In 1989, Ian Broudie holed up in a closet-sized Belgian studio with his “bandmates” – a drum machine, a couple of guitars and a cheap Casio keyboard – and two weeks later he emerged with a collection of 12 bittersweet pop songs that became CloudCuckooLand, an album that superimposed newfangled recording techniques on old-fashioned melodies.
A veteran of Liverpool’s post-punk music scene, Broudie was a pedigreed producer whose resume boasted production credentials for Echo & The Bunnymen, Wah! and Icicle Works – a vanguard of Mersey bands that shared his penchant for majestic pop.
Before producing commitments tied him to the mixing desk, Broudie had been a member of Care, Original Mirrors and Big In Japan, an infamous ensemble of local scene-makers that included Holly Johnson (later of Frankie Goes To Hollywood) and Budgie (long-time drummer for Siouxsie & The Banshees).
As The Lightning Seeds, Broudie’s debut single, Pure, reached the Top Five.
Broudie revived the “band” in 1992 for Sense, adding synth programmer Simon Rogers (ex-The Fall) as a full-blown member of Lightning Seeds.
He finally extended the line-up to a full band for Jollification (1994), adding Ali Kane on keyboards, Martyn Campbell on bass and Chris Sharrock (ex-Icicle Works) on drums.
The football song Three Lions – the theme song for the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship – went to #1 in the UK. Broudie retired the Lightning Seeds name in 1999, although he returned to the live scene in 2006, and released the studio album Four Winds in 2009.
Ian Broudie
Vocals, keyboards
Simon Rogers
Synths
Ali Kane
Keyboards
Martyn Campbell
Bass
Chris Sharrock
Drums
