| Sad Café | |
| Background: | band |
| Origin: | Manchester, England |
| Genre: | Soft rock[1] |
| Years Active: | 1976–1990, 1998, 2000, 2012–present |
| Current Members: | Des Tong Dave Day Barry James Thomas Neil Shaw-Hulme Matt Steele Steve Gibson |
| Past Members: | Paul Young Vic Emerson Ian Wilson John Stimpson Tony Cresswell Lenni Michael Byron-Hehir Jeff Seopardi Phil Lanzon Alistair Gordon Simon Waggott Steve Whalley Ashley Mulford Pete Hughes Dave Irving Sue Wilson-Quin Bryan Hargreaves |
Sad Café are an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1976, who achieved their peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known for the UK top 40 singles "Every Day Hurts", "Strange Little Girl", "My Oh My" and "I'm in Love Again", the first of which was their biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in 1979.[2] The band also had two US Billboard Hot 100 hits with "Run Home Girl" and "La-Di-Da".
The group formed as a result of the unification of rock bands Mandalaband and Gyro.[3] Its founder members were Paul Young (vocals), Ian Wilson (guitar), Vic Emerson (keyboards), Ashley Mulford (lead guitar), John Stimpson (bass) and Tony Cresswell (drums).[3] The band took their name from the Carson McCullers novella Ballad of the Sad Café. Harvey Lisberg, who also managed 10cc, arranged for Eric Stewart to produce their third album, Facades (an anagram of Sad Cafe), which included the top 3 single "Every Day Hurts".[4]
Now led by long time bassist Des Tong, the band features vocalist Barry James Thomas, Dave Day on lead guitar/vocals, Matt Steele on keyboards, Neil Shaw-Hulme on sax/vocals, and Steve Gibson on drums. They now press on to a new era with a show that brings together the great hits of the past with the matured and excellent musicianship of the present. Sad Café fans have warmly and enthusiastically embraced the new line up as the shows continue to bring new and existing fans together to share their love for this incredible band and their music.
| 1976–1978 | 1978–1979 | 1979–1980 | 1980–1981 | |||||
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| 1981–1984 | 1986 Politics of Existing | 1986 | 1986–1989 | |||||
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| 1994 Whatever It Takes | 1994 BMI Event | 2000 Forever Young | 2012–2014 | |||||
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| 2018 | 2019 | 2021–2022 | 2023–Present | |||||
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| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [6] | US [7] | |||
| Fanx Ta-Ra |
| 56 | — | |
| Misplaced Ideals |
| 50 | — | |
| Misplaced Ideals |
| — | 94 | |
| Facades |
| 8 | 146 | |
| Sad Café |
| 46 | 160 | |
| Olé |
| 72 | — | |
| Politics of Existing | — | — | ||
| Whatever It Takes |
| — | — | |
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| Live in Concert |
| 37 | |
| Access All Areas |
| — |
| Title | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| The Best of Sad Café |
| |
| The Best of Sad Café |
| |
| Everyday Hurts: The Best of Sad Café |
| |
| The Masters |
| |
| Facades / Misplaced Ideals |
| |
| Saving Grace |
| |
| The Best of Sad Café |
| |
| Anthology |
| |
| Every Day Hurts |
| |
| Anthology |
| |
| Anthology |
| |
| Fanx Ta-Ra / Misplaced Ideals |
| |
| Facades / Sad Cafe |
| |
| Anthology |
|
| Title | Year | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS [8] | NLD [9] | US [10] | ||
| "Black Rose" | 1977 | — | — | — | — |
| "Love Will Survive" (UK-only release) | — | — | — | — | |
| "Hungry Eyes" (UK-only release) | 1978 | — | — | — | — |
| "Run Home Girl" (US-only release) | — | — | — | 71 | |
| "Every Day Hurts" | 1979 | 3 | 78 | 48 | — |
| "Emptiness" (US and Canada-only release) | — | — | — | 108 | |
| "Strange Little Girl" | 32 | — | — | — | |
| "My Oh My" | 1980 | 14 | — | 42 | — |
| "Nothing Left Toulouse" (UK only-release) | 62 | — | — | — | |
| "La-Di-Da" | 41 | — | — | 78 | |
| "I'm in Love Again" | 40 | — | — | — | |
| "Black Rose" (Live) | 1981 | — | — | — | — |
| "Misunderstanding" | — | — | — | — | |
| "La-Di-Da" (US release) | — | — | — | 78 | |
| "No Favours – No Way" (US-only promo) | — | — | — | — | |
| "Follow You Anywhere" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Keep Us Together" (UK-only release) | 1983 | 80 | — | — | — |
| "Why Do You Love Me Like You Do" | 1984 | — | — | — | — |
| "Refugees" (UK-only release) | 1985 | — | — | — | — |
| "Only Love" (UK-only release) | 1986 | — | — | — | — |
| "Heart" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Take Me (Heart and Soul)" (UK-only release) | 1989 | — | — | — | — |
| "Whatever It Takes" | — | — | — | — | |