The Charlatans

The Charlatans evolved from one of the most well-known practitioners of the baggy sound that swept the U.K. pop scene of the early 90s into a band that incorporates a multitude of sounds -- from classic rock guitars, swirling psychedelic organ, and thumping dance-friendly rhythms to indie pop jangle and post-modern pop -- while delivering songs that are searchingly introspective and warmly emotional, often at the same time. Fronted by Tim Burgess and fueled by his everyman vocals, the band had numerous hit singles and albums in their early baggy incarnation; once they became more song-oriented, as on 1997's Tellin' Stories, they reached a new level of popularity. They stayed near the top of the charts for years, and even when their star dimmed, were still making albums that held immutable charms, such as 2009's Different Days and 2025's We Are Love.At the time of their formation in the West Midlands in 1988, it appeared that the Charlatans were all about transience. Inspired by the emergence of the Stone Roses, Rob Collins (keyboards), Jon Baker (guitar), Martin Blunt (bass), and Jon Brookes (drums) formed the Charlatans, rehearsing with a variety of vocalists before Salford-born Tim Burgess joined as their singer, after the band's relocation to Northwich, Cheshire. The group attempted to land a record contract with no success, so they formed Dead Dead Good Records and released their debut 12" single, "Indian Rope," in January 1990. Collins' dynamic, sweeping Hammond organ distinguished the group from their Madchester scene peers, and the single became a number one hit on the indie charts. By the spring, they'd signed with Beggars Banquet, releasing "The Only One I Know" a few months later. Borrowing heavily from the Stones, jangle pop, and funk, "The Only One I Know" became a monster hit, climbing into the pop Top Ten and becoming the group's signature single. Following another hit single, "Then," the band's debut album, Some Friendly, was released in the fall, debuting at number one.It was a remarkable beginning to their career, so perhaps it was inevitable that bad luck hit early in 1991. As they launched their first American tour, the Charlatans were forced to add "U.K." to their name since a San Francisco garage rock band from the '60s already had a claim on the name. The group returned to Britain, where they played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Following the gig, Baker announced he was leaving the band. He was replaced by Mark Collins (no relation) yet the group was sidetracked further by Blunt's bout with severe depression. By the time they finally released their second album, Between 10th and 11th, Madchester had become passé, and the album was ignored by the public and earned mixed reviews.Despite their declining popularity, the Charlatans soldiered on, yet hit their biggest setback in late 1992, when Rob Collins was arrested as an accessory to armed robbery. The situation had been entirely accidental -- Collins had been drinking with an old friend and wound up following him into a liquor store -- but he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Before he went into jail, he laid down the tracks for the band's third album, which was released in early 1994, once he had left prison. Up to Our Hips received stronger reviews than its predecessor, and its single, "Can't Get Out of Bed," was a bigger hit than anything on Between 10th and 11th. It was the beginning of a comeback that culminated in the summer of 1995.Prior to the release of the group's eponymous third album, Tim Burgess sang on the Chemical Brothers' "Life Is Sweet," which re-established his hip indie credentials and gave him, and the Charlatans, credibility in electronica circles. Appropriately, The Charlatans demonstrated a deeper dance sensibility, as well as more concise tunes, and it unexpectedly entered the British charts at number one. Following the release of the album, the Charlatans re-entered the front rank of British rock bands and were at the peak of their popularity, as well as critical acclaim. The group was still unable to crack the American market -- initially, they were barred from touring the country due to Collins' arrest -- yet they remained popular throughout Europe and Asia.As the band was recording its follow-up to The Charlatans, Collins was killed in a drunk-driving accident as he headed to the studio. Although Collins was pivotal to the band's signature sound, they carried on without him, completing their fifth album, Tellin' Stories, with the assistance of Primal Scream's keyboardist, Martin Duffy. Tellin' Stories was released in the U.K. in the spring of 1997 to generally strong reviews, and it entered the charts at number one. Two years later, Us and Us Only came out, followed in 2001 by the dance-inspired Wonderland. The next year saw two releases, Live It Like You Love It, recorded live in the band's hometown in December 2001, and Songs from the Other Side, a collection of B-sides from 1990 to 1997. The Charlatans' eighth studio album, Up at the Lake, was issued in 2004, and two years later, Simpatico hit the shelves. In 2008, the group released You Cross My Path on the Cooking Vinyl label. In 2010, the band marked the 20th anniversary of the release of Some Friendly by performing the album at Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival. Their 11th studio album, Who We Touch, was slated for release in September of 2010. During the supporting tour for Who We Touch, drummer Jon Brookes was diagnosed with a brain tumor; Peter Salisbury helped finish off the tour, but Brookes showed up at year-end gigs with the band. Burgess and Collins did a brief acoustic tour on their own in 2011 before Burgess began work on a solo album. He returned to the Charlatans in 2012, with the group starting a new album and playing their 1997 album Tellin' Stories in its entirety at two separate shows that summer; the June 8 show at HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London was released as a live album that August. However, after several operations and ongoing treatment for his brain tumor, Brookes died in hospital on August 13, 2013 at the age of 44. The Charlatans reconvened in 2014 to record their twelfth studio album. Entitled Modern Nature, the record appeared on BMG in January 2015; it debuted at number seven in the U.K., making it the band's highest-charting album since 2006's Simpatico. Two years later, the Charlatans followed up with Different Days, a record sporting cameos from Paul Weller and Johnny Marr. The Charlatans spent the next few years quietly, reissuing portions of their catalog -- including an expanded version of Between 10th & 11th in 2020 -- while Tim Burgess resumed his solo career. During this period, Burgess also conceived and popularized the notion of online listening parties, calling his Tim's Listening Party. He began in March of 2020 by marshalling a look back at Some Friendly, then continued on for years as the popularity of the series grew. In name of looking back, the band issued A Head Full of Ideas in 2021, a lavishly packaged and thorough retrospective celebrating their 30th year as recording artists. Around this time they band began work on an album, rounding up the members from their homes in different parts of Europe and writing songs. The subsequent recording sessions took place in the band's own recording space and at Rockfield in Wales, and were overseen at different junctures by Dev Hynes, Stephen Street, and Fred MacPherson. The 11-song set looks back at the band's career, honoring members past, and sets forth a hauntingly psychedelic and melodic batch of songs. We Are Love was released in late 2025 before the group embarked on a short U.K. tour.
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