Space are a band from Liverpool, England, who formed in 1992 initially as a trio of Tommy Scott (vocals, bass, guitar), Jamie Murphy (vocals, guitar) and Jamie Island (drums), who was later replaced by Andy Parle in 1993. Keyboard player Franny Griffiths joined the line-up a year later, and the band signed to Gut Records in 1995, eventually rising to prominence with hit singles such as "Female of the Species", "Me and You Versus the World", "Neighbourhood", "Avenging Angels" and "The Ballad of Tom Jones", the latter a duet with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.
Space pursued an eclectic sound dubbed "queasy listening" by critics, embracing electronica and sampling in their work and drawing from genres as diverse as hip hop, techno, post-punk, ska, lounge music, easy listening and film scores, the result of the difference in tastes between band members. The group were also noted for their deliberately tongue-in-cheek, dark-humoured lyrics inspired by films, which frequently deal with topics such as serial killers, failed relationships, social outcasts, and mental illness. Whilst Space's eclecticism and camp humour polarised listeners and critics, they have maintained a devoted cult following.
Space experienced several lineup changes, with Scott being the only consistent member. Their first two albums, Spiders (1996) and Tin Planet (1998), achieved great success and went platinum in the UK, along with scoring eight UK Top 40 singles. Work on their proposed third album, Love You More than Football, was marred by difficulties, and it was eventually shelved once the band were dropped by Gut. The band disbanded in 2005, following low sales and a lukewarm reception of their fourth album Suburban Rock 'n' Roll (2004), which was nonetheless acclaimed by fans.
Scott went on to form The Drellas, which in 2011 morphed into the second incarnation of Space after Griffiths (and briefly Murphy) joined the group. Space have continued to perform live and release studio albums, including Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab (2014), Give Me Your Future (2017), and Music for Pleasure Music for Pain (2021). In 2019, twenty years after it was recorded, Love You More than Football was officially released as part of a career-spanning Anthology boxset. The band's eighth album, Ten Neurotic Fairytales, is set to be released in February 2027.
Contents
Biography
Tommy Scott and Jamie Murphy first met when Murphy, then the age of 15, was hired as a roadie for Scott's then band The Australians. After The Australians split in 1990 prior to an important gig, the pair quickly assembled a new band called The Substitutes (after the song by The Who), with Murphy playing guitar and Scott filling the role of bassist. Murphy would rename the band Space after the working title for the song "My Own Dream" by The Real People, and performed their first gig under the name on 15 May 1992 at The Picket in Liverpool. Jamie Island was briefly the band's drummer before being replaced by Andy Parle, and on 5 July 1993 they released a 12-inch single entitled "If Its Real".
In 1994, Franny Griffiths, who had previously played with Scott in Hello Sunset and The Australians, was brought in to join them on keyboards and electronics, and would eventually establish their distinct style. On 15 January 1995, the band secured a recording contract with Gut Records, who released their first single, "Money", in November that year. The single "Neighbourhood"' followed in March 1996, but it was not until the release of their next single, "Female of the Species", that they achieved top 40 success. This song was also the theme song to the UK programme Cold Feet.
Their debut album Spiders, released in September 1996, enjoyed success and went platinum in the UK. "Female of the Species" also gained moderate airplay on college radio and MTV in the United States, and was widely seen and heard in Australia on the nationally broadcast ABC-TV music video show rage and on the ABC national rock station Triple-J. The line-up increased with the addition of bassist/multi-instrumentalist Yorkie – who started working with the band years before their success with Spiders – in late 1996, so that Scott could concentrate more on vocals and guitar.
A tour of the US followed in mid-1997, during which bandmembers suffered from homesickness, Murphy experienced a nervous breakdown, and Scott lost his voice for two months. The death of Palmer's mother devastated the band, and Parle left the group straight after the second album was complete. He was replaced by Leon Caffrey.
The new record, entitled Tin Planet, was a more mature, focused release than Spiders and was issued in spring 1998, hitting number three in the UK Albums Chart. Like its predecessor, it became a success, but it did upset some fans due to its more softer, pop-friendly songs and the lack of the much more aggressive tracks found on Spiders. In late 1998, for a Honda advertisement, Space recorded a version of The Animals' "We Gotta Get out of This Place", which was featured on The Bad Days EP. The band also recorded a track together with singer Tom Jones for his album Reload, released in 1999.
Musical style
Space's sound is noted for its highly eclectic and cinematic nature, which, according to Scouse Pop author Paul Skillen, "challenges convention in an industry that likes to categorize artists into marketable genres". Their embrace of synthesizers and state-of-the-art recording techniques such as looping, sampling, and beats derived from hip hop and dance music helped them stand out from other Liverpool bands of the time, who tended towards more 'traditional' and 'authentic' 1960s-inspired guitar pop.
This also enabled them to sidestep the 'retro-gazing' characteristic of the Britpop movement, which they were frequently associated with. Journalist Jennifer Blake wrote that "Space are from Liverpool, but any attempts to cast the band under the somewhat meaningless title of 'Britpop' should be quickly dismissed. Other than the fact that the members of Space are British and make superb pop music, they have little in common with bands like Blur and Oasis. In fact, they have little in common with any other band. Their quirky originality is what makes them so much fun to watch, leaving the audience not sure what to expect."
Space's lyrics cover a broad range of subjects, frequently referencing celebrities and fictional characters, as well as a recurring interest in science fiction and horror films, which is often reflected in their music videos, live shows, and record sleeves. In an interview with Stuart Maconie, frontman Tommy Scott stated the motivation for his songwriting is inspired more by movies and television rather than other musicians: "I'm into films and telly. The songs I write depends on what film I'm into at the time. Some days I'm Noël Coward, some days I think I'm Quentin Tarantino, some days it's Speedy Gonzales" Scott has described Space's approach to creating music as a democratic process:
"I basically write the song and put in a few bits and bobs and then I take it to the lads. I never tell anyone what to do. They all put their own stuff on it. That is good too. Franny puts on his ’80s influence and techno stuff, Jamie also put his influence on it (he thought he was in Led Zeppelin) and I put in all my influences from horror movies. Different musicians alter the dynamics of the band and having played with different people it changes all the time. When we reformed, we listened back to the Spiders album: it seemed so slow – it was more like trip-hop, so when we got Phil and Allan in, they were more into punk stuff. They gave the music a raw edge and we sounded a bit more rocked-up when we played it live."
Band members
Current members
Tommy Scott – vocals, guitar, bass guitar (1992–2005, 2011–present)
Franny Griffiths – keyboards, synthesizers, melodica, sonic manipulations, turntables, samples, backing vocals (1994–2005, 2011–present)
Phil Hartley – bass guitar, double bass, keyboards, backing vocals, piano, banjo, orchestrations, record producer (2011–present)
Allan Jones – drums, guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
Touring members
Paul Hemmings – guitar (2016–2020)
Jorden Owoo - vocals (2019–2024, his death)
Former members
Jamie Murphy – lead guitar, vocals (1992–2001, 2011–2012, 2022–2023)
Jamie Island - drums (1992–1993)
Andy Parle – drums (1993–1997; died in 2009)
David "Yorkie" Palmer – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1996–2005)
Leon Caffrey – drums (1997–2005)
Ryan Clarke – keyboards, vocals (2011–2014)
Discography
Compilation albums
Invasion of the Spiders (collection of all the B-sides and remixes from Spiders) (1997)
Greatest Hits (2002)
Music for Aliens (2002–03)
Greatest Hits & Unheard Bits (2003)
Greatest Hits: The Collectors Edition (2005)
Avenging Angels: The Best Of (2009)
The Anthology... Five Studio Albums B-Sides and Rarities (2019)
The Anthology... Seven Studio Albums B-Sides and Rarities (2024)