He became one of the world's most successful tour managers, looking after Woody Allen and the Spice Girls. But he was worried that however the film might depict Chris, any reality would surely damage Frank. He hit the depths just when his act got his own ITV series Frank Sidebottoms Fantastic Shed Show in 1992. Despite this, one year later, he was offered a full time place in the band, which he accepted. But Chris wasn't ordinary. he said. Sometimes the show also included lectures. . Time passed and the audiences grew to 750 and sometimes even 1,000. But as a talented artist, he got work on kids programme Bob The Builder at the start of the millennium. Chris Sievey, but people across the country who were fans of the cult character. He was a paean to ordinariness. Chris Sievey, better known as his paper-mache, later fiberglass headed character Frank Sidebottom (born as Christopher Mark Sievey in Ashton-on-Mersey, Cheshire, England, UK, August 25th, 1955) was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom I am writing this 26 years later. Three years following the end of 7T3, Frank became a regular cast member on the fourth, and final, season of the children's TV series Motormouth. Middles likens Chris to transgender people, trapped in the wrong body. [56], Sievey's funeral was held on 2 July 2010 at Altrincham Crematorium. By 2000 he was earning 35m in a year, making him Britain's highest-paid entertainer. Producer and Director Steve Sullivan took on the . Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.David Levene. [43] Guests included Caroline Aherne, Phil Cornwell, Midge Ure, Gerry Anderson, the Farm, Pop Will Eat Itself, Oceanic and Keith Chegwin. Photo: Lou Rocco/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images. It could be a fable instead of a biopic a tribute to people like Frank who were just too fantastically strange to make it in the mainstream. I said. [31] The popularity of these appearances lead to him getting his own show on the network, Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show, which lasted one season in 1992. Chris also cheated on his wife with groupies who would ask to have sex with him while he wore Franks head and left his children without money during week-long benders. "But I don't know any of your songs," I said. The mood was pumped. Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings. Instantly recognisable, his keyboard ditties and larger-than-life personality were a hit on the . But someone Chris could not truly divorce himself from was Frank. The arrival of a decent pay cheque allowed him to indulge his worst habits. Chris Sievey was a hugely talented musician and artist whose pop band The Freshies made terrificpop music but barely troubled the charts in the Eighties. Certainly his wife and children weren't as important. Chris Sievey English musician and comedian (1955-2010) . By Ian Wolf 29 April 2019. Our driver, Chris Evans, left us to try and make it in radio. Being Frank is also a very human tale of the lives he touched: interviews with Chris's former wife, children, friends, fans and bandmates including journalist Jon Ronson and broadcaster Mark. In 1983, with the band on hiatus, Sievey went solo. Side One Camouflage (4:24) Off Key Siren (2:45) Warning To Women (3:56) I Am The Walrus (3:53) Side Two Amoco Cadiz (2:03) Hey (2:15) Return To Thunder City (2:02) On A Bender (3:43) Under Water (3:57) [14] In order to promote the EP, he made an appearance on the TV programme 'TX'[15] the first of many appearances on the ITV network. I think itwas easy for him to be behind the head, as it wasnt something that he really wanted to do. He also appeared alongside the Factory Records boss Anthony Wilson on Channel 4's Remote Control. [2], Sievey released two cassettes under his own name in 1975 and 1976 Girl in My Blue Jeans and All Sleeps Secrets.[8]. Ten years later I was in the park with my son when the phone rang. Chris filled me in on the past 10 years. We soundchecked. He added that his name was Mike, and Frank Sidebottom's real name was Chris. Christopher Mark Sievey (25 August 1955 21 June 2010) was an English musician, comedian and artist known for fronting the band the Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards. Her Off "Neighbours"), Split 7-inch FlexiDisc with the Hitchcocks, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 11:00. Chris Sievey was a 'live in the moment' man, his friends said More than 200 people gathered to pay their respects to Chris Sievey - the creator of comedian Frank Sidebottom - at his. They became big names in a way that Frank/Chris never did. I never understood why Chris sometimes kept Frank's head on for hours, even when it was only us in the van. Frank Sidebottom made Sievey a star, but did that weighty head stifle the talents of the real Chrisunderneath? View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2019 Vinyl release of "Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story" on Discogs. He became a comedycult hero, especially around his home town of Manchester, being daft and singing out-of-tune songsin a nasal voice provided by the use of a swimmers nose clip. Throughout 2007, Frank made several television appearances, before releasing his final project, Magical Timperley Tour, a short film featuring Frank touring 100 of his friends around the characters' home town of Timperley. Chris wanted to give the band a more professional sound, and booked a 30 date tour, the longest the band had ever undertook. series 1 episode 1 STV for TVS 1992 (edited) - YouTube", "Frank Sidebottom memorial song: Christmas Is Really Fantastic", "Tribute to Frank Sidebottom, the comic who broke the mould", "Victoria Wood honoured at Chortle Awards", "Frank Sidebottom statue unveiling at precisely 11.37am", "Frank Sidebottom dies after collapsing at home", "Frank Sidebottom comic faces pauper's funeral", "Frank Sidebottom's creator saved from pauper's funeral", "Frank Sidebottom's creator Chris Sievey's funeral held", "Frank Sidebottom farewell party packs Manchester arena", "BBC In pics: Frank's Fantastic Farewell", "Things to do in Manchester this weekend: March 1 to 3", "Frank Sidebottom exhibition opens today in Manchester Central Library - and a new film next week", "GCHQ cracks Frank Sidebottom's secret codes", "Frank Sidebottom: the true story of the man behind the mask", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Sievey&oldid=1140092399. I set off for America to research other great musicians who'd ended up on the margins Daniel Johnston, Captain Beefheart, the Shaggs. Chris formed the Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band in 1983. The donations never stopped. Zonophone released his third EP 'Frank's Sidebottom's Firm Favorites' in August of 1985. Action, Documentary, Music. A biography of Chris Sievey was written by Manchester author Mick Middles,[64] and was published in November 2014.[65]. Two huge eyes were staring at me, painted onto a great, imposing fake head, lips slightly parted as if mildly surprised. This documentary about one the most peculiar of musicians is best described in the words of his most famous creation: "Absolutely fantastic!". 73,[19] eventually being grandfathered into its spin off, 7T3. Stream The Freshies - My Tape's Gone - Rough'n'Ready - Chris Sievey by Being Frank documentary on desktop and mobile. Chris was the unreasonable man, except the world never did adapt to him and he never made any progress. On 8 July 2010, over 5,000 fans of Frank Sidebottom gathered for a party at the Castlefield Arena in Manchester to celebrate Sievey's life. His mind fizzed with non-stop creativityand, inspired by The Beatles, he wanted to be a pop star. Military historian to sell home-made Second World War plane after his wife told him to get rid of it. The archive is now preserved forever in the Archives+ vault in Manchester, held under temperature-controlled conditions. The longest-serving line-up, however, comprised Barry Spencer (guitar), Rick Sarko (bass, ex-Ed Banger & The Nosebleeds) and Mike Doherty (drums, ex-Smirks) and lasted from 1980 until 1982. [25], This same year Frank was included on the charity album Sgt. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. Chris Sievey, who has died aged 54 after suffering from cancer, achieved the kind of success as Frank Sidebottom that often eluded him under his own name. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, Frank's television appearances would lessen, not attaching himself as a regular cast of anything, but making occasional appearances. He stands off to the side and at the bottom of the back cover photo. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story is in cinemas now. Franks Fantastic Shed Show introduced Caroline Aherne to the world, with her playing the nosey, grey-haired Mrs Merton a character Chris claimed he had invented. When I got to the bar it was empty except for a few men fiddling with equipment. The record peaked at No 54. While a total dearth of anxiety was a fantastically enviable character trait in real life, how could we write a film about a man who just didn't care when everything went wrong and in fact found disaster funny? Christopher Mark Sievey (25 August 1955 - 21 June 2010) was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards. [37] In late 2009 and early 2010 he supported John Cooper Clarke on a UK tour. Do you have any pamphlets?" 9: A Tribute to The Beatles in Aid of Cambodia", "What's up doc? Chris Sievey - Camouflage - YouTube 0:00 / 3:39 Chris Sievey - Camouflage The Micro Museum 403 subscribers Subscribe 953 views 2 years ago Back in 1983 the artist Chris Sievey recorded. I let out a gasp. The appeal closed on Monday 28 June with a final balance of 21,631.55 from 1,632 donations. Afterwards, Caroline decided to keep Mrs Merton going. Like all of his demos, the songs failed to land a record deal so Chris set up his own label called Razz in 1974. FilmFour wanted to fund its development. Find out more, The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, A still from Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story, Chris Sievey hiding his face, with 'Little Frank', When are the Oscars? But it wasnt until he made himself a huge papier mache head for a fancy dress party that Sieveyscareer really took off. Nothing makes a young man feel more alive and on an adventure than speeding down a motorway at 2am next to a man wearing a big fake head. Chris and Heidi Powell. It featured Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley who later became Radio 1 DJs Mark and Lard and Jon Ronson, now a successful writer and filmmaker. He sent me photographs of its journey from the foundry in the Czech Republic to its final resting place outside Johnson's the dry cleaners in Timperley. Chris Sievey. This act of extensively touring the country would develop Frank's status. Chris Sievey Paula Sievey, nee Dean Stirling John Sievey (born 1980) is the second child of Chris Sievey, creator of Frank Sidebottom, and his wife, Paula. But it was also a gentle spoof of the entertainment business itself. The acts included Badly Drawn Boy and surviving members of Frank's Oh Blimey Big Band who played in tribute. "I play keyboards," I said. Ashers youngest son Freddie is eight, and he pops in and out of his grandmas living room as we alltalk. Another of the men came bounding over to me. And meanwhile we were crisscrossing Manchester and Bury and Leeds and Sheffield and Liverpool in our Transit van. "From the Desert Wolves.". His single Camouflage saw. I couldnt do it any more., Chris and Paula had a brief reconciliation, but eventually divorced. Contrasting with the alternative comedians of the time, Frank Sidebottom's comedy was family-friendly, if a little bizarre for some. I said. I wondered why Chris had decided to kill off Frank. In memory of Chris Sievey, 1955-2010. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story tells the twisted tale of a split personality, exploring the extraordinary secret life of a songwriter, artist, comedian and wayward genius. Sievey himself grew up in Ashton-on-Mersey, five miles from Timperley. We began to sound like an excellent 1980s wedding band. The following year, Sievey guest starred on the sixth season of British television series No 73, after which he, portraying Frank, would become a regular cast member for its final two seasons. In his huge papier-mch mask, Chris Sievey was an unlikely star, enjoying cocaine and booze but without it, he ended up bitter and bankrupt. And Chris and Frank would send each other letters and drawings.. Chris hung up Frank'shead in the late 1990s, by which time he was drinking too much, dealing witha large unpaid tax bill and struggling to find direction. [26][27] He later recorded "Flying" for another Beatles tribute album, Revolution No. Now divorced from Paula, he was an animator on the children's claymation series Pingu. Sievey's life was a fantastical, subversive piece of performance art. But I was crazy about him and wanted to have babies with him straight away., Paula and Chrisloved being parents, but she had to be the grown-up in the relationship. The Freshies produced the first multimedia single by including The Biz, a Sinclair ZX Spectrum game written by Sievey, on the vinyl version of one of their releases in June 1983. Christopher Mark Sievey, musician and comedian, born 25 August 1955; died 21 June 2010, Musician, entertainer and alter ego of the cult comedy creation Frank Sidebottom, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Frank Sidebottom as played by Chris Sievey. Tomatometer 26 Reviews. It is published by Picador as an ebook on 16 January. [2][7] When they were asked to leave they insisted on recording something, and were booked into the studio after playing a song to head of A&R Tony King. About Chris Sievey is a member of the following lists: 1990s British television series, English male singers and English comedians. More than 20,000 was raised to save him from a paupers funeral, with comedians Phill Jupitus and Jason Manford putting their hands in their pockets. Despite the minimal chart success from these EPs, Frank had developed a cult following that allowed him to attract audiences upwards of 500 in Northern England and London. [citation needed] Frank appeared briefly as a Manchester United fan in an advert for the FIFA 10 video game in 2009. We hired a people-carrier instead of a Transit van and set off to our first venue. [36], Frank performed at Bloom Festival in 2007 and Kendal Calling in 2008. Former girlfriend Michelle, 56, told The Sun: I think he would just laugh about him being more famous now. Suddenly everyone around us was becoming famous. He owed 30,000 in back taxes. His innovative ideas extended far beyond indie labels and bizarre song titles. Pepper Knew My Father, which featured other acts like Michelle Shocked, the Christians, Sonic Youth, Billy Bragg, Hue and Cry, the Fall and Wet Wet Wet. Chris Sievey, who has died aged 54 after suffering from cancer, achieved the kind of success as Frank Sidebottom that often eluded him under his own name. And if Chris was secretly more obsessive about Frank than he let on, how would he feel if the film reflected that? Mick Middles, who wrote Chriss authorised biography, said: Famously, Frank and Chris had two separate phones. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story tells the twisted tale of a split personality, exploring the extraordinary secret life of a songwriter, artist, comedian and wayward genius. Was he bitter? I completely believe that Chris was born as two people." SYNOPSIS: The story of musician and entertainer. Sidebottom's former Oh Blimey Big Band members include Mark Radcliffe and Jon Ronson,[12] and his driver was Chris Evans.[10]. In early 1985 he recorded a hopelessly upbeat, Casio-driven version of the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK and posted it to all the major record labels. My friend, the screenwriter Peter Straughan, asked me if I thought the story could be adapted into a film. I'd like to say that during the years since Richard the bass player took an instant dislike to me a dislike that only intensified during the months that followed before the band imploded, and climaxed in him yelling that he'd like to break my "keyboard-playing fingers" he went on to have a disappointing life. "Hello, Jon," said the man underneath. Chris Sievey, who played Frank Sidebottom, is to feature in a biopic in 2014. Ithought he was hilarious; I couldnt wait to get to work as we worked on opposite sides of the samebench and every so often Id get this screwed-up piece of paper thrown over to me and it would saysomething really funny. Not long after that, Frank was playing at a pub near my flat. In 2003, Chris began working on a new album, entitled Scilly Automatic. And there I was, in the passenger seat of a Transit van flying down the M6 in the middle of the night, squeezed between the door and Frank Sidebottom. He gave me a sheepish smile, as if to say he was sorry that I had to endure all the weirdness of the past few minutes but it was out of his hands. Young Sievey, born in 1955, grew up in the Greater Manchester area of England, loved the Beatles (nothing surprising there), was . Camouflage is an single / programme by Chris Sievey released in 1983. I had similar concerns. [33] In 2000 he began working in stop motion animation and became a regular crew member on Seasons 4 - 6 of Bob the Builder, as well as a writer on the fourth season of Pingu. Sievey as Frank Sidebottom at the Bull and Gate, Retirement of Frank, stop-motion work and failed solo ventures (19952004), Chris Sievey - Being Frank Liner Notes - Steve Sullivan, 2019 7A Records, Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 11:00, Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie, "Chris Sievey: The man behind the papier-mch mask of Frank Sidebottom Obituaries, News", "frank's firm favourities | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company", "oh blimey it's christmas | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company", "BBC Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey was "a genius", "Revolution No. Under the head Chris would wear a swimmer's nose clip. 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