The Charlatans (often referred to as the Charlatans UK in the United States) are an English rock band formed in the West Midlands in 1988. Ketley left the band and was replaced by singer Tim Burgess, who had previously supported the Charlatans with his band, the Electric Crayons.

Although the Charlatans would later become popularly associated with the Madchester scene, the band's early demos recorded in 1988 in Birmingham and Dudley already showcased the sound that would later define their music, characterised by Collins's Hammond organ, underpinned by the driving rhythm section of Blunt's powerful bass and Brookes's drumming. With their sound – a fusion of 1960s soul, R&B and garage rock – inherited from Blunt's earlier 1982 band Makin' Time, the band saw themselves as part of the West Midlands tradition of hard-edged soul and R&B, which included Birmingham bands the Spencer Davis Group and early Dexys Midnight Runners. Blunt has characterised the band's early influences as including the Stranglers, Stax Records, Joy Division and the Doors, but has also credited the band's formation during the explosive growth of the acid house scene as contributing to their sound, explaining that they "suddenly sounded like the Spencer Davis Group on E". One of the band's earliest known live performances was supporting the Stone Roses at the London School of Economics on 2 December 1988.

Early years (1990–1993)

thumb|right|The Charlatans during their early days.

The debut single "Indian Rope" proved to be an indie hit, and the group soon secured a major label in Beggars Banquet offshoot Situation Two, A further single, "Then", and their debut album Some Friendly were released later that year.

Baker left the band after the 1991 release of the "Over Rising" single and was replaced by Mark Collins (unrelated to Rob Collins). The band enlisted producer Flood for their second album, Between 10th and 11th (named after the address of the New York Marquee, the venue of the group's first US concert). Released in early 1992, the album failed to reach the Top 20 of the UK Albums Chart,

The band suffered a major setback later that year when Rob Collins was charged with armed robbery after a friend had robbed an off licence while Collins waited in the car outside. that year, the band performed at V Festival in London.

The album Up at the Lake was released in 2004.

The Sanctuary years (2005–2007)

The band released their ninth full-length album on 10 April 2006, their first for new label Sanctuary Records. Titled Simpatico, the reggae- and dub-tinged album was produced by Jim Lowe and included the first single "Blackened Blue Eyes". The single charted at number 28, while the album reached the Top 10 in its debut week before dropping off the charts shortly afterward.

On 15 September 2010, drummer Jon Brookes collapsed during a performance in Philadelphia. The remaining US tour dates were postponed, as Brookes was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was flown back to the UK for an operation and a course of radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The Verve's Peter Salisbury acted as a stand-in drummer for the remainder of the Charlatans' UK dates. Brookes returned to the stage for the band's Christmas and New Year's Eve gigs in 2010.

On 28 March 2011, Universal Music re-released a deluxe edition of the band's 1999 album Us and Us Only, featuring a collection of bonus tracks, including B-sides, live recordings, radio sessions, and rare remixes. In March and April 2011, Tim Burgess and Mark Collins played an acoustic tour of the UK, to coincide with which they released an EP, Warm Sounds, featuring six stripped-down and reworked versions of Charlatans tracks, including "North Country Boy", "The Only One I Know" and "Smash The System". In December 2011, the band announced they would be performing Tellin' Stories in its entirety at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo, O2 Apollo Manchester and Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom in June 2012.

Death of Jon Brookes, Modern Nature, Different Days and A Head Full of Ideas (2013–present)

The band returned to their Big Mushroom studio to begin working on demos for a new album in 2013. In May, the Mountain Picnic Blues DVD was released, a documentary about their Tellin' Stories album from its creation in 1997 to the 15th anniversary of the album.

On 13 August 2013, the band's 44-year-old drummer Jon Brookes died from a brain tumour, having undergone several operations and treatments for the condition since his initial diagnosis in 2010. The band paid tribute to him in a special event, with Peter Salisbury playing in his place and bands such as Beady Eye, the Vaccines and Manic Street Preachers also joining the bill. Proceeds from the night went to The Brain Tumour Charity, of which the Charlatans were now patrons; the charity set up the Jon Brookes Fund as a lasting tribute to the drummer.

Tim Burgess confirmed that Brookes's recordings would appear on the band's next album, originally slated for release sometime in 2014.

The Charlatans announced details of their twelfth album, Modern Nature, to be released on 26 January 2015 on their new label BMG Rights Management. Featuring eleven new tracks (including the recent limited edition 7-inch "Talking in Tones"), Modern Nature was produced by the Charlatans and Jim Spencer and mixed by Craig Silvey. The album features contributions from the band's temporary drummers Peter Salisbury (of the Verve), Stephen Morris (of New Order) and Gabriel Gurnsey (of Factory Floor), as well as producer Dave Tolan, backing singers Melanie Marshall and Sandra Marvin, strings by Sean O'Hagan and brass courtesy of Jim Paterson from Dexys Midnight Runners.

The group's thirteenth album, Different Days, was released on 26 May 2017.

In July 2021, the group announced the release of A Head Full of Ideas: The Best of Charlatans, which was released on 15 October 2021.

On 1 June 2022, the group supported Liam Gallagher at his concert at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

On 16 July 2022, the group supported Gerry Cinnamon at his concert at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Burgess announced the band was back with new music on his X (formerly Twitter) account on 12 July 2025, and the title track for their fourteenth album "We Are Love" was released as the lead single on 14 July. The album was released on 31 October 2025.

Band members

Current members

  • Martin Blunt – bass <small>(1988–present)</small>
  • Tim Burgess – lead vocals, harmonica, auxiliary percussion <small>(1989–present)</small>
  • Mark Collins – guitar, pedal steel guitar <small>(1991–present)</small>
  • Tony Rogers – keyboards, backing vocals <small>(1997–present)</small>

Current session/touring musicians

  • Peter Salisbury – drums, percussion <small>(2010–present)</small>

Former members

  • Jon Brookes – drums, percussion <small>(1988–2010; died 2013)</small>
  • Rob Collins – keyboards, organ, piano, backing vocals <small>(1988–1996; his death)</small>
  • Jon Baker – guitar <small>(1988–1991)</small>
  • Baz Ketley – lead vocals, guitar <small>(1988–1989)</small>

Former touring musicians

  • Martin Duffy – keyboards, organ, piano, mellotron <small>(1996–1997; died 2022)</small>

Timeline

Discography

  • Some Friendly (1990)
  • Between 10th and 11th (1992)
  • Up to Our Hips (1994)
  • The Charlatans (1995)
  • Tellin' Stories (1997)
  • Us and Us Only (1999)
  • Wonderland (2001)
  • Up at the Lake (2004)
  • Simpatico (2006)
  • You Cross My Path (2008)
  • Who We Touch (2010)
  • Modern Nature (2015)
  • Different Days (2017)
  • We Are Love (2025)

References

Sources

  • Wills, D. The Charlatans: The authorised history, Virgin Books, 1999.
  • Official website
  • The Charlatans Live at Primavera podcast