Family Cat

The Family Cat were a British indie band, formed by Paul Frederick (vocals/guitar), Stephen Jelbert (lead guitar), Tim McVay (rhythm guitar), John Graves (bass) and Kevin Downing (drums) in London. Three of the members came from Cornwall (Jelbert, McVay and Downing) and the other two came from other parts of southern England. The group were active between 1988 and the end of 1994. They also grabbed headlines in the 90's by naming one of their songs "Bring Me the Head of Michael Portillo". Michael Portillo was Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Secretary of State for Employment for the Conservative Party around the time the song was in production.
== Links to Peel ==
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Between 1989 and 1992, the band recorded three Peel Sessions at Maida Vale Studios, and were included in John Peel's Festive Fifty in 1989. 
In 1991, when doing the NME Singles Reviews, Peel mentioned when reviewing the band's Colour Me Grey single that he was impressed with the band at Reading and was happy that the group brought back singing in the line of bands such as Microdisney, Teardrop Explodes, Echo & The Bunnymen and Wah!. Interestingly the Colour Me Grey track featured vocals from PJ Harvey.
Tim McVay from the band reviewed two football matches for Peel's programmes on 27 November 1993 and 05 March 1994.
Peel played the band's controversial track, Bring Me the Head of Michael Portillo in 1994 on his shows on various stations, including his own BBC Radio One show.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
* 1989 Festive Fifty: Tom Verlaine #48
== Sessions ==
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1. Recorded: 1989-09-10. Broadcast: 04 October 1989. Repeated: 18 December 1989
*Remember What It Is That You Love / Octopus Jr / From The City To The Sea / Sandbag Your Heart
2. Recorded: 1990-06-26. Broadcast: 09 July 1990. Repeated: 14 October 1990
*With A War / Gameshow / Fearless / Streamroller
3. Recorded: 1992-01-30. Broadcast: 20 March 1992. Repeated: 22 May 1992
*Too Many Late Nights / Furthest From The Sun / Prog One / River Of Diamonds
== Other Shows Played ==
;1989
*thumb|330x330px21 August 1989: Tom Verlaine (12") BG RLT 01
*09 September 1989 (BFBS): 'Tom Verlaine (12")' (Bad Girl)
*02 October 1989: Tom Verlaine (12") Bad Girl
*23 October 1989: Final Mistake (album - Tell Em We're Surfing) Bad Girl
*04 November 1989 (BFBS): 'Final Mistake (12" mini LP-Tell 'Em We're Surfin')' (Bad Girl)
*15 November 1989: From The City To The Sea (mini-album - Tell 'Em We're Surfin') Bad Girl
*21 November 1989: From The City To The Sea (mini-album - Tell 'Em We're Surfin') Bad Girl
*05 December 1989: Final Mistake (12" - Tell 'Em We're Surfin') Bad Girl
*09 December 1989 (BFBS): 'From The City To The Sea (12" min album-Tell 'Em We're Surfin')' (Bad Girl)
*16 December 1989 (BFBS): 'Taken By Surprise (12"-Tell 'Em We're Surfin')' (Bad Girl)
*20 December 1989: 'Tom Verlaine (7 inch)' (Bad Girl) FF #48
;1990
*08 February 1990: Rocks Off (v/a album - Stoned Again - A Tribute To The Stones) Imaginary
*03 March 1990 (BFBS): Rocks Off (LP-Stoned Again; A Tribute To The Stones)' (Imaginary)
*19 April 1990: Remember What It Is That You Love (7") Bad Girl
*24 April 1990: Remember What It Is That You Love (12") Bad Girl
*05 May 1990 (BFBS): 'Remember What It Is That You Love (7")' (Bad Girl)
*24 May 1990: 'Remember What It Is That You Love (7 inch)' (Bad Girl)
*26 May 1990 (BFBS): 'Remember What It Is That You Love (7")' (Bad Girl)
*09 June 1990 (BFBS): 'Remember What It Is That You Love (7")' (Bad Girl)
*04 September 1990: A Place With A Name (single)
*13 September 1990: Place With A Name (7") Bad Girl
*28 September 1990 (BFBS): Place With A Name (7") Bad Girl
*07 October 1990: 'Strange Kind Of Love (Claw Side) (7")' (Clawfist)
*20 October 1990 (BFBS): 'Strange Kind Of Love (split 7" with Cud)' (Clawfist)
*30 November 1990 (BFBS): 'Strange Kind Of Love (split 7" with Cud)' (Clawfist)
;1991
*thumb|330x330px26 January 1991: Bus Stop (compilation album - Through The Looking Glass 1966) Imaginary
*29 September 1991: Colour Me Grey (12") Bad Girl
*13 July 1991: Bus Stop (CD - Through The Looking Glass: 1966) Imaginary
*11 October 1991 (BFBS): 'Colour Me Grey (CDS)' (Bad Girl) (JP: 'With the added ingredient of PJ Harvey.')
*17 October 1991 (Radio Mafia): Colour Me Grey (12") Bad Girl
*19 October 1991: 'Colour Me Grey (CDS)' (Bad Girl)
*29 September 1991: 'Colour Me Grey' (12") Bad Girl
*07 December 1991: Jesus Christ
*27 December 1991 (BFBS): Jesus Christ
;1992
*02 May 1992: Steamroller (Radio Edit) (12 inch) Dedicated
*09 May 1992: 'Steamroller (12 inch)' (Dedicated)
*20 June 1992: Colour Me Grey (12", Album: Furthest From The Sun) Dedicated
*26 June 1992: Furthest From The Sun (album - Furthest From The Sun) Dedicated
*18 July 1992: Steamroller (LP - Furthest From The Sun) Dedicated
*20 November 1992: River Of Diamonds (CD – Furthest From The Sun) Dedicated
*06 December 1992 (BFBS): River of Diamonds (7") Dedicated
;1993
*14 August 1993: 'Airplane Gardens (7")' (Dedicated)
*21 August 1993 (BFBS): 'Airplane Gardens (7")' (Dedicated)
;1994
*22 July 1994: ‘Bring Me The Head Of Michael Portillo (7 inch – Goldenbook)’ Dedicated
*01 August 1994 (Ö3): 'Bring Me The Head Of Michael Portillo (CDS-Goldenbook)' (Dedicated)
== See Also ==
*Gigography 1989
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists