Red Box

Aged 20, Simon Toulson-Clarke travelled south from Middlesbrough to study at The Polytechnic of Central London, where he formed a group with Bristolian Julian Close. The band took the name Red Box from a flight case left behind by Slade following a college gig. Toulson-Clarke was attracted to the notion of a square (Box) being the North American Indian symbol for 'white man' and a circle being the term for (Red) 'man' before Europeans were encountered, a concept which would be explored further on the debut album, ‘The Circle & The Square’.

Graduating from the college circuit to the London club scene, the band slowly built a faithful following and released their first single ‘Chenko’ on the Cherry Red label in 1983. A song of loss woven around a North American Indian chant, the unusual record was a swift hit with radio, and it brought them to the attention of Sire Records in 1984.
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‘The Circle & The Square’ (1986)
The following year, Red Box released the album ‘The Circle & The Square’, an eclectic collection of songs presenting a 'culture clash' of influences both musically and thematically. The album – notable for introducing ethnic rhythms and elements of World Music into the '80s pop milieu – gave the band its first UK hit, ‘Lean on Me', which reached No 1 in six countries and top five in a further twelve. 'Lean on Me' was followed by the release of the sardonic 'For America'.
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‘Motive’ (1990)
In the late '80s Toulson-Clarke began work on a new album. ‘Motive’ is less tribal than its predecessor, with several tracks built around piano, brass, musical loops and orchestral arrangements. It also displays a more personal style of writing, combined with the cultural and political allusions of the previous record.
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‘Plenty’ (2010)
STC went on to build a studio at his home in London with a view to exploring new material. A series of impromptu evenings with his friends produced a number of recordings which convinced him to embark on ‘the tricky third album’. The result, ‘Plenty’, is a mature and considered album, with space and dynamics on songs of love, change and family - a world closer to home. It spawned a couple of number one singles in Poland and a series of successful European tours.
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The band is currently in the studio recording their long-awaited fourth album, due for release in summer 2017.
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Red Box is comprised of singer/guitarist Simon Toulson-Clarke, drummer/guitarist Delvis Adams, bassist David 'The Dave' Jenkins, singer/guitarist Sally-Jo Seery and violinist/singer Karin Tenggren. Associate members include percussionist Michal Kirmuc, guitarists Paul 'Reverend' Bond and Ali Ferguson, and keyboard players Ty Unwin and Alastair Gavin.