Six by Seven (also written as SIX.BY SEVEN or six.by seven or six.byseven) are an English indie rock band, formed in 1992 in Nottingham. The classic lineup of the band featured singer/guitarist Chris Olley, guitarist Sam Hempton, drummer Chris Davis, bassist Paul Douglas and keyboard player James Flower. The band split up in 2008, before re-forming in 2012 with Olley and Flower as the only original members. Originally formed in 1992 as "Friends Of...", they performed their first show at the Old Angel pub in their hometown of Nottingham in late 1992. After recording several demos and playing gigs, the band attracted some record company interest. However, they once played to a room full of A&R men at Leicester's Charlotte with the room emptying before the first 15-minute song was complete. Undeterred, the band continued to write and record. Bass player Paul Douglas joined later that year. The band got their break by playing support slots with Rocket From The Crypt and Girls Against Boys, and changed their name to Six by Seven in 1996. The name was taken from the research connected with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Links to Peel
The band caught the ear of Peel in 1998 and so impressed, that he invited the band to do their first session live for his show at Maida Vale. The group in total did 5 sessions for Peel's show, including a German language cover of David Bowie's Heroes called Helden. In an interview with Penny Black Music in 2010, singer Chris Olley described the honour of doing the sessions:
"I’m happy with the fact that we did five Peel Sessions. When you’re making music that’s so different from what everyone else is doing you have this feeling that you’re doing something. When John Peel phones up and asks if your band can come and do a session, you feel that your band has landed." [1]
In 2004, Peel nominated their album 04 as one of his recommendations for August 2004 (Peel's Record Box).
Festive Fifty Entries
- 1999 Festive Fifty: Helden #43
Sessions
1. Recorded: 1998-04-07. Broadcast: 12 May 1998
- Something Wild / Your Town / Oh Dear / 88 92 96 / Brilliantly Cute
2. Recorded: 1999-05-18. Broadcast: 13 July 1999
- Ten Places To Die / Don't Want To Go/Slab Square / Heroes/Helden / Always Waiting For
3. Recorded: 2000-05-31. Broadcast: 05 July 2000
- Sleep / Another Love Song / England And A Broken Radio / Sawn Off Metallica T Shirt / Overwright Success
4. Recorded: 2001-11-04. Broadcast: 28 November 2001
- Cafeteria Rats / Speed Is In/Speed Is Out / The Way I Feel Today / American Beer / Flypaper For Freaks
5. Recorded: 2004-11-16. Broadcast: 01 December 2004
- Ocean / Catch The Rain / Sometimes I Feel Like / Around / European Me
Live
Recorded live from Newcastle University. Broadcast: 27 October 1998
- Oh Dear
- For You
Recorded live at Nottingham Boat Club. Broadcast: 31 October 2002
- Another Love Song
- So Close
- I O U Love
- America Beer
- European Me
- Oh Dear
- Cafeteria Rats
- Flypaper For Freaks
- Brilliantly Cute
- Candlelight
- The Way I Feel Today
Other Shows Played
- 1998
- 21 January 1998: 88-92-96 (12") Mantra
- 29 January 1998 (BFBS): '88-92-96 (12")' (Mantra)
- 17 February 1998: Your Town (12" - 88-92-96) Mantra
- 26 February 1998: This (12" EP - 88-92-96) Mantra
- 02 April 1998: Candlelight (7 inch ) Mantra
- April 1998 (FSK): Candlelight (CD Single) Mantra
- 14 April 1998: Candlelight (single) Mantra
- 15 April 1998 (BBC World Service): Something Wild (LP - The Things We Make) Mantra
- 05 May 1998: Something Wild (CD - The Things We Make) Mantra
- 19 May 1998: Brilliantly Cute (CD: The Things We Make) Mantra
- 04 June 1998: For You (CD - The Things We Make) Mantra
- 09 June 1998: Brilliantly Cute (CD - The Things We Make) Mantra
- 25 June 1998: Brilliantly Cute (album - The Things We Make) Mantra
- 28 July 1998: For You (EP) Six By Seven
- 05 August 1998: For You (EP) Six By Seven
- 10 September 1998: No Expectations (v/a album - 21 Beggars Banquet) Beggars Banquet
- 1999
- 29 April 1999: July, August, Winter (12": Two And A Half Days In Love With You) Mantra
- 05 May 1999: July, August, Winter (EP - Two And A Half Days In Love With You) Mantra Recordings
- 27 May 1999 (Radio Eins): July, August And Winter (EP - Two And A Half Days In Love With You) Mantra
- 01 June 1999: 'July, August, Winter (CD Single – Two And A Half Days In Love With You )’ Mantra
- 06 October 1999: 'Helden (CDS-Ten Places To Die / England And A Broken Radio)' (Mantra Recordings)
- 07 October 1999 (Radio Eins): Helden (CDS - Ten Places To Die / England And A Broken Radio) Mantra
- 10 October 1999 (BFBS): 'Helden (Peel Session) (CDS-Ten Places To Die)' (Mantra Recordings)
- 12 October 1999 (BBC World Service): Ten Places To Die (single) Mantra
- 21 October 1999 (Radio Eins): 'Ten Places To Die (CDS)' (Mantra Recordings)
- 09 November 1999: 'Ten Places To Die (CDS)' (Mantra Recordings)
- 18 November 1999 (Radio Eins): England And A Broken Radio
- 23 December 1999: 'Helden (CD single-Ten Places To Die)' (Mantra Recordings) FF #43
- 2000
- 02 February 2000: 'Candlelight (OST CD-Five Seconds To Spare)' (white label)
- February 2000 (FSK): 'Candlelight (OST CD-Five Seconds To Spare)' (white label)
- 10 February 2000 (Radio Eins): Eat Junk, Become Junk (single) Mantra
- 15 February 2000: Eat Junk, Become Junk (single) Mantra
- 17 February 2000 (Radio Eins): Candlelight (OST CD-Five Seconds To Spare)' (white label)
- 22 February 2000: 'Sawn Off Metallica T-Shirt' (LP 'The Closer You Get') Mantra
- March 2000 (FSK): Don't Wanna Stop (CD - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 16 March 2000: New Year (LP - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 16 March 2000 (Radio Eins): One Easy Ship Away (LP-The Closer You Get)' (Mantra)
- 23 March 2000: 'Don't Wanna Stop (LP-The Closer You Get)' (Mantra)
- 23 March 2000 (Radio Eins): 100 And Something, Fokhall Road (LP - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 30 March 2000: One Easy Ship Away (CD - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 30 March 2000 (Radio Eins): Slab Square (LP - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 06 April 2000 (Radio Eins): New Year (7") Mantra
- 19 April 2000: 100 & Something Foxhall Road (LP: The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 10 May 2000: Don't Wanna Stop (album - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 18 May 2000: Slab Square (LP - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- 23 May 2000: New Year (7") Mantra
- 25 May 2000 (Radio Eins): New Year (7") Mantra
- 22 June 2000: New Year (7") Mantra Records (JP: 'Their reviews just keep getting better and better, which is always slightly worrying, I find.')
- 06 July 2000 (Radio Eins): Ten Places To Die (LP - The Closer You Get) Mantra
- December 2000 (FSK): I Believe In Father Christmas (v/a CD - It's A Cool, Cool Christmas) Jeepster
- 20 December 2000: I Believe In Father Christmas (Various Artists CD – It’s A Cool, Cool Christmas) Jeepster
- 2001
- 06 February 2001: Pull The Wires From The Wall (v/a CD - Cheffing And Blinding) Fierce Panda
- 08 March 2001 (Radio Eins): Pull The Wires From The Wall (v/a CD - Cheffing And Blinding) Fierce Panda
- 2004
- 20 July 2004: Sometimes I Feel Like (LP - 04) White Label
- 03 August 2004: 'untitled' (LP- 04) - (White Label)
- August 2004 (FSK): "Untitled" (CD - 04) Saturday Night Sunday Morning
- 12 August 2004: Sometimes I Feel Like (LP - 04) Saturday Night Sunday Morning Records
- 24 August 2004: "Catch the Rain" (LP - '04') - (SNSM)
- 16 September 2004: Bochum (Light Up My Life) (LP - 04) Saturday Night Sunday Morning
- September 2004 (FSK): Bochum (Light Up My Life) (CD - 04) Saturday Night Sunday Morning