
Beatnik Filmstars were a British Lo-fi pop group formed in Bristol in 1990. After splitting up in 1998, going on to side projects Kyoko and Bluebear, they re-formed in 2004, releasing several more albums before splitting again in 2008. Singer Guitarist Andrew Arthur Jarrett started Beatnik Filmstars when the band he was previously in The Groove Farm split up. Formed in 1990, the first line up also featured former Groove Farm members Jon Kent (guitar) and Jeremy (Jez) Butler (Drums) along with bass player Andy Henderson. The band's first album Maharishi was released in 1991. It found them getting lumped into the shoegazing scene, with songs that featured loud/quiet/loud passages, and swirly guitar sounds. However, Jarrett was more influenced by US sounding bands and the band soon broke away from their 'shoegaze' phase.
Links To Peel[]
Peel was a big supporter of the group in the 90's: they recorded five sessions for his show as well as once being invited to sit in and chat with him during one of his broadcasts. He lamented the reluctance of other DJs to play their music:
"Here's a thing: I never hear a single one of their records on the radio unless I play it myself. That seems sad." [1]
In an interview with singer Andrew Jarrett for an internet publication, Jarrett mentioned the importance of Peel when asked why the band were appreciated in America:
"Because, they have college radio, so our records got played a lot and therefore heard by a lot more people, where as in the UK we had John Peel and that was it. Also we often got features in US publications, and the record reviews were generally quite stunning. Americans are not quite so easily led by fads and trends. Sure, it happens to some extent, but not in the way it did, and probably still does in Britain. The NME had the power to start a trend, and to kill it dead when they were bored with it. For some bizarre reason, the English public followed them like a herd of little lost sheep...You don't get that so much in America." [2]
Festive Fifty Entries[]
No entries during Peel's lifetime.
BEATNIK FILMSTARS - HOSPITAL WARD
- Post-Peel
- 2006 Festive Fifty: It's Not What You Know #23
- 2006 Festive Fifty: Really Quite Bizarre #06
- 2007 Festive Fifty: Inside The Mind Of Sam (Breakfast Serial Killer) #08
- 2007 Festive Fifty: Life In The Country AKA This Civil War #06
- 2007 Festive Fifty: Curious Role Model #04
- 2008 Festive Fifty: Hospital Ward #10
- 2009 Festive Fifty: Back Up Plan #41
Sessions[]
Beatnik Filmstars - Peel Session 1995
All sessions released on 541 The John Peel Sessions (2005, CD, Zenith Consol Tone). None repeated after first TX.
1. Recorded: 1995-06-04. Broadcast: 01 July 1995
- Jam Shoes / Chips / New Boyfriend And Black Suit / A Craze Exploding / Dogstar
2. Recorded: 1996-07-21. Broadcast: 17 August 1996
- Pilot Jack De La Zouche / Wing Off A Plane / Rumpus Throw / Milk
3. Recorded: 1997-02-25. Broadcast: 11 March 1997
- Hep Boys (Into Kraut Rock) / Ransack The Misfits / Now I'm A Millionaire / Mess/Is This Is Rad?
4. Recorded: 1997-08-03. Broadcast: 19 August 1997
- His Part In The Death Of A Lottery Winner / I Can Tame Lions / Squeemish / Less Than One In Ten / Goodbye Miss Barcelona
5. Recorded: 1997-12-14. Broadcast: 29 January 1998
- 13th Annual Showdown / Pop Dramas (Camp It Up) / Good Things Proud Man / Life Amongst The Cowboys / Our Celestial Pilot / Better In Space
Other Shows Played[]
Beatnik Filmstars - Sing Elvis
- 1991
- 19 May 1991: Down (LP - Maharishi) Big Sky
- 1993
- 02 July 1993 / Best Of Peel Vol 61: Sing Elvis (7" – Revolt Into Style) La-Di-La Productions
- 09 July 1993 / Best Of Peel Vol 61: Revolt Into Style (LP - Laid Back And English) La-Di-Da
- 30 July 1993: Kick It In The Head (album Laid Back And English) La-Di-Da Productions La-di-da 027
- 01 August 1993 (BFBS): Ambulance (album - Laid Back And English) La-di-da Productions La-di-da 027
- 1994
- 05 August 1994: Apathetic English Swine (7" ) La Di Da Promotions
- 23 September 1994: La Fruitmousse (CD - Astronaut House) La Di-Da Productions
- 02 December 1994: New Improved Formula (CD - Astronaut House ) La-Di-Da Productions
Beatnik Filmstars
- 1995
- 17 March 1995: 'Bigot Sponger Haircut Policy (7 inch)' (Mobstar)
- 07 April 1995: 'Bigot Sponger Haircut Policy (7 inch)' (Mobstar)
- 22 April 1995: 'National Pool Drama (7"-Pink Noize)' (Slumberland)
- 28 April 1995: '50/50 Split (7 inch-EP-Pink Noize)' (Slumberland)
- 06 May 1995 (BFBS): '50/50 Split (7"-Pink Noize)' (Slumberland)
- 14 May 1995 (BBC World Service): 50/50 Split (7" - Pink Noize) Slumberland
- 09 June 1995: 'Flake (7"-Pink Noize)' (Slumberland)
- 16 June 1995: 'National Pool Drama (7"-Pink Noize)' (Slumberland)
- 24 June 1995 (BFBS): 'National Pool Drama (7"-Pink Noize)' (Slumberland)
- 12 August 1995: New Boyfriend And Black Suit (7 inch) Mobstar
- 16 September 1995: New Boyfriend And Black Suit (7" EP) Mobstar
- 03 November 1995: 'Pop Scum (7"-Bridegrooms EP)' (LoFi Recordings)
- 04 November 1995 (BFBS): 'Pop Scum (French Version) (7"-Bridegrooms E.P.)' (Lo-Fi Recordings)
Seventies Flick
- 1996
- 12 January 1996: 'Flake (LP-Beezer (A Collection Of Singles, EPs, Sessions and Out-Takes)' (Mobstar)
- 26 January 1996: Charlie Batman (LP - Beezer) Mobstar
- 12 May 1996: Supremer Queener (7" EP) Mobstar MOBSTAR006
- 25 May 1996: 'Seventies Flick (7"-Supremer Queener)' (Mobstar)
- 01 June 1996: A Craze Exploding (7" EP - Supremer Queener) Mobstar MOBSTAR006
- 01 June 1996 (BFBS): 'Seventies Flick (7")' (Mobstar)
- 02 June 1996: I Am A Pioneer (7" EP - Supremer Queener) Mobstar MOBSTAR006
Milk
- 1997
- 18 January 1997: Milk (album - Phase 3) Mobstar
- 19 January 1997: The Family That Plays Together (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 25 January 1997: I Won't Wait (album - Phase 3) Mobstar
- 25 January 1997 (BBC World Service): Milk (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 01 February 1997: Favourite Stuff (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 15 February 1997: New Jam Shoes (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 16 February 1997: Rumpus Throw (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 19 February 1997: Three Down (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 26 February 1997: Wing Off A Plane (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- March 1997 (FSK): I Wont Wait (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 05 March 1997: New Boyfriend And Black Suit (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 10 March 1997 (BBC World Service): New Boyfriend And Black Suit (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 17 March 1997 (BFBS): 'Wing Off A Plane (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 18 March 1997: I Won't Wait (album - Phase 3) Mobstar Mobstar 008CD
- 21 May 1997: ‘Pilot Jack Harrison (10 inch – All Pop Stars Are Talentless Slags)’ Mobstar
- 29 May 1997 (BFBS): ‘Pilot Jack Harrison (10 inch – All Pop Stars Are Talentless Slags)’ Mobstar
- 04 June 1997: The Hopeless Will Do Battle (10" - All Popstars Are Talentless Slags) Mobstar
- 19 June 1997: Tense (10" - All Popstars Are Talentless Slags) Mobstar
- 19 June 1997 (BFBS): 'The Hopeless Will Do Battle (LP-All Pop Stars Are Talentless Slags)' (Mobstar)
- 03 July 1997: The Hopeless Will Do Battle (10" - All Popstars Are Talentless Slags) Mobstar
- 03 July 1997 (BFBS): 'Tense (10"-All Pop Stars Are Talentless Slags)' (Mobstar)
- 17 July 1997: ‘Now I’m A Millionaire (Various Artists CD – Little Darla Has A Treat For You Volume 7)’ Darla Records
- 02 September 1997: Hep Boys (Into Krautrock) (album - In Hospitalable) Merge
- 03 September 1997: Artist V Star (album - In Hospitablable) Merge
- 10 September 1997: Ransack The Misfits (album - In Hospitable) Merge
- 16 September 1997: Artist V Star (album - In Hospitalable) Merge
- 18 September 1997: Star In Descent (7" - Off-White Noize EP) Merge MRG 122
- 18 September 1997 (Radio Eins): Star In Descent (7" - Off-White Noize EP) Merge MRG 122
- 25 September 1997 (BFBS): 'Hep Boys (Into Krautrock) (CD-In Hospitalble)' (Merge)
- 02 October 1997: Buffalo Bill Haircut (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 07 October 1997: Atlas (CD - In Hospitalable) Merge
- 08 October 1997: Footstands (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 09 October 1997 (BFBS): 'Look Up And Be Amazed (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 16 October 1997 (BFBS): 'My Incident Free Life (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 17 October 1997 (BBC World Service): Atlas (CD Album - In Hospitalable) Merge
- 23 October 1997: 'Is This Rad? (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 05 November 1997: My Incident Free Life (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 06 November 1997 (BFBS): 'Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous (CD-In Hospitalable)' (Merge)
- 1998
- 01 September 1998: Hairstyle Of A Smug Bastard (LP - Boss Disque) Merge
- 03 September 1998: Less Than One In Ten (CD - Boss Disque) Merge
- 08 September 1998: Our Eyes Have Rays (LP - Boss Disque) Merge
- 16 September 1998: Let's Get Entertainment (LP - Boss Disque) Merge