Cath Carroll (born 25 August 1960) is a British musician and journalist who was born in Chipping Sodbury, England, but raised in Swansea, then Manchester. She played guitar in post-punk band Property Of... in 1978, which also included former Warsaw drummer Tony Tabac. In 1979 she formed the band Glass Animals with her friend Liz Naylor. The band was renamed Gay Animals in 1980, before disbanding in 1984. Carroll stated that the band aimed to be "the lesbian Rolling Stones", but "it sounded like a very bad Fall". During this time she also produced the City Fun fanzine with Naylor. In 1984 she began writing for New Musical Express magazine and City Limits under the pen-name Myrna Minkoff, and also formed a new band, Miaow, who released their first single, "Belle Vue" on their own Venus label in 1985. In 1986 Miaow contributed a track to the NME 's C86 compilation. In early 1987 they came to the attention of Factory Records head Tony Wilson, who released two singles; "When it All Comes Down", and "Break the Code". After several line-up changes, Miaow disbanded in 1988, with Carroll going on to work with The Hit Parade.
Carroll married former Big Black guitarist Santiago Durango, and embarked on a solo career. In June 1988 Carroll began working on her debut solo album, England Made Me, named after a Graham Greene novel. The album was recorded in Sheffield, Sao Paulo, London, and in Chicago with Steve Albini. Carroll and Albini also recorded a version of "King Creole" for New Musical Express' The Last Temptation of Elvis compilation album. Carroll subsequently moved to Chicago in late 1989. There she worked with Chicago house music producer, Vince Lawrence. Their song "Too Good To Live" was a single from the album England Made Me and the album was released in June 1991 on the Factory Records label.
American band Unrest paid tribute to Carroll in 1993, with the Cath Carroll (EP) released on TeenBeat records, and used a Robert Mapplethorpe portrait of Carroll on the cover of their Perfect Teeth album in the same year.
Links To Peel[]
Carroll's previous band, Miaow recorded two sessions, in June 1986 and January 1987 for Peel's show. As a solo artist, Peel rarely played her material except for her collaboration with Steve Albini on her version of Elvis Presley's "King Creole" for NME's The Last Tempatation of Christ compilation album.
Shows Played[]
Cath Carroll and Steve Albini - King Creole
- 1990
- 04 April 1990: King Creole (v/a album - The Last Temptation Of Elvis) New Musical Express
- 12 April 1990: King Creole (v/a album - The Last Temptation Of Elvis) New Musical Express
- 30 April 1990: King Creole (v/a LP - The Last Temptation Of Elvis) New Musical Express