Captain Soul (named after a song from the Byrds' Fifth Dimension) are Neil Barrow (bass), John Garner (drums), Adam Howorth (vocals/guitar) and Martin Welsh (guitar). Formed from the ashes of Hooverdam, where they were signed to Sire Records for three years without any recordings seeing the light of day. They were resuced by Alan McGee's Poptones label in 2000 and released the stellar 'T-Shirt 69' single. The band have been compared to Big Star, the Zombies, Hollies, and Nirvana. In March of 2001, the band released their acclaimed debut full-length, Beat Your Crazy Head Against the Sky. The follow up album in due in Feb 2003.

'Beach Bum' Adam Howorth from Captain Soul reveals his desert island delights…

"The greatest emotion a song can provoke is joy, which is why the Beach Boys top my list of all time favourite bands. Before my 'Surfin' Safari' began I had a vague recollection of the Beach Boys singing twee songs in high voices about girls and cars. At the time REM were the hippest band on the planet - circa 'Green' - and they cited the Beach Boys as a key influence, which I put down to sarcasm".

"I then decided to teach myself to play the piano with the aid of a Beatles songbook and marvelled at the breathtaking beauty of 'Golden Slumbers', 'A Day in the Life', and 'If I Fall'. I read McCartney considered Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson to be a "genius" and 'God Only Knows' "the greatest song ever written". Macca also said the first presents he bought his kids were copies of Pet Sounds".

"Once I had my own copy I understood".

"As I explored further their rich catalogue I discovered gems such as 'Please Let Me Wonder', 'Good Vibrations', 'Forever', 'Caroline No', 'Don't Talk Put Your Head on my Shoulder' and to this day consider Wilson to be touched by an angel".

"I sought out all their records and put together two C90 compilation tapes of my favourites that I listened to every day for the next two years until they disintegrated. Beach Boys songs are the only ones I've found that never dull with repeated listens".

"My other desert island artists would be AC/DC (psyching myself up to go and batter some natives), Neil Young (sitting round the camp fire), Elvis - Vegas period (getting drunk on fermented fruit), the Stones - Sticky Fingers (letting it all hang out, baby), Nick Drake (staring wistfully at the moon), Bacharach (dancing under the stars), Phil Spector (partying on the beach), the Byrds (daydreaming), Glen Campbell (wishing I was a cowboy), Lovin' Spoonful (beating my crazy head against the sky)".

Currently available:
Captain Soul's excellent debut album 'Beat your crazy head against the sky' featuring the classic single 'T-shirt 69' is out now on Poptones www.poptones.co.uk.