The Outfield

For the film, see The Outfield (film). For other uses, see Outfield (disambiguation).

The Outfield
Lewis holding a bass guitar and smiling
Tony Lewis of "The Outfield" in 1986 at The Stone Balloon, Newark, DE
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Years active
Labels
Past membersTony Lewis
John Spinks
Alan Jackman
Simon Dawson
Websitetheoutfield.com

The Outfield were an English pop and rock band formed in London in 1984.[5] The band achieved success in the mid-1980s and are best remembered for their hit single "Your Love". The band's lineup consisted of guitarist John Spinks, vocalist and bassist Tony Lewis, and drummer Alan Jackman.[6]

They had an unusual experience for a British band in that they enjoyed commercial success in the United States but never in their homeland. The band began recording in the mid-1980s,[7] and released their first album, Play Deep, in 1985 through Columbia Records. The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 list and then reached double platinum in the United States.[8] The band's single "Your Love" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as No. 7 on the Mainstream Rock chart,[8] and it became their signature song. The band continued to record and tour through the 1980s and then into the early 1990s.[7] While subsequent albums Bangin' (1987) and Voices of Babylon (1989) saw some chart successes, the group's popularity waned.[6]

After drummer Alan Jackman left in 1989, the Outfield became a duo and recorded Diamond Days in 1991.[6] Following the disappointing response to their 1992 album Rockeye, which represented a shift towards progressive rock and arena rock,[9] the group essentially disbanded in the 1990s.[7] They resumed touring in 1998, and thereafter released two live albums via their website, along with a new studio album, Any Time Now in 2004, which was later re-released in 2006.[10] In 2011, the band released their final album, Replay, with original drummer Alan Jackman re-joining the band. Spinks died in 2014 after which the group officially disbanded. On 22 March 2018, lead singer/bassist Tony Lewis announced a solo album called Out of the Darkness, which was released on 29 June 2018 through Madison Records.[11] Lewis died on 19 October 2020, aged 62.[12] As of 2024, Jackman and Simon Dawson (who replaced Jackman in 1989 and stayed with the band until Jackman's return in 2009), are the last surviving members of the band.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference cold was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Murray, Noel (11 October 2012). "A beginners' guide to the heyday of power-pop, 1972–1986". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. ^ "The Outfield". Rhapsody.com. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Out Of The Darkness: The Outfield's Tony Lewis On Creating His Debut Solo Album!". Icon Vs. Icon. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  5. ^ Stutz, Colin (10 July 2014). "John Spinks, Guitarist and Songwriter for The Outfield, Dead at 60". Billboard. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Evans, Paul (1993). "The Outfield". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone album guide: completely new reviews, every essential album, every essential artist (3rd ed.). London: Virgin. p. 525. ISBN 978-0-86369-643-5.
  7. ^ a b c Proefrock, Stacia. "The Outfield – Biography". All Music Guide. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  8. ^ a b DeGagne, Mike. "Play Deep – Overview". All Music Guide. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  9. ^ Viglione, Joe. "Rockeye – Overview". All Music Guide. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  10. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Any Time Now – Overview". All Music Guide. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  11. ^ Sadd, Randy (22 March 2018). "Deep Dive with Tony Lewis from The Outfield". Madison Records.
  12. ^ Dinges, Gary (20 October 2020). "Tony Lewis, singer for The Outfield, dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly' at 62". USA Today. Retrieved 20 October 2020.