User:Howie68/sandbox

Chipmuffin was a band from the 1980's created by Anthony Boggy Backhouse. He started the band in his own bedroom and Carl Murphy was the first to appear as vocalist. The band from Failsworth Manchester soon gained momentum and gathered cult status, but it wasn't until Mark Antony Howarth started singing and writing the songs that the band became even more popular. Touring Failsworth pubs, Salford recording studios and even appearing on Frank Sidebottoms double album. Gordon Ecklesby played Bass and Peter Sarge (later to become Sarge the DJ) played keyboards. The Drummer was Paul Smuddy Woodward. Others got involved along the way and Chipmuffin ended up making 19 albums and also have a Facebook page. On the live Salford recording studio album Colin Charlie Ainsworth plays lead Guitar. Also at the studios was Chris Parrot the Parrot King who often sang his famous Parrot song at gigs! Most of the songs were written by Mark Antony Howarth who still writes to this day and has an extensive collection of his writing on his facebook page Notes. The band have been going for over 25 years and although Howarth left in 1991 there has still been talk of a 20th album. In the 1990's Mani from the Stone Roses joked that the only band better than the Roses were Chipmuffin and by saying this totally confused a radio DJ! All the songs, Lyrics and art work were done by Anthony Boggy Backhouse and Mark Antony Howarth. Boggy, Gordon Ecklesby and Smuddy went on to start up the band The Manc Lads (which are still touring), although Smuddy left to concentrate on eating Kebabs and driving his taxi!