It was sad to read of the death of Little Anthony this weekend. Anthony was a member of Intastella, the group’s dancer (he’s pictured on the cover of their album, crouching in the centre between two bikers). He was a well known character and face around town and many people, myself included, will have shared a dancefloor with him at some time since the late 80s. Maybe even a podium in Paradise Factory in the 90s. RIP Little Ant.
In 1991 Intastella released People, a glorious six minute piece of psychedelic dance- pop.
Posting Stella Grundy’s solo track last week- go and check it out if you missed it (and make sure you get to the end for the ‘Hello Shrewsbury! Rock and roll…’ line at the end)- made me go back and look at some of Intastella’s stuff. I’ve posted People before, a genuinely top record. The picture above is from a gig at The Boardwalk. Reader Michael, over in Ireland, reminded me of a legendary TV performance from 1993 with Stella rocking it in Y-fronts that look like they were bought in the Arndale Market.
Two years previously they were on The Word. My memory suggests they appeared on the same episode as Nirvana made their first appearance on British telly.
Dancer Little Anthony was a familiar face from Manchester’s clubs. I remember sharing dancefloor space with him many times in the early-to-mid 90s. He was always very smiley.
Tedloaf’s reactivated Confessions Of A Trouserist blog had a post on Intastella the other day and the belting little tune that is People. This song was their first single back in 1991 when they’d been signed in the record company rush to sign any band from Manchester with a cagoul and a funky backbeat. I’m not sure this song sounds very Madchester although it does sound very 1991- more like a northern St Etienne in a basement nightclub.
A reader, Tom, was asking about long lost Madchester band Intastella the other day, so here we go. My 12″ copy of debut single Dream Some Paradise, which memory tells me is quite good, is in pretty poor nick and won’t rip well. At some point I had the album Intastella And The Family Of People, which had a good cover but the tunes didn’t live up to the hype. Not sure where the album is but it’s not under I for Intastella.
After being touted as Manchester’s Saint Etienne and failing to deliver the hits they were dropped by MCA, but resurfaced in 1993 with a single with jungle runner up Shaun Ryder, and then again in 1995 with a cover of Frankie Valli’s northern soul classic The Night. The B-side was this, The Right Experience, and listening to it now it’s alright. It’s 1995 so the Madchester dance pop has gone, replaced by riffier guitars, but Stella’s vocals are good and the song’s nicely laid back. The band originally evolved out of another Manchester band Laugh, and changed their name when Stella Grundy and dancer Little Anthony joined. Little Anthony (at the back in the picture) was a regular face in Manchester’s bars and clubs fifteen to twenty years ago. I’ve got a feeling I may have shared a podium with him at some point. Bagging Area blushes slightly at the memory of this.
If any readers have got files of any of the earlier stuff like Dream Some Paradise or People, and they don’t mind sharing, leave a comment and we’ll get them up here. This appears to be my 500th post, which is surely close to insanity considering I only started this at the beginning of this year. I think Bagging Area actually passed this milestone a few days back as the DMCA removed four or five posts, but the counter down on the right says 500 so we’ll believe it. Thanks for sticking with me people, and for the comments.
Bagging Area 