darling buds

The Darling Buds"Of all the things you could have said/ you had to say 'lets go to bed'"

Who?One of a misidentifed trend of 'bands with blonde female singers' from the start of the 90's, the Darling Buds were probably the most succesful at the time - heartily endorsed by Simon Bates (which meant something in those days), often popping up on Top of the Pops, that sort of thing.

Essential?Debut album Pop Said is full from run in to witty scratched message with pop classics - Lets Go Round There, Shame on You, and so on. Follow up, the 'grown up' Erotica is still a fine album, but the sense of a band starting to flick through Barrat Homes catalogues hung over the album - no more pop fun, this is Our Career. Only it wasn't.

Yes, Anna, they were from...Swansea. About Wales' sole contribution to music in the gap between the Manics and Max Boyce.

In a nutshell, then:Pop. With a capital Polka Dot.

Never mind the music, give us trivia:They took their name from HE Bates' Darling Buds of May (the title of Pop Said also coming from the same source). A few years later, the TV adaptation of the Darling Buds of May made a star of Catherine Zeta Jones. Who is also from Wales.

In more depth:Darling buds site - god alone knows what else is there, Neds Atomic Dustbin and stuff.

Try these, too...The Primitives
The Charlottes
(just so you can compare and see if blonde hair makes a difference)
Early Catatonia
Belly
Shakin Stevens featuring Bonnie Tyler. Joking.