Q-Tips (band) - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (2024)

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This article is about the band. For the musician, see Q-Tip (musician). For the brand of cotton swabs, see Cotton swab.

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Q-Tips

OriginEngland
Genres Blue-eyed soul, new wave
Years active1979–1982, 1993
Past members
  • Paul Young
  • Ian Kewley
  • Mick Pearl
  • John Gifford
  • Dave Lathwell
  • Baz Watts
  • Steve Farr
  • Oscar Stuart Blandamer
  • Tony Hughes

Q-Tips were a blue-eyed soul and new wave [1] rock band from Britain, first formed in 1979 from the remnants of the rock group Streetband. [2]

Contents

  • Streetband
  • Career
  • Discography
  • Streetband 2
  • Q-Tips
  • References

Streetband

Apart from the novelty song "Toast", a B-side made successful from heavy airplay by Capital Radio’s Kenny Everett, Streetband had failed to find any commercial success with their two albums London and Dilemma (both released in 1979). Drummer Chalky and guitarist Roger Kelly departed, leaving the remaining trio of Paul Young on vocals, Mick Pearl on bass guitar, and guitarist John Gifford.

Career

The ex-Streetbanders added Dave Lathwell on guitar and Baz Watts on drums. [3] In addition, a four-piece brass section was created by Steve Farr (baritone saxophone), Richard Blanchchard (tenor saxophone), Oscar Stuart Blandamer (alto saxophone) and Tony Hughes (trumpet), [3] and all hailed from the North London and Hertfordshire area. Organist Ian Kewley lived in Essex. Q-Tips' name derived from a well-known brand of cotton swab.

Q-Tips' first rehearsals took place in November 1979. Their first concert was on 18 November 1979 at the Queens Arms Hotel in Harrow. This was followed by another at the Horn of Plenty in St Albans a regular gig for Streetband during 1978and a total of 16 in their first month of existence. Some personnel changes occurred during the first six months, with Blanchard and Lathwell leaving the band.

By 1 April 1980, the band had recorded two tracks, "SYSLJFM (The Letter Song)", and "Having a Party", [3] both recorded at the Livingstone Studios in Barnet. Constant touring and concert appearances had built a strong fan base by mid 1981, when the small amount of soul music covers were outnumbered by the band's own tracks. [2] The professionalism of the band had attracted the attention of several record labels, with Mickie Most (RAK Records) confirming on BBC Radio 1's Round Table programme that Q-Tips "...are easily the best live band working at the moment". In August 1980, the British music magazine NME reported that Q-Tips had released their debut, self-titled album. [4]

In time, John Gifford was replaced by Garth Watt-Roy (formerly of The Greatest Show on Earth, East of Eden and Marmalade, and brother of Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy) [5] on guitar, [2] and Blandamer was replaced by Nick Payne. This line-up remained for the rest of the band's career. They appeared on BBC Television's In Concert, Rock Goes to College and The Old Grey Whistle Test in the latter part of 1981. Other television appearance included Saturday morning TV. Q-Tips opened for The J. Geils Band, The Knack, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley and the Average White Band.

The band toured with After the Fire, and supported The Who on their 12-date UK tour in 1981. In 1981, Q-Tips played the Montreux Jazz Festival. With poor record sales after the release of two albums and seven singles, the Q-Tips broke up in early 1982 when Paul Young signed a solo recording contract with CBS Records, [3] retaining Kewley as keyboardist and co-writer. [2] In late 1982 and early 1983, Farr, Hughes, Blandamer and Watts toured with Adam Ant on the UK and US legs of his Friend or Foe tour, and Farr, Hughes and Watts remained for Ant's 1984 Strip tour.

Young briefly teamed up again with Q-Tips for a reunion tour in 1993. [2]

Discography

Streetband

Albums

TitleAlbum details
London
  • Released: 9 February 1979 [6]
  • Label: Logo
  • Formats: LP
  • First studio album
Dilemma
  • Released: November 1979
  • Label: Logo
  • Formats: LP
  • Second studio album
Streetband Featuring Paul Young
  • Released: April 1984
  • Label: Cambra
  • Formats: 2xLP
  • First compilation album
London Dilemma – A Compleat Collection
  • Released: July 1985
  • Label: Compleat
  • Formats: 2xLP, MC
  • US and Canada-only release
  • Second compilation album

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positions
UK
[7]
"Hold On"1978
"Toast"18
"One More Step"1979
"Love Sign"
"One Good Reason"
"Mirror Star"
"Toast" (reissue)1994
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Q-Tips

Albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
UK
[8]
Q-Tips
  • Released: 15 August 1980 [9]
  • Label: Chrysalis
  • Formats: LP, MC
  • Studio album
50
Live at Last
  • Released: June 1982
  • Label: Rewind
  • Formats: LP, MC
  • Live album recorded in 1981
BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Windsong International
  • Formats: CD
  • Live album recorded in 1980/1981 at the Paris Theatre
Paul Young & the Q-Tips
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: Tring
  • Formats: CD
  • Compilation album
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

TitleYear
"S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)"1980
"Tracks of My Tears"
"Uncle Willy" (Netherlands-only release)
"A Man Can't Lose (What He Don't Have)"/"She's Some Kind of Wonderful"
"Stay the Way You Are"1981
"Love Hurts"
"You Are the Life Inside of Me"1982
"Broken Man" (as Paul Young with the Q-Tips; Germany-only release)
"Love Hurts" (as the Q-Tips featuring Paul Young)1983
"I Wish It Would Rain" (as the Q-Tips featuring Paul Young)1984

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References

  1. Q-Tips | Biography | AllMusic
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Huey, Steve. "Q-Tips". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music (Firsted.). Guinness Publishing. pp.224/5. ISBN 0-85112-579-4.
  4. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1sted.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p.345. CN 5585.
  5. Eder, Bruce. "Garth Watt-Roy". AllMusic . Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. "Logo looks forward to invisible earnings" (PDF). Music Week . 20 January 1979. p.3. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  7. "STREETBAND | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  8. "Q-TIPS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  9. "Merchandising" (PDF). Record Business. 4 August 1980. p.4. Retrieved 14 April 2022.

Paul Young

  • Discography
Studio albums
  • No Parlez
  • The Secret of Association
  • Between Two Fires
  • Other Voices
  • The Crossing
  • Reflections
  • Paul Young
Compilation albums
  • From Time to Time – The Singles Collection
Singles
  • "Toast"
  • "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"
  • "Come Back and Stay"
  • "Love of the Common People"
  • "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
  • "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down"
  • "Everything Must Change"
  • "Everytime You Go Away"
  • "Softly Whispering I Love You"
  • "Oh Girl"
  • "Calling You"
  • "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)"
  • "Both Sides Now"
  • "Don't Dream It's Over"
  • "Now I Know What Made Otis Blue"
  • "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"
Other songs
  • "I've Been Lonely for So Long"
  • "Pale Shelter"
Related articles
  • Q-Tips
  • Band Aid
  • Live Aid
  • "Come Back"

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Q-Tips (band) - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (2024)

FAQs

Why were Q-tips called baby gays? ›

“Baby Betty Gays” was the original working name for the swabs because daughter Betty laughed when her parents tickled her with them, according to her 2017 paid obituary. By the time Gerstenzang put out one of the first newspaper advertisements for his invention in 1925 it was shortened to “Baby Gays.”

What does the Q in Q-tips stand for? ›

The “Q” in Q-tips® stands for quality and the word “tips” describes the cotton swab at the end of the stick. 1948 – Due to increased consumer demand, Q-tips® , Inc., moved its manufacturing facility from New York City to a new facility in Long Island City, New York.

How did Q-tip get its name? ›

But here's your official answer: According to the company, Q-tips is the name, because the "Q" stands for Quality. Q-tips started in the 1920's when the founder noticed his wife applying wads of cotton to toothpicks. The original name for the cotton stick was "Baby Gays," but switched to Q-tips in 1926.

Are Q-tips made in the USA? ›

Q-Tips are primarily manufactured in the United States. According to the packaging on this particular product it may have been manufactured in Trumbull, CT. However, it's important to note that manufacturing locations can change over time.

What product was originally called baby gays? ›

In the 1920s Leo Gerstenzang watched his wife use cotton swabs affixed to toothpicks during their baby daughter's bath time routine. Gerstenzang began manufacturing these swabs under the name Baby Gays. Today they are known as Q-tips.

Why do Q-tips feel so good? ›

Ears are filled with nerve endings and stimulating these via cotton bud use can “trigger all sorts of visceral pleasure” as well as what dermatologists refer to as the “itch-scratch” cycle; once you start, it is difficult to stop!

Is a cotton swab the same as a Q-tip? ›

The product eventually became known as "Q-tips", which went on to become the most widely sold brand name of cotton swabs in North America. The term "Q-tip" is often used as a genericized trademark for a cotton swab in the United States and Canada.

How did people clean their ears before Q-tips? ›

Ear Picks: a popular method of ear cleaning from the U.S. to Japan and ancient Rome involves using ear picks. In the U.S., ear picks can be traced back to the 16th century when they were even worn as an accessory. They were typically made out of brass or ivory and were used to scrape out earwax.

What are Q-tips called in the UK? ›

When we say "Q-tip," we're actually referring to a specific brand –like how we might call tissues "Kleenex." Here in the UK, they're often called cotton buds. While Q-tips/cotton buds are used for various tasks, including personal hygiene and cleaning, they can pose significant risks when used for ear cleaning.

Has Q-Tip ever been married? ›

Why did Q-Tip wear a mask? ›

The following year, Q-Tip was involved in a fight with new jack swing group Wreckx-n-Effect, over Phife Dawg's lyrics on the single "Jazz (We've Got)". As a result, it is believed that the ski mask that Q-Tip wore, in A Tribe Called Quest's video for the single "Hot Sex", was covering up his injuries.

What country invented Q-tips? ›

Leo Gerstenzang (June 3, 1892 – 31 January, 1961) was a Polish-American inventor who, in 1923, created the first contemporary cotton swab or Q-Tips. His product, which he named "Baby Gays," went on to become one of the most widely sold brand names.

Should I use Q-tips to clean my ears? ›

You can seriously damage your eardrum by using cotton swabs or other home instruments to clean your ears, and you can cause hearing loss, bleeding and pain, and bad infections. If you experience discomfort, hearing loss, dizziness, itching, or think you have an abnormal wax buildup, your medical provider can help.

Do Q-tips expire? ›

How long can I keep my Q-tips® cotton swabs products and what's the best way to store them? We suggest storing your Q-tips® cotton swabs in a cool, dry place away from dampness and humidity. When stored properly, your products should last for many years.

Can you flush Q-tips? ›

Cotton balls, gauze, and Q-Tips are definitely not safe to flush — they don't break down easily and clump together in your pipes causing clogs down the line. Diapers. Diapers absorb water and expand. They don't break down in the water and can cause costly damage to your system.

What does calling someone a Q-tip mean? ›

When I looked puzzled, he explained, “That's what I call old ladies with frizzy white hair. They look like Q-tips.” Ooooh-kay . . . And so “Q-tips” joins the ranks of disparaging terms for old timers.

What does Q-tip stand for? ›

qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust.

What does the Q-tip mean in friends? ›

It's one of Chandler's all-time best sarcastic lines. It means that Chandler was joking with Joey that his penchant for saying dumb things is due to brain damage from pushing a Q-tip too far up in his brain. It's not meant to be taken seriously…but it really is one of the best lines from Friends ever.…

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