Space

Stealing from the campy styles of Echo & the Bunnymen and the infectious sounds of the Boo Radleys, Liverpool’s Space were formed in 1993 by Tommy Scott (vocals/bass), Jamie Murphy (guitar), and Andy Parle (drums). The band inked a contract with the indie label Gut Records before issuing Me and You Versus the World in 1996, but it was the release of “Female of the Species” one year later that helped Space truly establish themselves on the alternative rock scene. By the time of the kitschy single’s release, keyboardist Franny Griffiths and vocalist Dave "Yorkie" Palmer had also joined the group, and Space were enjoying favorable success with their Universal Records debut, Spiders. Already a massive hit in the U.K., “Female of the Species” also gained traction in America via college radio and MTV. A tour of the U.S. followed in mid-1997; however, it wasn’t as bright as the band and critics had hoped. Murphy disappeared for a while, and the death of Palmer’s mother, Gladys Palmer (a legendary singer from Liverpool), devastated the band. Parle (who died while crossing a street in Liverpool in 2009) left the band shortly thereafter and was replaced by drummer Leon Caffrey, who climbed aboard just before the release of Tin Planet in spring 1998. The record hit number three on the U.K. charts, although it failed to chart in America. Space then partnered with songwriter/producer Edwyn Collins and readied a third studio effort, Love You More Than Football, for release in late 2001. The album was shelved indefinitely, however, and the band took a long break before returning in 2004 with Suburban Rock 'n' Roll, an album that eschewed the polished sound of Tin Planet for something more akin to Spiders. However, the group disbanded the following year. Six years later, Space re-emerged with a new lineup in 2011 and this incarnation released Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab in 2014. ~ MacKenzie Wilson