Laugh

Laugh was a Manchester based indie band formed in 1980 by graphic designer Tim Gudgeon and medical student Simon Frampton. They wrote all the songs that the band performed in numerous gigs across Manchester and Liverpool until Frampton had to leave in 1984 to complete his medical training (he was to become a well known GP in Ormskirk) Auditions to replace his distinctive voice produced the line-up of Martin Wright (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Ian Bendelow (guitar), Martin Mittler (bass guitar), and Spencer Birtwistle (drums, later a member of The Fall). Their debut release was "Take Your Time Yeah!", a flexi-disc included with Debris magazine in December 1985, with three further singles following prior to their only album, Sensation No. 1 (1988). The band had two placings on the indie charts with "Paul McCartney" (which featured Smiths guitarist Craig Gannon) (#44) and "Time to Lose It" (#19).
In 1990 the band parted ways with guitarist Bendelow and discovered singer Stella Grundy and dancer Lil' Anthony, changing their sound to a more dance-oriented style and changing their name to Intastella. They signed to MCA Records and hit the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart with their first release, "Dream Some Paradise". Two follow-up singles fared similarly, and in late 1991 the band's debut album, Intastella and the Family of People was issued. The band's momentum was lost after Grundy broke her arm in a motorcycle accident, and they were dropped by MCA, returning in 1993 on the Planet-3 label with the Drifter EP, on which they worked with Shaun Ryder. The band's biggest hit came in 1995, with "The Night" reaching #60 in the UK, preceding their second album, What You Gonna Dofeaturing Manchester Harpist Katie Brett on the track "I'll Be Forever". Further singles followed during 1996 and 1997 but none repeated their earlier success. One of these, "Grandmaster", was used on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Love in Paris. A final album, Nuphonia, was released in 1997.
==Links to Peel==
Peel first played Laugh's material in 1985 when they released their debut single on a flexi-disc. So impressed by them that he invited the band to do two sessions for his shows, which they performed in 1986 and 1987. The group parted ways in 1990 at the height of the Madchester scene and evolved into Intastella, where Peel played tracks from the group in 1991. After 1991, it seemed JP lost interest in the ensemble and no further material from them were played on his shows.
==Sessions==
;thumb|220x220pxLaugh
1. Recorded: 1986-03-09. First Broadcast: 17 March 1986. Repeated: 02 April 1986
*Never Had It So Bad / Paul McCartney / Hey I'm Still Thinking / Take Your Time Yeah
2. Recorded: 1987-08-25. First Broadcast: 07 September 1987. Repeated: 22 September 1987
*Time To Lose It / Interlove / Come On Come Out / The Wright Experience
==Other Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220pxLaugh
*03 December 1985: Take Your Time Yeah! (7" Flexi-disc - Split Flexi) Lyntone Recordings Ltd.
*26 November 1986: Take Your Time Yeah! (single) The Remorse Label
*10 December 1986: Take Your Time Yeah! (EP - Never Had It So Bad) The Remorse Label
*08 January 1987 (Andy Kershaw): Take Your Time Yeah! (12" - Never Had It So Bad) The Remorse Label 
*12 January 1987: Hey! I'm Still Thinking (12" - Take Your Time Yeah!) The Remorse Label
*08 July 1987: Shed Caved In (v/a LP - Let's Try Another Ideal Guest House) Backs
*03 August 1987: Paul McCartney (single) Remorse
*19 August 1987: Paul McCartney (7") The Remorse Label
*21 August 1987 (BFBS): 'Paul McCartney (7")' (The Remorse Label)
*27 April 1988: Time To Lose It (7") The Remorse Label
*29 November 1988: Sensation No. 1 (12") Sub Aqua AQUA 312 (JP - 'well categorise that if you can. that's Laurf or Laff if you'd rather'...) 
*30 January 1989: Interlove (LP - Sensation Number One) Sub Aqua
*06 February 1989: Out Of My Face (album - Sensation Number One) Sub Aqua
;thumb|220x220pxIntastella
*11 August 1991: Bendy (7"- People) MCA
*19 August 1991 (Radio Bremen): Bendy (7" - People) MCA
*03 November 1991: Century (single) MCA 
*23 November 1991: Bendy (album - Intastella And The Family Of People) MCA 
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists