“But one night, after I’d possibly ridden my luck a little too far, she stamped down her foot, which I thought was brilliant, because it reminded me of Talulah Gosh, and said: Listen, if I’m going to be an indie kid, then I’ll be independent in my choice of clothes, thank you very much.”
– Tour Jacket with Detachable Sleeves
So… what do we know about Talulah Gosh?
Chris The Siteowner
When Clare Grogan joined Equity, she thought about calling herself Tallulah Gosh (note spelling). The band “borrowed” the name after reading the story, according to Grogan, as you can hear at the start of this interview. Now she’s brought back the name as a children’s book character. However, at least one band member says the name comes from Grogan’s original source, a character in Bugsy Malone.
21 February 2017
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
We have enough controversy over our heroes without entering into other bands’ disputes! But FWIW, the Bugsy Malone character is spelled with a double l (but not pronounced in a Welsh way) and as far as I can recall her surname isn’t mentioned
21 February 2017
dr desperate
It isn’t. The character’s name was probably a reference to actress and libertine Tallulah Bankhead, named (via her grandmother) after Tallulah Falls in Georgia. Her father was Speaker of the House of Representatives during FDR’s New Deal (q v) presidency.
In other Partial Biscuit References, she once appeared on stage carrying a monkey which went berserk, and described herself as “pure as the driven slush”.
21 February 2017
Huddersfield’s very own… Steve malkmus
Described as “The new girlie wonders” in the article above… sigh.
Then again, that sort of lazy, casually misogynistic journalism probably helped stoke the flames that became Riot Grrrl (q.v.) so perhaps some grudging thanks should be owed to Mr. Holland.
21 February 2017
BRUCE
They all did well for themselves
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/gosh-didnt-they-do-well-8386857.html
Not sure their songs are as notable
21 February 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
Tallulah D
I recall Grandad watching a film many years ago , furiously pipe smoking whilst mumbling “Tallulah Bankhead is hornier then any woman you will ever see”
22 February 2017
liquid len
Delightful twee Indie lasses.
Should have been on Sarah Records. (Maybe they were?).
On a few of my Indie Top 20 CDs (Shine, etc) from the 80s and 90s.
26 February 2017
Eric Olthwaite
Their album (actually a John Peel and a Janice Long session), released years after they’d split, was on Sarah Records. Most of their stuff was on 53rd and 3rd though, home to, among others, The Vaselines, BMX Bandits and Shop Assistants. I do have a soft spot for Tallulah Gosh and had the pleasure of seeing them live in 1986 or 87.
27 February 2017