, fragile and complex". In September 1994 the band released their debut album, 'Change Giver', entering the UK album chart at number 16, and giving the group their first Gold disc. Despite it spending just two weeks in the chart, it enjoyed popularity in both the UK and Australia, and also found them an audience in Thailand, where they managed to beat Take That to the Christmas number 1 spot with their fourth single release, 'Ocean Pie'.
The following April, 'Where Have You Been Tonight?', the first result of their collaboration with new producer Chris Sheldon, was their fifth single, peaking at number 23, and continuing the band's chart-placing run. This was their only release of 1995, and it was not until 1996 that their seventh single, 'Going For Gold', appeared, and entered the UK chart at number 8, remaining their biggest chart hit to date. Their second album. 'A Maximum High', was released in April 1996, and garnered a generally positive response from critics, entering the UK album chart at number 8, and remaining there for 26 weeks. After a two year gap they released their third album, 'Let It Ride', featuring Clint Boon of the Inspiral Carpets on keyboards, and Heather "Lady Galadril" Findlay, of Mostly Autumn, on vocals, but this record received a more mixed reception that their previous albums. It seemed they were taking on a new, punchier sound, following first hearings of their comeback single, 'She Left Me On Friday', with various reviewers drawing comparisons to both Black Grape and Blur. Due to the relatively poor reception to 'Let It Ride', the band's label insisted that their next release had to be a greatest hits collection, resulting in their fourth album being the compilation 'Going For Gold' in 1999. Despite the band's reservations about issuing a compilation so early in their career, it went on to sell 130,000 copies, and did feature two new songs in 'Disco Down' and 'High Hopes', both of which were intended to be issued as singles.
In the end only 'Disco Down' made it, as while the band wanted 'High Hopes' to follow 'Disco Down', the record was side-lined by Polydor in favour of a proposed re-release of the previous single, 'Going For Gold', and because the band refused to comply, this led to Shed Seven and Polydor Records parting company in late 1999. In December 1999, guitarist Paul Banks left the band by mutual consent, with Rick Witter citing "musical differences" for the split, and he was replaced by original guitarist Joe Johnson in early 2000, while temporary keyboardist Fraser Smith became a permanent member of the band around the same time. Now officially a five piece ,and with a new song-writing team consisting of Witter, Johnson and Smith, the band signed a new contract with Artful Records, and in May 2001 went on to release their fourth studio album, 'Truth Be Told', which was preceded by the lead single 'Cry For Help'. Despite their new deal, the band remained dissatisfied with the lack of promotional support from their label, and also frustrated by delayed releases, which was highlighted by Artful's decision to change the planned July release of the second single from 'Truth Be Told, the chart-eligible 'Step Inside Your Love', to a non chart-eligible 4-track EP released in October 2001. The band were further hindered by BBC Radio 1's decision not to playlist them in their post-Polydor days, despite DJ Chris Moyles being a long-time supporter, and so by 2002 they had parted company with Artful Records.
In 2003 Shed Seven found a new home at Taste Media, and soon returned to the charts with the single, 'Why Can't I Be You?', released on 5 May and peaking at number 23, but this proved to be their first and last single release for the label, as the band lost patience with Taste's refusal to release their fully recorded would-be fifth studio album, slated for release in September 2003. With Taste demanding another big hit before they were willing to release a new Shed Seven album, the ready and completed record was held back indefinitely, and as a consequence the band announced their imminent split, announcing that their then-current UK tour would become their "farewell tour". This tour was a sell-out success, and Taste did manage to squeeze one album out of the band, by releasing the live 'Where Have You Been Tonight? Live' album. Despite gaining a loyal and ever-growing following of fans —sometimes referred to as "Shed Heads"— the band never received much positive press attention in the UK, with NME never once featuring Shed Seven on its cover, and constantly sniping at their image. In 2005, after many requests from fans, the band eventually released an official post-split album, 'One Hand Clapping', which featured 'new' material, which actually comprised unreleased demos of songs which were submitted to, and refused by, Taste Records for what would have been their fifth studio album.
Following the split, lead singer Rick Witter began a solo career with Rick Witter & The Dukes in 2005, releasing their debut album, 'The Year Of The Rat', in April 2007. Alan Leach opened a commercial recording studio in York, taught drums and began hosting pub quizzes, and during this time he co-founded SpeedQuizzing Ltd with his brother, and they now produce and sell smartphone pub quiz software globally. Tom Gladwin went on to join the Leeds-based pop/dance outfit The Clients with former members of The Dandys, and Paul Banks formed The Rising, a York-based band composed of Banks, David McKellar (formerly of The 88's), Rob "Maxi" Maxfield (formerly of Audioweb) and Stuart Fletcher (formerly of The Seahorses and who later joined Rick Witter & The Dukes). Joe Johnson taught guitar in his hometown, and joined a Canadian band named the Black Sours, while Fraser Smith is now a London-based record producer and songwriter, currently signed to Notting Hill Music, and has produced and mixed records for acts such as Ian Brown, Hayley Hutchinson and The Yards.
In July 2007 the band announced a greatest hits reunion tour of 14 UK venues for November and December 2007, featuring all of the band's original members, including both Joe Johnson and Paul Banks, but with the exception of Fraser Smith. The band continued to tour throughout 2009 to 2011, and an EP was released in November 2011, featuring four re-worked tracks from their 'A Maximum High' album, re-recorded with an orchestral feel over the course of a weekend in September. In February 2017 they announced they would be releasing their first studio album for 16 years later in the year, with 'Instant Pleasures' receiving some of their best reviews of their career. Despite this, Shed Heads would have to agree that their best music came from that decade between 1994 and 2003, when they were so prolific that they could afford to add two or three brand new tracks to every single, which is why this purely non-album singles/b-sides collection runs to four volumes.
Track listing
Disc I - 1994-1996
01 Immobilise (b-side of 'Dolphin' 1994)
02 Dolphin (Forward) (b-side of 'Dolphin' 1994)
03 Mobile 10 (b-side of 'Dolphin' 1994)
04 Around Your House (b-side of 'Speakeasy' 1994)
05 Your Guess Is As Good As Mine (b-side of 'Speakeasy' 1994)
06 Never Again (b-side of 'Ocean Pie' 1994)
07 Sleep Easy (b-side of 'Ocean Pie' 1994)
08 Sensitive (b-side of 'Ocean Pie' 1994)
09 Swing My Wave (b-side of 'Where Have You Been Tonight?' 1995)
10 This Is My House (b-side of 'Where Have You Been Tonight?' 1995)
11 Only Dreaming (b-side of 'Getting Better' 1996)
12 Song Seven (b-side of 'Getting Better' 1996)
Disc II - 1996-1998
01 Making Waves (b-side of 'Going For Gold' 1996)
02 Barracuda (b-side of 'Going For Gold' 1996)
03 Jumping Jack Flash (b-side of 'On Standby' 1996)
04 Killing Time (b-side of 'On Standby' 1996)
05 Long Time Dead (b-side of 'On Standby' 1996)
06 Stepping On Hearts (b-side of 'On Standby' 1996)
07 In Command (b-side of 'Chasing Rainbows' 1996)
08 The Skin I'm In (b-side of 'Chasing Rainbows' 1996)
09 Happy Now (b-side of 'Devil In Your Shoes' 1998)
10 This Is A New Day (b-side of 'Devil In Your Shoes' 1998)
11 Dumb Scene (b-side of 'Devil In Your Shoes' 1998)
12 Better Late Than Never (b-side of 'Devil In Your Shoes' 1998)
Disc III - 1998-1999
01 Bottom Upwards (b-side of 'She Left Me On Friday' 1998)
02 Melpomene (b-side of 'She Left Me On Friday' 1998)
03 Forever (Isn't Such A Long Time) (b-side of 'She Left Me On Friday' 1998)
04 My Misspent Youth (b-side of 'She Left Me On Friday' 1998)
05 You (b-side of 'She Left Me On Friday' 1998)
06 Slinky Love Theme (b-side of 'The Heroes' 1998)
07 Disco Down (single 1999)
08 Hands Up (b-side of 'Disco Down')
09 Another Hole (b-side of 'Disco Down')
10 Catapult (b-side of 'Disco Down')
11 High Hopes (unreleased single 1999)
Disc IV - 2001-2003
01 Jean Genie (b-side of 'Step Inside Your Love' 2001)
02 (Don't) PUsh Me Away (b-side of 'Step Inside Your Love' 2001)
03 No Way (b-side of 'Step Inside Your Love' 2001)
04 Patches (b-side of 'Cry For Help' 2001)
05 Working Miracle (b-side of 'Cry For Help' 2001)
06 The Seeker (b-side of 'Cry For Help' 2001)
07 Sittin' Pretty (b-side of 'Cry For Help' 2001)
08 Hark! I Hear The Foe Is Advancing (from the limited edition of 'Truth Be Told' 2001)
09 Why Can't I Be You? (single 2003)
10 Hanging On The Outside (b-side of 'Why Can't I Be You?)
11 Let Me In (b-side of 'Why Can't I Be You?)
