BOX OFFICE POISON
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In the 1990s Box Office Poison (BOP) started a new genre of music called Pop Noir, which has a atmospheric, filmic feel and gritty lyrics just like it's sister genre Film Noir. Production was experimental, with song writer/producer and driving force Russell C. Brennan (aka Writer) reluctant to leave the studio until he'd invented a new sound or way of doing things on the tracks. With a central core of permanent members and a fluid line-up of guest members the band was able to incorporate new sounds whenever required. There are elements of jazz improv, film music, catchy pop, punk attitude and classical style in the tracks. This combination gives BOP a very distinctive and alternative sound.
We all know bands who say they're doing something really different, only to find that they're doing the same old thing as everybody else. But being a rebel is to go against the grain and the establishment, and when the establishment is everyone else's music, well you know that it's going to result in something a bit different. Nearly everyone who decides to be in a band has a guitar or keyboard and plays a few chords as a starting point for composing, but Box Office Poison did not use guitars in any of their tracks. Also they didn't rip off different bits of other people's hits and stick them in an ever playing loop on a computer. They simply had a different way of composing songs and playing their instruments, but that's their secret.
The band's influences were many and varied. They have been compared to artists such as Goldfrapp, Bjork, Portishead, The Doors, Nancy Sinatra, Kate Bush, Enigma, Mono, Ennio Morricone and David Bowie. Lyrically they sometimes have a storytelling resemblance to the styles of Paul Weller (Jam period) John Lennon (solo period) and Ray Davies (Kinks period), but with 21st Century subjects bringing them up to date.
Producer/songwriter Russell uses the human voice as another instrument. On some tracks multiple different vocal tracks merge with the backing rather than float above it. The 'cello squeaks, saws, taps and soars, adding a haunting and sometimes wolf, dolphin or whale-like sound to the intros and outros, or holds a rasping bass line throughout the track. Sax trails loosely around in the background giving a night club feel. Percussion is also innovative, punctuating the melody surprisingly at times, and some of the tracks use more unusual instruments (such as koto and harpsichord).
Box Office Poison songs are unique. Classic examples of this are Strip Show, Come With Me and Nightmare On Elm Street. Nightmare on Elm Street is an original horror theme track that was composed by BOP for the 6th Nightmare on Elm Street movie Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.
BOP released several singles on 7" or 12" vinyl and CD formats - Mysteries, Checkmate/1995, Alien/Teenage Sex, Think For Yourself/Lady Grinning Soul, The Legend of Xanadu and Popcorn. These have since been made available on download.
Box Office Poison songs are unique. Classic examples of this are Strip Show, Come With Me and Nightmare On Elm Street. Nightmare on Elm Street is an original horror theme track that was composed by BOP for the 6th Nightmare on Elm Street movie Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.
BOP released several singles on 7" or 12" vinyl and CD formats - Mysteries, Checkmate/1995, Alien/Teenage Sex, Think For Yourself/Lady Grinning Soul, The Legend of Xanadu and Popcorn. These have since been made available on download.
Mysteries 12" Vinyl
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checkmate/1995 7" vinyl & CD
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checkmate/1995 7" vinyl & CD
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alien/teenage sex/sixteen year old/psycho city cd ep
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think for yourself/ladygrinning soul/ louie louie/nightmare on elm street cd ep
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legend of xanadu/skag kids 7" vinyl, CD
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popcorn 7" vinyl
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The Think For Yourself EP includes 4 tracks: Think For Yourself, Lady Grinning Soul, Louie Louie and Nightmares on Elm Street. To listen to the Lady Grinning Soul track from this release please check out the video below.
Several more singles from the band followed - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence/I Want to Sleep With You Pt 2, Lazer Love, Backstreet Boulevard and Magic.
merry christmas Mr Lawrence/i want to sleep with you part 2
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lazer love
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backstreet boulevard
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magic
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Their debut album was entitled Beyond The Twilight Zone (Music for the 21st Century & Beyond). When Beyond The Twilight Zone was released a music critic had this to say: 'Each track throws you into a 3 minute epic and makes you feel like you've experienced the subject to each song. Lyrics go from the extremes of being homeless, having sex with an alien, time travel, saving the world or passing from it - through to the more mundane emotions of everyday life, such as divorce, drugs, alcohol abuse and the general pressures of living (not too many love songs here!). You could conceivably say it's like virtual reality for the soul as well as your ears'.
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Beyond the Twilight Zone
Track Listing
Track Listing
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1. Think for Yourself
2. Checkmate 3. Mysteries 4. Magic 5. Love on the Phone 6. Cry out the Pain 7. Sad World 8. Nineteen Ninety Five 9. Backstreet Boulevard 10. 16 year old 11. We're All Insane 12. Alien 13. We Are The Future |
The superb vocalists Debbie Detroit (edgy and powerful, previously from the band The Graduate) and Jo Sharpe (smooth, dark and luxurious) were featured on the debut album, but they left for pastures new and the BOP line up for the second album consisted of punk cellist and percussionist Russell Writer (aka Russell C. Brennan, songwriter/producer of Eleanor Rigby), Ron Rage (aka Ron Howe, ex - The Cure, The Damned and Fools Dance), Daffodil Lil (Sax) and the talented female vocalists Mouse and Misty Woods.
The second album was the somewhat controversial & explicit Heavy Breathing Decade, which concentrated on the multiple facets of sex (although not in a crude way).
Far from being tacky as the title may suggest, it was quality material that would sit comfortably alongside any top pop act you could care to mention. The subject matter is best described as a cross between Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye), Je t'aime (Jane Birkin & Serges Gainsborough) and Erotica/Justify my Love (Madonna), but of course it has the band's own innovative Pop Noir sound and instrumentation, with thrusting 'cello, arpeggio fingerings of harpsichord riffs, a sexy jazz club saxophone, hypnotic percussion, swelling organ and to die for backing vocals. Sometimes a little uncomfortable, at other times heavenly. Just like sex (you get the picture).
The second album was the somewhat controversial & explicit Heavy Breathing Decade, which concentrated on the multiple facets of sex (although not in a crude way).
Far from being tacky as the title may suggest, it was quality material that would sit comfortably alongside any top pop act you could care to mention. The subject matter is best described as a cross between Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye), Je t'aime (Jane Birkin & Serges Gainsborough) and Erotica/Justify my Love (Madonna), but of course it has the band's own innovative Pop Noir sound and instrumentation, with thrusting 'cello, arpeggio fingerings of harpsichord riffs, a sexy jazz club saxophone, hypnotic percussion, swelling organ and to die for backing vocals. Sometimes a little uncomfortable, at other times heavenly. Just like sex (you get the picture).
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Heavy Breathing Decade
Track Listing
Track Listing
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1. Come With Me (Part 1)
2. I Want To Sleep With You (Part Two) 3. Don't Sleep With Him (Parade) 4. Take Me To Heaven and Back 5. Strip Show 6. All The Young Girls Love Alice 7. I Want You All The Time 8. Making Love To The General Vibe 9. Is It Sex You Seek? 10. For The Video 11. All I Want's A Baby 12. Penicillin Passion 13. Teenage Sex 14. Sex On The Internet 15. Come With Me (Part Two) |
To purchase any of the BOP releases that we have available on CD
please select from the dropdown list below (UK or Outside UK) and click Add to Cart.
please select from the dropdown list below (UK or Outside UK) and click Add to Cart.
Box Office Poison contributed a number of theme tunes to Future Legend's series of Cult TV & Film Theme albums, including some of the very popular Bond film themes. They also covered selected pop tracks that they liked on some of their own releases, including All the Young Girls Love Alice (Elton John), Lady Grinning Soul (David Bowie) and Louie Louie (Richard Berry). These cover versions were always produced with an unusual twist to make them very different from the originals. BOP's version of Louie Louie was even voted best cover of this much covered song by listeners of London radio station XFM.
The last Box Office Poison release (for download only) collates the songs that were created for the compilation albums plus their other most popular tracks into a 26 track album called Themes, Dreams, Nightmares and Schemes (The Best of Box Office Poison). You can find this on iTunes, Amazon and other good download sites.
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Themes, Dreams, Nightmares and Schemes
Track Listing
Track Listing
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1. Mission Impossible 14. I Want To Sleep With You Part 2
2. Checkmate 15. Department S 3. 1995 16. From Russia With Love 4. Mysteries 17. The Deep 5. Alien 18. Blade Runner 6. Teenage Sex 19. Maddelena 7. Lady Grinning Soul 20. Man in a Suitcase 8. Think For Yourself 21. The Prisoner 9. Louie Louie 22. The Persuaders 10. Nightmare on Elm Street 23. For a Few Dollars More 11. Popcorn 24. All Too Much 12. The Legend of Xanadu 25. The Ipcress File 13. Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence 26. 1995 (Instrumental) |
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Box Office Poison remained cutting edge artists for nearly 10 years. After changing their name briefly to Pop Noir in 2001 they finally dissolved the band in 2002. New pop noir band Psykick Holiday then took up the baton for innovation on the FLR label (please see the Psykick Holiday page for more information).
Box Office Poison Discography
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1. Beyond The Twilight Zone (CD album, download album)
2. Heavy Breathing Decade (CD album, download album) 3. 1995/Checkmate 4 track with remixes (CD EP single, download) 4. 1995/Checkmate with exclusive dance mixes and French mix (12" vinyl single) 5. 1995/Checkmate Limited Edition (7" vinyl single) 6. Mysteries French, Spanish & English versions plus bonus track Getting Thru' The Day (CD EP, download) 7. Mysteries with exclusive ambient and dance remix (12" vinyl single) 8. Teenage Sex/Alien/16 year old/Psycho City (CD EP, download) 9. Think For Yourself/Lady Grinning Soul/Louie Louie/Nightmare on Elm Street (CD EP, download) 10. Legend of Xanadu/Skag Kids (CD single, download) 11. Popcorn/Checkmate 12" (CD single, download) 12. Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence/I Want to Sleep With You Part 2 (Download single) 13. Lazer Love (Download single) 14. Backstreet Boulevard (Download single) 15. Magic (Download single) 16. Themes, Dreams, Nightmares and Schemes (Download album) |
If you want to buy any BOP releases available on CD you will save money by buying them directly from us.
Please select from the dropdown menu below (UK or Outside UK) and click the Add to Cart button.
Please select from the dropdown menu below (UK or Outside UK) and click the Add to Cart button.
An entertaining Biography of the band The Box Office Poison Story: Pioneers of Pop Noir has been written by Russell Brennan and can be found on Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions. Read more about it on the Box Office Poison Story webpage or click the button below to go to the page on Amazon.
To contact us please email: futurelegend2000@yahoo.co.uk