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Balaam and the Angel
OriginBirmingham, England
GenresRock, gothic rock, glam metal, hard rock
Years active1983–1989, 1991–present
LabelsVirgin
MembersMark Morris
Jim Morris
Des Morris
Chris P Notes
Past membersIan McKean Dom Roche
WebsiteBalaam and the Angel Official website

Balaam and the Angel are a Scottish rock band founded by Mark, James (Jim), and Desmond (Des) Morris in Cannock, England in 1984.[1][2]

Career

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As children in Motherwell, Scotland, the Morris brothers worked in the entertainment industry as part of a cabaret act.[3] They moved south to Cannock, Staffordshire, England, where they formed Balaam and the Angel.[4]

Initially the band self-released a series of EPs and an album entitled Sun Family[5] via their own Chapter 22 label and played some tour dates opening for The Cult.[4] This caught the attention of Virgin Records, who signed them and released their debut album, The Greatest Story Ever Told.[6][4] It peaked at No. 67 in the UK Albums Chart in August 1986.[7] They toured in the United States with The Mission, Kiss and label mate Iggy Pop.[citation needed]

A second guitarist and the first non-sibling, Ian McKean of Twenty Flight Rockers,[8][9][10][11] was added to the band in 1988.[4] The band began to move away from gothic rock music styles into a sound that had more in common with hard rock. With their new-found style, they recorded the album Live Free or Die.[12] This was soon followed up in similar style when they recorded Days of Madness,[13] before leaving Virgin Records.[4] Their song "I'll Show You Something Special" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.[14]

Their presence was largely ignored by the time that their 1993 album, Prime Time, had failed to interest record buyers.[3]

Members

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  • Mark Morris - vocals, bass (1983–1989, 1991–present)
  • Jim Morris - guitar, keyboards (1983–1989, 1991–present)
  • Des Morris - drums (1983–1989, 1991–present)
  • Karen Morris - keyboards (2019–present)
  • Chris P Notes (Chris Williams) - keyboards (1994–2019)
  • Ian McKean - guitar (1988–1989, 1991–1994)

Discography

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Albums

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Date of release Album Title
1985 Sun Family
1987 The Greatest Story Ever Told
1988 Live Free or Die
1989 Days of Madness
1991 No More Innocence
1993 Prime Time
2019 That's Not the Real World

EPs

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Date of release EP Title
1984 World of Light
1985 Love Me

Singles

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Date of release Single Title
1985 Day and Night
1986 She Knows UK No. 70[7]
1986 Slow Down
1986 Light Of The World
1986 New Kind of Love (Australia only)
1987 I'll Show You Something Special
1987 I Love The Things You Do to Me
1988 Live Free or Die (Texas Redbeard Mix)
1989 I Took a Little
1990 A Little Bit of Love
1993 Shame on You

Compilation albums

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Date of release Compilation Title
1987 Young Virgins (featuring "Light of the World".)
2002 Sun Family

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "MusicMight :: Artists :: BALAAM AND THE ANGEL". 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Balaam And The Angel". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 82/3. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  4. ^ a b c d e Moore, Christie (2006) The Unultimate Rockopedia, AuthorHouse, ISBN 1-4259-6474-5, p. 27-8
  5. ^ "Balaam And The Angel - Sun Family". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Balaam & The Angel - The Greatest Story Ever Told". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 40. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  8. ^ Gregory, Andy (18 October 2002). The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002. Psychology Press. ISBN 9781857431612 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ International Who's who in Music: Popular music. Vol. two. Melrose Press. 18 October 1996. ISBN 9780948875076 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (18 October 2002). The Great Scots Musicography: The Complete Guide to Scotland's Music Makers. Birlinn, Limited. ISBN 9781841830414 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "The Long and Winding Road: The Music of Mark Ferrick and Thirteen". 20 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Balaam & The Angel* - Live Free Or Die". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Balaam And The Angel - Days Of Madness". Discogs.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
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