Formed in Glasgow in 1986 by guitarist Mark Nevin (who had played in one of the numerous lineups of Jane Aire & The Belvederes) and ex-Eurythmics backing singer Eddi Reader, Fairground Attraction reached #1 with the gentle skiffle of their folky debut single Perfect in 1988.
But the sunny exterior masked cracks that even multi-platinum debut album The First Of A Million Kisses couldn’t paper over. By 1990, tensions were so bad that Nevin quit the band during sessions for the follow-up album. That same year, vocalist Eddi Reader acted in the BBC television series Your Cheatin’ Heart.
Reader went on to record a number of solo albums (with the help of drummer Roy Dodds) and received an MBE in 2006 for services to music. Nevin co-wrote and played on Morrissey‘s Kill Uncle album and released a couple of solo albums in the late 90s before studying psychotherapy and changing career.
Bassist Simon Edwards subsequently played with Talk Talk and Kirsty MacColl before joining Billy Bragg‘s band, The Blokes.
Eddi Reader
Vocals
Mark Nevin
Guitar, vocals
Simon Edwards
Bass
Roy Dodds
Drums