The House of Love - Fascinating Facts

1. Guy Chadwick's musical direction changed after seeing the Jesus and Mary Chain

In September 1985, Guy Chadwick watched the Jesus and Mary Chain play at Camden's Electric Ballroom. Their combination of feedback, noise and Velvet Underground influences helped him decide what his own band should sound like. He later described his ambition as forming a new version of the Velvet Underground.

2. The band's name has a surprising route back to the Doors

The name came through two sources rather than directly from a song title. Jim Morrison's "The Spy" had been inspired by Anaïs Nin's novel A Spy in the House of Love, and Chadwick adopted the novel's title for his new group. "Horse Latitudes", another Doors song title, was briefly considered as an alternative.

3. Chadwick had already released a single before the band existed

Before the House of Love, Chadwick fronted a group called the Kingdoms. Their 1984 single "Heartlands" appeared on RCA subsidiary Regard, after Chadwick had secured a publishing deal with CBS. The record made little impact, but the experience helped him develop as a songwriter.

4. An encounter with Lou Reed nearly happened at the wrong moment

After RCA dropped Chadwick, he managed to pass a demo containing an early version of "Destroy the Heart" to Lou Reed's manager. Reed listened and was impressed enough for his manager to invite Chadwick to meet him at a second show. The invitation arrived shortly after RCA had delivered the news that it was dropping him, and Chadwick never made the meeting.

5. Terry Bickers answered an advert in Melody Maker

Chadwick did not simply recruit an existing circle of friends to form the band. He placed an advert in Melody Maker describing the sound he wanted, including Velvet Underground references. Nineteen-year-old Terry Bickers responded, and the pair immediately connected over Chadwick's early songs.

6. The original line-up was more international than it appeared

Alongside English musicians Chadwick, Bickers and drummer Pete Evans, the early line-up included German guitarist and vocalist Andrea Heukamp and New Zealand-born bassist Chris Groothuizen. Groothuizen had previously worked at Progressive Recording Studios in Auckland, helping record groups associated with New Zealand's Flying Nun scene.

7. Chris Groothuizen had to learn "Christine" by following a cassette

Groothuizen recalled that his audition involved playing bass lines to a cassette Terry Bickers had given him. "Christine" was particularly tricky because its changes were subtle. Bickers helped him through the arrangement and counted in the choruses discreetly while Chadwick was not looking.

8. Andrea Heukamp originally wanted to play bass

Heukamp initially hoped to play bass, but Groothuizen ended up taking the role. She became a guitarist and vocalist instead. Chadwick later said he had always envisaged a larger role for her, even though the band already had plenty of guitar parts to accommodate.

9. The early band played in near darkness at a squat venue

One of their early London venues was Dickie Dirts, a disused cinema connected to the city's squat-gig circuit. Chadwick remembered hiring a generator to play in its enormous, pitch-black ballroom, which could hold around 100 people. The makeshift conditions were a long way from the major-label expectations that followed.

10. Their early demos failed to attract attention

The band recorded demos and sent them out, but received no meaningful response. One demo included "Christine", although Chadwick felt it sounded quite different from the eventual released recording. Their subsequent progress came through live performances and contacts in the London gig circuit rather than a successful demo campaign.

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11. "Shine On" was released before the debut album

The band's first single, "Shine On", appeared on Creation Records in May 1987. It helped establish their name on the independent circuit, although it was their later single "Christine" that brought a much bigger breakthrough. The original "Shine On" and the later major-label version are distinct recordings.

12. Andrea Heukamp remained important to the early recordings after leaving

Heukamp left the group before the 1988 debut album was completed, but her contribution was not erased from the band's history. She had featured heavily on the earlier collection often known as The German Album, and she still sang on the album version of "Christine". Chadwick later spoke warmly of both her voice and her guitar playing.

13. The debut album was made on a limited budget

The 1988 Creation album was recorded under comparatively modest financial conditions. In his official discography notes, Chadwick remains proud of the result despite the budget restrictions, singling out "Christine", "Love in a Car" and "Man to Child". The record's impact far exceeded its modest production circumstances.

14. Chadwick recorded the debut album with an eye injury

One of the album's most unusual behind-the-scenes stories comes from Chadwick himself. He recalled making the 1988 record with a patch over his right eye after his baby daughter Cydney accidentally scratched his eyeball with her finger. Fortunately, the studio was directly across the road from Moorfields Eye Hospital.

15. "Destroy the Heart" was repeatedly rebuilt in the studio

The song had begun as a much slower composition, and an early demo used a drum machine. During the album sessions, the arrangement was repeatedly reconstructed because the first recording was not working as Chadwick wanted. Despite the finished single's reputation, Chadwick later remained disappointed with how the recording turned out.

16. "Safe" was recorded before it became a later compilation track

"Safe" was recorded in 1988 with Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records. It had been intended as the next House of Love single for Creation, but the plan was shelved when the band moved to Fontana. The recording eventually appeared as a B-side and on the compilation A Spy in the House of Love.

17. The band were still praising Creation shortly before leaving

In a German television interview from early 1989, the band discussed their future plans and the departure of Heukamp. They also spoke positively about Creation and suggested there had been no need to change labels—"until now". The footage captures the band at the point where their relationship with the independent label was about to change.

18. The second album took years and discarded recording sessions

The 1990 Fontana album, often nicknamed the Butterfly Album because of its sleeve art, was a difficult production. Chadwick's official discography notes describe six weeks at Abbey Road's Studio 2, with most of the recordings discarded, followed by another six weeks with producer Stephen Hague whose recordings were also abandoned. Dave Meehan ultimately produced most of the released album, with Tim Palmer responsible for "Shine On" and "Never".

19. The split with Terry Bickers happened during a tour

Bickers left the band in late 1989 after tensions intensified following the major-label deal. A Guardian interview with Chadwick and Bickers later recalled that he was dismissed mid-tour after a show in Treforest, Wales. The two musicians subsequently described how the pressure to make every performance a major event contributed to the breakdown in their working relationship.

20. Guy Chadwick's favourite House of Love track came from a later album

Chadwick has named "The Girl with the Loneliest Eyes", from 1992's Babe Rainbow, as his all-time favourite House of Love track. He argued that the single had the potential to be a major hit, but blamed the record company's release-formatting dispute and poor stocking at chart-return shops for undermining its chances. The episode captures the continuing tension between his songwriting ambitions and the band's record-business experience.

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