For a full list of John's records and production work since 1995 see the MUSIC page.



John Parish’s recording career started in 1980 after he had joined new wave band Thieves Like Us. Their EP ‘Mind Made’ was released that year on Earlobe records, and was reviewed in NME, Sounds and New Music News that year and even got a mention in the girls photo-love-story magazine, Jackie.

In 1982 he formed a new band, Automatic Dlamini, with Rob Ellis (later of PJ Harvey and Spleen), in which he developed a distinctive and very confrontational stage presence, playing metal percussion (using found objects like an old tin bath and Castrol GTX can), while singing through a head-mike. In 1983 Automatic Dlamini did some recording with producer Richard Mazda (Wall of Voodoo, Birthday Party, The Fall).

Through Mazda, John met and auditioned to be the lead singer for the American band Wall of Voodoo, whose song Mexican Radio was a hit that year. John was chosen as the replacement for Stan Ridgway, who had left the band, and at the age of 22 prepared to move to Los Angeles. At the last minute, he was told that he would not be the lead singer, because his voice sounded too English, but was invited to join as percussionist and songwriter.

He declined, and continue to tour with Automatic Dlamini, appearing on BBC Bristol and at festivals around the country. They released their first record in 1986: The Crazy Supper EP, voted single of the week in Sounds. Another band from the Yeovil area, the Chesterfields, asked John to produce their first single, which became an Indie chart hit in the UK. This was the beginning of his career as a producer, with the success of the Chesterfields leading to further production work with bands such as the Brilliant Corners and the Becketts. The Becketts' excellent album, Myth was later produced by John, a record that never got the recognition it deserved.

In 1987 Automatic Dlamini released its debut album The D Is For Drum. All songs were written by John Parish. The same year, Jeremy Hogg, slide guitarist in Automatic Dlamini met Polly Harvey, and through him John became friends with Polly, who had her own two-piece band at the time. The band was one of the first western European bands to tour Eastern Europe, before the fall of the iron curtain. In 1989-90 they recorded their second album, Here Catch, Shouted His Father. The record was never released but has been much bootlegged.

In 1991, Polly decided to form her own band, PJ Harvey, with Rob Ellis and Ian Olliver, both ex-Dlamini members. The same year, John joined The Ensenada Joyride (Marc Moreland, Jean-Marc Butty, Joachim Barbier) for a few shows and recording sessions. The last Automatic Dlamini album, From A Diva To A Diver, was recorded at the end of 1991. Automatic Dlamini split in 1992 after releasing the album From a Diva to a Diver. John continued to write music and producing records and worked part-time at Yeovil College teaching Rock Music and Recording Techniques.

In 1994 Polly asked John and Flood to help her produce her third album. John played on all ten songs (guitar, drums, percussions and organ). To Bring You My Love was released in 1995 and several magazines, including Rolling Stone, voted it Album of the Year. On tour, Polly and John started working on a collaborative record, Dance Hall at Louse Point, for which John wrote and performed the music while Polly did the lyrics and vocals. The album was recorded by Head, and Mick Harvey from the Bad Seeds joined them for a cover of Leiber and Stoller's Is That All There Is? The record was released in September 1996, followed by one single, That Was My Veil. Is That All There Is? was featured in the movie Basquiat. They played a few small shows, four of which took place in John's hometown of Bristol (Fleece & Firkin), with dEUS as the opening act. The band included former Automatic Dlamini members Rob Ellis and Jeremy Hogg, plus Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart, Pere Ubu, Pixies). Mick Harvey guested at one show. Together with the Mark Bruce Company, they also did a number of concerts in Britain and at the Salzburg Festival in Austria.

In the late ‘90s John worked on many records as a performer or producer, and was asked by the band Sixteen Horsepower to produce their second album Low Estate, in Louisiana. He also played on PJ Harvey’s Is this Desire? and toured during the summer and autumn of 1998. In 1998 he also recorded a film soundtrack for Rosie, the debut film of Flemish director Patrice Toye. The soundtrack CD, released on Swarf Finger, contains twelve instrumentals and one song, Pretty Baby, performed by Alison Goldfrapp. After the film was released, four live performances of the soundtrack took place in Holland, Belgium and the UK. Shortly after this, John and Polly performed a show for Radio One to celebrate John Peel's sixtieth birthday.



.... to be continued.




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