The BBC have confirmed the sad news – here’s the article from thier website:
Pop group The Beautiful South – known for such melodious hits as Song For Whoever, A Little Time, Perfect 10 and Rotterdam – have split.
In a two-line statement, the Hull-based band, formed by former members of the Housemartins, attributed their break-up to “musical similarities”.
“The band would like to thank everyone for their 19 wonderful years in music,” the statement said.
The band’s last album Superbi reached number six in the UK album chart.
But their most recent single – 2006’s The Rose of My Cologne – barely bothered the singles chart, peaking at 99.
Melancholy tone
Known for their jovial melodies and darkly humorous lyrics, the Beautiful South were formed at the tail end of the 1980s by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway.
Their debut album, 1989’s Welcome to the Beautiful South, reached number two in the UK and set the band’s jaunty yet melancholy tone with such songs as I’ll Sail This Ship Alone and You Keep It All In.
A Little Time – featuring original female vocalist Briana Corrigan – became their only UK number one in 1990.
The band’s greatest success, however, came in 1994 with the release of Carry On Up the Charts.
A greatest hits compilation, it rode high in the album chart for several months and sold more than 1.8 million copies in the UK.
The same year saw Corrigan replaced by former supermarket worker Jacqui Abbott, who was herself replaced in 2003 by Allison Wheeler.
The band took a hiatus in 2001, during which time Heaton recorded a solo album under the pseudonym Biscuit Boy.
More recently, band member Dave Rotheray has formed his own group, Homespun, with vocalist Sam Brown.
How can we stop this split ?
Can’t believe it, really gutted. They were a fantastic band. I have loved the South since I was 15 years old, now 34. Sad times.
Pleeeeeeeeeeease don’t split we will all have to endure Wheelie’s renditions of the south anthems on the Rhinos bus everytime she has a few sherberts! On a serious note very sad excellent band, irreplaceable
Cant actually beleive it, went to see them last August in Edinburgh, their youngest fan ever, started in the womb,
will be sadly missed. absolutely best Brit Band lyrics without a doubt.
gutted, haven’t slept, eaten , smoked or drank….. in the inmortal words how longs a tear take to dry…
will the south be reincarnated just like when housemartins split
Absolutely gutted. End of an era for us all South fans. Dalby Forest was one of their best gigs ever. Lets hope Paul Heaton continues a solo career with plenty of small intimate home town gigs.
Yes lets hope Paul carries on with his brilliant style of music. I still cannot beleive they have split and havent really done a days work since!!!!!!
why this happened… god….
the greatest band in my life…
my whole world is collapsing…….
please…. dont split up…..