History of the band
This is the biography from the Breathe newsletter. No author was listed for me to give credit to. These are not my own words.
Success seems to have amazingly wafted in Breathe's
direction. But it has been far from an overnight occurrence for
David Glapser - lead vocals; Marcus Lillington - guitars and Ian
Spice - drums, as they'll only too readily admit. Says David Glasper,
"It's taken us three years to grow up from schoolboys playing in a band
for fun to the musicians we are now."
Consolidating their line-up in 1984, the three piece London-based band began
writing and recording demo tapes and were soon signed up by Siren. Playing
venues up and down the country Breathe gained a great live reputation, with stars
of the likes of Boy George, Mick Hucknall and Paul Young turning up at the London
gig to check them out. George Michael has even whispered that he rates Glasper
as the finest white voice to emerge since Simply Red's Hucknall went overground.
Breathe's music has a maturity unusual for a band of their age, but it doesn't
detract from the vitality and enthusiasm for the group's material. 'HANDS TO
HEAVEN' is a prime example of a perfectly crafted love song that has all the
makings of a classic. When released in the U.S. earlier this year the single
sailed into the Top 10 - peaking at No. 2 in July '88. Following the Stateside
success, the original band composition was re-released in the UK. Reaching the
No. 4 spot 'HANDS TO HEAVEN' eventually delivered Breathe's firdt UK hit.
Whilst learning that they are capable of writing hit records, Breathe can also
reaching all ages, tastes, and record collections. The band extended their
following still further with the release of their debut album 'ALL THAT JAZZ' in
September and appearing as Belinda Carlisle's special guests on her UK tour.
Taken from their versatile debut LP 'ALL THAT JAZZ', 'JONAH' was chosen as the
follow-up single to their Top 5 hit 'HANDS TO HEAVEN'. An uptempo mix of powerful
pop and laid-back charm, 'JONAH' effotlessly displays the strong vocal talents
of lead singer David Glasper and the band's solid musical structuring.
With plans already afoot to play America, Breathe contine to champion a mature
approach to songwriting and a responsible attitude towards fame and fortune.
Breathe are busy blowing some life back into pop music as we know and love it.
(Here is some additional info I recently found out about)
Let's go back even further than that. At one time Breathe was called "Catch 22". The 6-person band played a mix of covers and original songs, such as "Breathe," "In All Honesty," "The Guilt Inside," "On Your Own," and "Stay." After the guys finished school they slimmed down to 5 band members and played in a "London Showcase Week" and were discovered by many record companies. They signed on as a four-piece band and a year later, ATJ was released. It was released again later a few times with changes in the members of the group and the songs and lineup of the album.
1987 Press Kit
