The Housemartins - Happy Hour | Reaction!

They've been requested a lot, so here we finally go! What a giddy tune with some sobering lyrics. I also want to point out that I said Heaton kinda sounds like Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, but I want to throw in that maybe he sounds more like Steven Page. And yes, I guess they're similar to The Smiths. Again, sorry for the smaller video size, I fricked it up!
Thanks for watching!
linktr.ee/insignificantnick

[@ste.6026]

For me Paul Heaton is one of the top UK singer/songwriters of the last 35 years whether with the Housemartins, Beautiful South, solo or with his long term professional partnership Jacqui Abbott, he still manages to put out several quality songs on most every album and his voice does not appear to age... Nicely done for taking the time to react to this, hopefully you will find your way to more Heaton greatness....

[@ryanmarshall3640]

100 percent pal

[@charlesmcwilliam5785]

He is top notch.

[@rickb.4168]

The tall blonde one(bass player) is Fat Boy Slim. Massive hugely influential musician.

[@InsignificantNick]

I've obviously heard of him, but I never knew about the Housemartins, my goodness!

[@danedward4255]

If the smiths and madness hand a love child

[@steevenfrost]

Such a happy song that never lags for a second. Housmartins are a native breed in the UK which nest in the eves of buildings or barns. Also they are from Hull which is in the North of England. They disbanded, and Paul Heaton called his new band The Beautiful South.

[@kevinchester0533]

Who then disbanded due to creative similarities :)

[@disconsolatemoose6637]

Do you even know what they're singing? The open is: "It's happy hour again I think I might be happy if I wasn't out with them" Carries on from there.

[@austinfallen]

House martins is a lovely gateway to the beautiful south (for obvious reasons lol). Also BNL’s used a line from happy hour in their song hello city

[@iainweller452]

The Housemartins were a good fun band other hit songs included “Me and the Farmer” , “Build” and “Caravan of Love” to name a few

[@MrTumshie]

Paul Heaton is still very much on the go, releasing albums with Jacqui Abbott, 'Heatongrad' being my personal favourite. He has been a consistently magnificent songwriter all my adult life with an unmissable voice. The reason you might have been thinking of the Barenaked Ladies is that there are a couple of lines from this very song quoted in the BNL song 'Hello City'.

[@slappedhappy9549]

Yeah!I checked DON T MARRY HER (LIVE) with Jacqui !Just love it!

[@stevedriver1376]

This was a huge song on the jukebox down the pub at the weekend. I don't remember any Smiths comparisons at the time. This was much more commercial!

[@kevinchester0533]

Song for Whoever - Beautiful South is highly recommended

[@stevecalvert5212]

Great lads. Slept on the floor of my mates flat after a Leeds gig. "Flag Day" is my personal fave

[@johnritter6864]

Takes me back to my teenage years

[@slappedhappy9549]

Thanx for checking one of my favorite Bands back then!THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH die a great job too!JUST AUTHENTIC MUSIC!💖 My favorite of the HOUSE MARTINS:ANXIOUS!

[@komoleeray687]

Thanks Nick for reacting to this song !🙏♥. Hope you enjoyed it. Just on the Smith's comparison, i guess i meant they sound similar on a superficial, musical level.( and also more like the more upbeat Smith's tracks "This Charming Man " etc) obviously Morrissey and Paul Heaton are very different lyrically ( and vocally ),...Anyway , hope you liked it. Fun, good vibes music ( with a social message ). If you enjoyed this one i think you will also like Heaton's other band The Beautiful South. Song for Whoever, A Little Time , You Keep it All in are good starters

[@davidthom7127]

I can't think of a band LESS like The Smiths

[@albertscanlon2005]

Loved your reaction ...your right he has a warm humourous voice...and yesthere is a similar sound to the Smiths....1986 was a fun time growing up with some great tunes

[@Dolfan5413]

Great song …it’s so happy

[@twigletz7384]

I suppose the Housemartins and the Smiths could be said to have some cross-over with their plaintive melodies full of melancholy and angst but they definitely expressed these feelings in their own way. Paul Heaton was a sublime writer of music and lyrics - as was Morrissey and Johnny Marr - but both groups had their own singular way of expressing their feelings. Norman Cook (from the Housemartins) went on to become the DJ/producer Fatboy Slim who I'm sure you're aware of. Paul Heaton created Beautiful South. I could recommend listening to so many of their records but one of my personal all time favourites is A Little Time - got to watch it with the video.

[@mattpotter8725]

You should definitely check out some The Beautiful South, another band fronted by Paul Heaton, if you liked this. They have some amazing songs that are well worth checking out.

[@slbgraphics2]

This makes me so happy! Do 'Build' or some other Beautiful South songs (I Think The Answer's Yes is a brilliant political song dressed up as a romantic one!)

[@stephenolney6942]

Definitely sounds like the smiths the guitars never noticed before

[@leefr76]

For a band similar to The Smiths you should react to Gene, they were highly touted by the indie musical press in the 90's as the next big thing, Olympian is a super song.

[@MrJambot]

Good one - and agreed.

[@stingray4real]

The Housemartins met as Hull University students.

[@mattpotter8725]

I bet you didn't notice that Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim was in The Housemartins!!! He was a lot younger so I don't blame you on that!!!

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Great song here I remember loving it back in the day. Maybe the biggest hit they had. Love you

[@Emburbujada]

Ah, yes, the happy song that is not at all happy. Most Housemartins videos are funny, and they did my favourite drummer transition in their videos, if you want to watch that XD Their lyrics are usually critical of politics and society, quite interesting. I never felt they sounded like The Smiths, but I tend to link the two bands because my sister used to listen to them both when I was a child. Fatboy Slim videos are worth a watch, too ;)

[@jonathancole833]

I especially like the video to "Think For A Minute".

[@michaelvincentgaddi8743]

Love the bass player Norman Cook, who is more popularly known of late as "Fatboy Slim." :)

[@stingray4real]

Norman Cook the bass player is the DJ and Producer Fatboy Slim.

[@CodeBleu724]

The bass player Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, came from The Housemartins...

[@steadyed]

Build or Flag Day are worth checking out Nick

[@sarahbeach4849]

You DO say 'house' like a Canadian! It's adorable. IMHO, the absolute best song by The Beautiful South is 'I Think the Answer's Yes', from their album 'Choke'. I really think you'd love that song. It sounds like a gorgeous love song, but the lyrics are basically an anti-capitalist rallying cry. It's so beautiful. Oddly, it's hard to find - but here's a link I found on YT. Once again, I so love your reactions! Thanks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqK1fWuepqiXqM0

[@neilmccarthy5102]

I liked the Smiths, but for me, the Housemartins were totally different. The Housemartins were upbeat - the lyrics nearly always had a message - frequently political. PJ very distinctive voice - try We’re not deep.

[@InsignificantNick]

Yeah, I get different vibes from each of them

[@hod2]

Beautiful south his next band was superb with a huge catalogue of tunes. Lyrics very dark, music very up , superb.

[@sergiopaul8830]

You look a lot like Steven Page,of Barenaked Ladies,which by the way,is another band that i love just like The Housemartins

[@loran-df9cu]

please, listen to this too the housemartins i'll be your shelter and you will see how strong is Paul Heaton's voice

[@ryanmarshall3640]

perfect song

[@charlesmcwilliam5785]

'Housemartins' evolved i tae the 'Beautiful South' lotsa great songs and hits. I read somewhere bac that beautiful south was the second fav albums in folks record collections.Class band, give em a go.

[@soulgalorememories9921]

My favourite Housemartins tune is "Sheep".......Heaton shows his unique vocals on this one (as well as others of course".....The Smiths are coming from a totally different direction - if you need to feel depressed and dark...they are great, give me the Housemartins every time, music should make you smile and happy - irrespective of the lyrics.

[@joeb2487]

I always forget Fatboy Slim was in The Housemartins

[@scodee]

I don’t see any similarity between The Smiths and The Housemartines .. A similar band would be The Farmers Boys

[@stevecalvert5212]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6rCZWqNd8t8Z7s

[@thereunionparty]

Very odd comment from Johnny Marr. He's not usually the grumpy one though maybe he felt more competitive back in the day.

[@InsignificantNick]

That's what I thought too lol

[@1011moz]

Have a listen to the Beautiful South version of The Smiths Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now. A very different sound to The Smiths.

[@jonathancole833]

Paul Heaton recently celebrated his 60th Birthday by putting money behind the bar of his local pub, for everyone to have a free drink!

[@1011moz]

He put money behind the bar of 60 pubs throughout britain. Two of them in Glasgow. A great normal guy.

[@InsignificantNick]

A beauty!

[@jonathancole833]

@@1011moz Sixty pubs - that sounds more like it!

[@1011moz]

You will love the genius that is Paul Heaton. Have a listen to The Beautiful South

[@ryanmarshall3640]

hundred percent

[@marcharley6465]

The Smiths comparison is, and always was, very superficial. There were many indie bands around from the mid to late 80s who featured jangly guitars and left/progressive lyrics. Some of them were obviously influenced by the Smiths but most of them were simply part of that post-punk pop genre.

[@stephenslade1639]

Who told you they sound like The Smiths. No way. Dont recall many 4 part harmonies in Smiths, nor accapello pieces nor even the straight up fun. Lyrics and guitar prob better from Smiths but different bands. Housemartins politics were probably more left wing than Morrisey was then (bit diff to be less so now sadly).