The Beautiful South

When the British pop band the Housemartins [see Fatboy Slim/The Housemartins entry] dissolved in the late '80s, frontman Paul Heaton and drummer Dave Hemingway formed the Beautiful South; its name, a barb aimed at the posh southern region of the country, is as drenched in irony as its lyrical sentiments. The Beautiful South's juxtaposing of sweet vocals and sunny hooks with acerbic lyrics evoked the group from whose ashes it rose, while it replaced the Housemartins' jangly guitar arrangements with jazzier textures. Fleshing out their previous band's music, both Heaton and Hemingway sang in the Beautiful South, as did ex–Anthill Runaways vocalist Briana Corrigan (replaced in 1993 by Jacqueline Abbott, who, in turn, left in 2000). Their lush orchestrations gained the band several U.K. hits, starting as early as its first single, “Song for Whoever” (#2, 1989). Lyricist Heaton’s caustic wit drew mixed reviews from critics, some of whom found him too clever - or bitter - for his own good. The British public, however, seemed not to care: The band’s greatest-hits collection, Carry On Up the Charts, still ranks as one of the fastest-selling albums in U.K. history. Although Beautiful South albums continued to sell well in the U.K. into the 21st century, the band never made more than a passing impression in America.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)