Cooler… back to the cold school
It kind of started with the Spearmint piece the other day. When MNFB was born, it was supposed to be about great music, new stuff, old stuff, stuff you’d forgotten about. As seems the way with me, it became something else entirely. So I’m trying to get back on track.
Recently, I’ve started filling a new 1TB hard drive. I’m working my way, from left to right, through the CDs from the shelves, but the Spearmint thing had me rummaging in the boxes under the stereo.
Blimey, the stuff I’ve forgotten about. Cooler, for example.
After EMF fell apart for the first time, singer James Atkin – a Birmingham boy – and keyboarder Derry – not a Birmingham boy – joined Bentley Rhythm Ace’s backroom staff. Astonishing as it seems now, EMF were massive. As such, despite his protests otherwise, you’d guess there’s only so long a frontman can be stood at the back, in someone else’s band.
Helpfully, along came Cooler – a three-piece James could call his own. Alongside him, Ollie Cherer, a bundle of energy who bounced between drum kit, keyboards and just plain bouncing (I once described as a cuddly Keith Flint, sorry about that) and, on bass and singing, the lovely Anna Haigh off of Bocca Juniors, Red Snapper, Flowered Up and, in her own words, “a few other obscure bands too”. And yes, she was the girl in the T-shirt in the ‘Weekender’ video. And no, her co-star Lee Whitlock wasn’t Zammo from Grange Hill. I had a whole other ramble about the importance of the ‘Weekender’ video and how it’s ‘Quadrophenia’ for Generation X… and then I discovered, sadly, Flowered Up’s singer Liam Maher died last week, aged 41. That’s just too young. Very sad. There’s a lovely tribute here from Heavenly’s Robin Turner.
Anyway, Cooler. Onstage they were all ants in the pants, with everyone swapping instruments and mics like football stickers. And James singing again. On record, it was carnage – samples piled up to the ceiling, squidges, squelches, beats to go, heavy pumping on the keys, walloping bass. Cooler trod a carpet that should have seen them enjoy much more success… or actually, some success. From what I can make out, it was a Maker Breaker and an NME Single of the Week. It’s still a good one for the grandchildren, but boy, they must have watched the likes of Lo Fidelity Allstars’ relative rise with mouths agog.
Their second single was gobsmackingly good. A dark, growling, snarling Gary Glitter sampling romp with the refrain “gonna funk it up/kick it down like a mother”. There might have been another single called ‘Oh Happy Day’, but information is skant. Even with the all-knowing internet. If there was why haven’t I got it? I’m also pretty sure Cooler didn’t get as far as releasing an album, again, if there was it’d be in the box under the stereo.
It’s a shame, but if you’re going to duck out early doors, do it with some style. What? Oh.
More hear…
- The ‘Supersod’ single is still kicking around for those with 1p+P&P to spare. Get it from Amazon Marketplace. Money well spent.
