Farmer's Boys

The Farmer's Boys were a four-piece band from Norwich, UK who formed in 1980 and were active until 1985. Despite being a guitar based band, they had the peculiarity of not having a drummer, instead preferring to use a drum machine. The group moved from an independent label to EMI in 1983 although failed to enjoy mainstream success. The closest they came to having a hit single was with a cover of the Cliff Richard song "In The Country", which stalled just outside the Top 40 in the summer of 1984.
==Links to Peel==
Peel featured the band on his show right from their first single release 'I Think I Need Help', which made it into the 1982 Festive Fifty, as did the follow-up single 'Whatever Is He Like'? Peel was always keen on promoting local East Anglian talent, as evidenced by the many sessions recorded by their contemporaries The Higsons The Higsons' Terry Edwards added trumpet and sax to some early FB recordings, including the group's second sessions for both Peel and Kid Jensen. He also occasionally played live with the group ..
The group recorded their initial session in September 1982 under the name of 'Kid Brian and His Farmer's Boys'. Two further Peel sessions as 'The Farmer's Boys' followed. Peel saw the band play live on at least one occasion . On the programme of 17 October 1984 he expressed his frustration at their lack of commercial success.
In the late 1990s, most of the members of the band formed the Great Outdoors, picking up several plays on the Peel show in the period 1999 - 2001.
==Festive Fifty Entries==
*1982 Festive Fifty: I Think I Need Help #50
*1982 Festive Fifty: Whatever Is He Like? #21
==Sessions==
Debut session released on the compilation CD 'Once Upon A Time In The East (The Early Years 1981-1982)' Backs Recording Company NCHCD19 (2003).
1. Recorded 1982-09-06 (as Kid Brian and His Farmer's Boys). First broadcast 14 September 1982. Repeated 11 October 1982, 27 December 1982.
*Soft Drink / Description Of The River Waveney At Wartwell / The Country Line / Drinking And Dressing Up / With These Hands I Built The World
2. Recorded: 1983-07-09. First broadcast: 13 July 1983. Repeated: 02 August 1983, 20 September 1983.
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*The Way You Made Me Cry / Matter Of Fact / Probably One Of The Best Investments I Ever Made / I Don't Know Why I Don't Like All My Friends
*Terry Edwards guests on brass.
3. Recorded: 1984-08-14. First broadcast: 27 August 1984. Repeated 11 September 1984, 07 November 1984.
*Sport For All / Walk About / All Of A Sudden / Heartache
==Live==
Live At The General Wolfe, Coventry. Recorded 1982-11-10 First broadcast 10 November 1982. Repeated 07 December 1982.
#I Lack Concentration
#Muck It Out
#The Old Spotted Dog
#I Think I Need Help
#A Promise You Can't Keep
#More Than A Dream
==Other Shows Played==
;1982
*03 March 1982: I Think I Need Help (single) Waap WAAP3
*25 April 1982 (BFBS): I Think I Need Help (7") Waap
*21 June 1982: unknown
*25 July 1982 (BFBS): Whatever Is He Like? (7") Backs NCH 001
*01 August 1982 (BFBS): Whatever Is He Like? (7") Backs NCH 001
*24 August 1982: Muck It Out (7" flexi) Masterbag BAG 006
*02 September 1982: Muck It Out (7" Flexi-disc) Masterbag
*23 September 1982: Muck It Out (7" flexi) Masterbag magazine
*20 October 1982 (BFBS): Soft Drink (v/a album + 12" - Touchdown) Fontana TOUCH 1 / TOUCH 2
*21 October 1982: Soft Drink (v/a album + 12" - Touchdown) Fontana TOUCH 1 / TOUCH 2
*18 November 1982: Unknown
*01 December 1982: The Country Line (7" - More Than A Dream) Backs NCH003
*05 December 1982 (BFBS): More Than A Dream (7") Backs NCH003
*05 December 1982 (BFBS): The Country Line (7" - More Than A Dream) Backs NCH003
*12 December 1982 (BFBS): More Than A Dream (7") Backs NCH003
*13 December 1982: More Than A Dream (7") Backs NCH003
*15 December 1982: I Think I Need Help (7") FF#50
*19 December 1982 (BFBS): More Than A Dream (7") Backs NCH003
*23 December 1982: Whatever Is He Like? (7") Backs FF#21
*December 1982 (BBC World Service): More Than A Dream (7") Backs NCH003
;1983
*24 January 1983: More Than A Dream (7") EMI EMI 5367
*20 February 1983 (BFBS): I Lack Concentration (7" - Whatever Is He Like) Backs
*22 March 1983: Muck It Out (7") EMI
*27 March 1983 (BFBS): Muck It Out (7") EMI
*30 March 1983: Muck It Out (7") EMI EMI 5380
*18 April 1983 (BBC World Service): Muck It Out (7") EMI EMI 5380
*05 June 1983 (BFBS): Muck It Out (7") EMI
*20 June 1983: Muck It Out! (Extended Version) (12") EMI 12 EMI 5380
*25 July 1983: Something That I Ate (2x7" - For You) EMI EMID 5401
*27 July 1983: For You (2x7") EMI EMID 5401
*27 July 1983 (BFBS): Something That I Ate (2x7" - For You) EMI EMID 5401
*08 August 1983 (BBC World Service): Drinking And Dressing Up (2x7" - For You) EMI EMID 5401
*08 August 1983 (BBC World Service): Something That I Ate (2x7" - For You) EMI EMID 5401
*Mostly Peel Mid Sep 1983: Muck It Out (7") EMI
*22 October 1983 (BFBS): Matter Of Fact (album - Get Out & Walk) EMI EMC 1077993
*22 October 1983 (BFBS): Probably One Of The Best Investments I Ever Made (album - Get Out & Walk) EMI EMC 1077993
*12 November 1983 (BFBS): Soft Drink (album - Get Out & Walk) EMI EMC 1077993
*14 November 1983 (BBC World Service): Probably One Of The Best Investments I Ever Made (album - Get Out & Walk) EMI EMC 1077993
;1984
*04 February 1984 (BFBS): The Way You Made Me Cry (album - Get Out & Walk) EMI EMC 1077993
*03 April 1984: Apparently (7") EMI FAB 1
*07 April 1984 (BFBS): Apparently (7") EMI FAB 1
*16 April 1984 (BBC World Service): Apparently (7") EMI FAB 1
*26 April 1984: Apparently (7") EMI FAB 1
*18 July 1984: In The Country (7") EMI FAB 2
*18 July 1984 (BFBS): In The Country (7") EMI FAB 2
*17 October 1984: Phew Wow! (7") EMI FAB 3
*21 October 1984 (BFBS): Phew Wow! (7") EMI FAB 3
;1985
*20 February 1985: I Built The World (12") EMI
*12 March 1985: Art Gallery (album - With These Hands) EMI FBLP 2 
;1988
*12 April 1988: Matter Of Fact (LP - Get Out & Walk) EMI
;1989
*The Peel Tapes Vol.7: I Think I Need Help (single) Waap WAAP 3
;1992
*17 April 1992: I Think I Need Help (7") Waap
*26 April 1992 (BFBS): I Think I Need Help (7") Waap
;1997
*04 November 1997: I Think I Need Help (7") Waap!
;Others
*Kid Bryan:The Higsons
;Les Garçons
*17 July 1985: Homo Kino (v/a album - Good Morning Mister Presley) Grunt Grunt A Go Go
*22 July 1985 (BFBS): Homo Kino (v/a album - Good Morning Mister Presley) Grunt Grunt A Go Go
*22 July 1985 (BBC World Service): Homo Kino (v/a album - Good Morning Mister Presley) Grunt Grunt A Go Go
*23 July 1985: Homo Kino (v/a album - Good Morning Mister Presley) Grunt Grunt A Go Go
== See Also ==
*Gigography 1982 
==External links==
*"Official unoffical website"
*Wikipedia
*Discogs.com
;Footnotes
Category:Artists