From Tasmin’s number 1 hit in the 90s to a band whose fame came from their music appearing on US TV Shows...
Smokie originally found fame locally and nationally before also finding success on a globe scale having started from right here in Bradford. A chance meeting in 1965 in one of Bradford’s Music shops (Moor’s Music Shop) with Ron Kelly and Alan Silson lead to the band being formed - however, it took Smokie a long time to find fame hitting the height of their career peak nearly a decade after their formation with the success of their second studio album (Changing All The Time). The album which proved to be a very popular record in the mid-70s boasting the lead single (If You Think You Know How to Love Me) which peaked at number three in the UK charts as well as performing well in other European countries. The success continued for Smokie for another decade before their decline and departure of key members. Amazingly they are still going with their most recent record (Take a Minute) released in Denmark has been doing quite well, reaching number three on the Danish charts.
Tasmin Archer was born in Bradford and grew up here too, going to school and college as well as working various jobs before launching her career as a successful singer. Originally a backing vocalist to a local band, she helped in a recording studio in Bradford where she first started to learn about the music business and then went on to sign a major contract with EMI in 1990.
Fame soon followed, with Tasmin being a Brit Award-winning Pop singer by 1993 having released her debut and most successful album the year before. Great Expectations, her first album, was hugely successful in the UK reaching number 8 in the charts as well as performing highly on an international stage in countries such as Switzerland and Austria. The album was helped by the lead single (Sleeping Satellite), which did reach number 1 in the UK music charts. Although she released two more albums along with a number of singles that did chart, they failed to emulate the same level of success as her debut record which is still to date one of the best chart performances of any Bradford based musician.
Scars on 45 are a recently formed band (2007) that at first struggled to find success. However, after much hard work, their single Beauty’s Running Wild was used as a soundtrack in CSI: New York. The band were shortly after signed to a division of Atlantic records famed for bringing through undiscovered bands by putting their music in TV shows and movies. Their song Heart on Fire was also used as a soundtrack this time for ABC’s Gray’s Anatomy.
They finally released their first EP in 2011 titled Give Me Something. The EP included a single of the same title, which did really well in the Amazon Adult Alternative Charts reaching number 5 and being recognized by Amazon as one of the top 3 singles of the year. The first full-length album was released in 2012 again doing well as Amazon rated it number 7 out of 50 best albums of the year in 2012. The band is still active and released another EP in 2015 titled Tasted Every Tear - perhaps a band to watch over the next few years, representing Bradford's musical potential on the world stage!
