This is a very brief history of the two bands (actually one of the first things I wrote for the site back in October 1998). There is much more detail (and a much better story!) about the history in the 'Interviews' and 'Articles' sections of the site. |
| In 1980, a Scottish band called Motion Pictures (Ferg Harper, Colin Woore, Geoff Dugmore) advertises in the music press for a keyboard player. After an audition, Steve Hogarth, who has recently moved down to London from Doncaster, is chosen. The band start extensive rehearsals in Shepperton, and in the spring of 1981 change their name to Europeans. |
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Their first appearance on record is as the backing band on John Otway's "All Balls and No Willy" in 1982. Later that year, Europeans sign a contract with A&M. Three singles. "The Animal Song", "A.E.I.O.U." and "Recognition" are released before the first LP, "Vocabulary." Lead vocals are handled by bassist Ferg Harper, and one, "Kingdom Come" by Steve Hogarth. Kiki Dee and Toni Childs are among the backing vocalists. Another single, "American People" is released, and the band extensively tours. |
| The second LP "Live" is released on February 11th 1984. Recorded on December 15th and 16th 1983 in London, the LP contains 6 "Vocabulary" numbers performed live, "Going to Work" originally the b-side of the "American People" and 3 new songs, "Typical", "Joining Dots" and "Tunnel Vision." (The first of which was released as a promo single.) The LP charts at number 100, the highest (and only) position the band recorded. To promote the LP, Europeans perform "Innocence" and "Tunnel Vision" on the UK's youth music show The Tube. |  |
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Ferg Harper |
| In the creative environment, Steve Hogarth begins to contribute increasingly more songs to the group. He also prefers to take the lead vocals on the material that he had written. In 1984, his upbeat "Listen" is chosen as the next single, backed with "Climb the Wall" sung by guitarist Woore |
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Hogarth recalls, "I joined as the keyboard player, then later, when we got into writing together, I began doing the lead vocals on some tracks as well. Usually things I had written the lyrics for. Up until then I was always very shy about singing. I knew I had a voice, I'd started singing in Harlow [his first band], and really enjoyed it. But it had always been from behind a keyboard. The whole front-man thing, though, was something else. It wasn't until towards the end of the Europeans that I started getting to grips with that with any confidence." | |||
Steve Hogarth |
| A free promo single `Acid Rain' is released to promote their 3rd album. The sleeve claimed "There are very few opportunities to hear album tracks these days. This record is not a single, but a trailer for our new album We hope the music speaks for itself but you'll make up your own minds." The b-side contained edits of a further 3 album tracks, all about a minute long. |  |
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Geoff Dugmore |
| The last studio album, "Recurring Dreams" is released on October 30th 1984. Five of the eight tracks now featured lead vocals by Steve Hogarth, who is particularly pleased with the band's progression. However, the album is not promoted the way it should have been. This is not helped when the Managing Director of A&M leaves the company a day after the release of the LP, and most of his A&R staff who had originally signed the band are all made redundant. |
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"We were very affected by the fashion of the times," says Hogarth. "We were very fast anxious and industrial, if you know what I mean. But by the time of the second studio album, we'd developed. If we hadn't left A&M when we did, I think we might have done something..." | |||
Colin Woore |
| In 1985, Steve Hogarth and Colin Woore split to form a band on their own called How We Live. They had been writing together for the last six months of the Europeans, finding that they complemented each others writing. They are signed to CBS and start recording at Peter Gabriel's studio in Bath. The first song, Hogarth's autobiographical "Working Town" is released as a single on July 7th 1986. The LP "Dry Land", produced by Europeans friend David Lord, is released in January 1987. It contains 10 tracks, covering a variety of feels and moods |
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"All Time in the World" is chosen as the next single. Failing to excite the charts, it is re-released, but again gets no recognition. Subsequent singles "Working Girl" and "Games In Germany" are also ignored. |
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| There is potential material for a second album, but Hogarth finds it difficult to trust the record company's interest in the band. "I spent about a year trying to write a second album for How We Live, but my heart wasn't in it and I thought the whole thing was futile. I think if you do good work and it goes nowhere, you say "Hang on a minute, what's the point?" Towards the end of 1988, I decided enough was enough and I'd look for something new to do other than music." A year after the release of `Dry Land' CBS eliminates the band's contract. "How We Live kind of gradually hit the wall, ran out of money, ceased to exist." |  |
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