Matchbox

British rockabilly and rock'n'roll revival band Matchbox was formed in 1971. Hailing from Middlesex, it originally comprised Wiffle Smith (vocals), Steve Bloomfield (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Fred Poke (bass) and Jimmy Redhead (drums). Inspired by pioneers such as Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, the band that launched the 1950s rock'n'roll revival twenty years later recorded the albums Riders in the Sky (1976) and Settin' the Woods on Fire (1978), with new singer Graham Fenton. Further changes of musicians occurred with the studio albums Matchbox (1979), Midnite Dynamos (1980), Flying Colours (1981), Crossed Line (1982) and Going Down Town (1985). The band's biggest hits include "Rockabilly Rebel" (No. 18) and "Buzz Buzz a Diddle It" (No. 22), charted in several European countries in 1978, "Midnite Dynamos" (No. 14), "When You Ask About Love" (No. 4) and the medley "Over the Rainbow / You Belong to Me" (No. 15) in 1980. Still popular with a specialized audience, the band, now called Graham Fenton's Matchbox, toured regularly, releasing their first live album, 'Live', in 1990, as well as the studio recordings Rock the Box (1990), I'm Coming Home (1990) and Shades of Gene (1995). He became a fixture at rock'n'roll festivals and nostalgia tours throughout Europe, and in 2006 recorded the album Coming Home for the Vampirette label. In addition to the live albums Rockin' Bristol in 1978 (2010) and Access All Areas (2015), multiple compilations have appeared, including Rockabilly Rebels (1993), The Platinum Collection (2006), The Magnet Records Singles Collection (2014) and the 4-CD box set, The Albums 79-82 (2020).

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