The New English

The New English were a London indie pop band built around Johnny Rasheed and Shareef C. The two grew up in Fulham in the late 1970s and early 1980s and first met at the age of eight, in a “jumpers for goals” football match in Normand Park. Their songs told true stories of teenage love in the schools, parks and pubs of south-west London. Sources: A08

The partnership began as a duo called Years of Backwater in December 1983. They played one gig at The Swan in Kingston upon Thames in July 1984 and stopped after trouble with their drum and bass machines. In May 1985 Johnny and Shareef regrouped with Dave Beech on bass and a Korg drum machine as The Fallen Idols, who recorded several demo tapes but never played live. The name The New English followed in May 1986. Sources: B02

Dave left soon after the change of name, and Johnny took over the bass. Joz came in as lead vocalist and left after three performances, and Johnny went back to singing. Demos continued with a Sequential Tom drum machine, which one interview prints as “Sequestial”. Sara joined on drums in April 1987 and left that September, after which the band played live with a drum machine again. Sources: B01, A09, A14, A12

Their reference points came from the independent scene of the time, the world of the NME’s C86 cassette: Felt, Morrissey, the Redskins, the Woodentops, the Smiths and the Housemartins. “Kept me alive!” Shareef said of that scene, and Johnny said of Morrissey and Marr: “What those two blokes wrote in 1984 saved my life!” One interview page carried the slogan “Harder than the 4Skins, More melodic than The Beatles!” In a Reading preview, Johnny said the band wanted to lose the “Indie Pop” tag and move towards soul pop. Sources: A14, A12, A10, B32

A fanzine writer counted an audience of 25 at the Tunnel Club in Greenwich on a very wet Tuesday, 28 October 1986, and judged The New English the better band on the bill. At Le Beat Route on 23 February 1987, a review called them “the liveliest band out on the night”, recorded that this was their tenth gig since October, and ended with a question: “When are they coming up north I ask ?” Sources: A05, A09

The band supported the Brilliant Corners and Frank Chickens, the latter at the Sir George Robey in Finsbury Park on 25 July 1987, and played the Wimbledon Festival that month. For Network East they recorded This Evening and Get Ready, and This Evening was broadcast. Their publicity offered bookers a tape and a video tape of the band. Tickets and posters add the ordinary details of a working band: £3 at the Rock Garden, a 10.30pm stage time at Zeeta’s in Putney, £2.50 before ten o’clock in Reading. Sources: A12, A08, B01, A03, A04, A06

Despite interest from independent labels, the band could not secure a recording contract and split in March 1988. They reunited for a single show with S.P.G. at the Bazooka in Bonn on 17 February 1990, playing a stripped-back Get Ready with guitar, bass and vocals only. The songs reappeared much later, when London 1987 reached digital platforms on 2 January 2019. Sources: B02, A07, B03