View source for The Soup Dragons

{{Short description|Scottish alternative rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = The Soup Dragons
| image             = The Soup Dragons2025.jpg
| caption           = The Soup Dragons performing in 2025
| background        = group_or_band
| origin            = [[Bellshill]], [[North Lanarkshire]], Scotland
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Indie pop]]|[[alternative rock]]|[[alternative dance]]|[[baggy]]}}
| years_active      = {{hlist|1985–1995|2023–present}}
| label             = {{hlist|[[The Subway Organization]]|Raw TV|[[Sire Records|Sire]]|[[Big Life]]|[[Mercury Records|Mercury]]}}
| current_members   =
* Sean Dickson
* Jim McCulloch
* Ian Whitehall
* Sushil K. Dade
* [[Ross Sinclair (artist)|Ross A. Sinclair]]
* Paul Quinn
}}

'''The Soup Dragons''' are a Scottish [[alternative rock]] band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television series ''[[Clangers]]'', the group is best known for its cover of [[the Rolling Stones]]' song "[[I'm Free (The Rolling Stones song)|I'm Free]]", which was a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom in 1990; and "Divine Thing", a top 40 hit in the United States in 1992.

==History==
The Soup Dragons formed in Bellshill, a town near Motherwell, in 1985.<ref name="Thompson">Thompson, Dave (2000) ''Alternative Rock'', Miller Freeman, San Francisco, {{ISBN|0879306076}}, p. 646-647</ref> The line up was Sean Dickson (vocals, lead guitar, keyboards) (born 1966), Jim McCulloch (guitar, second voice) who replaced Ian Whitehall, and Sushil K. Dade (bass) (born Sushil Kumar Dade, 1966, Glasgow). The original drummer [[Ross Sinclair (artist)|Ross A. Sinclair]] (born 1966, Bearsden, Glasgow) left the group after the first album ''This Is Our Art'' to pursue a career in art, and he was replaced by Paul Quinn (born 9 August 1963). Most of their songs were written by Sean Dickson.

The Soup Dragons recorded their first demo tape ''You Have Some Too'' after playing a few local gigs, and this was followed by a [[flexi disc]] single "If You Were the Only Girl in the World".{{r|Thompson}} They signed to [[The Subway Organization]] in early 1986, and their first EP ''The Sun in the Sky'' was [[Buzzcocks]]-inspired [[pop punk]]. The band's breakthrough came with their second single for Subway, "Whole Wide World",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH7yf0ttsBc|title=The Soup Dragons - Whole Wide World|last=hifisean|date=9 December 2007|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> which reached No. 2 on the [[UK Independent Chart]] in 1986.<ref name="Lazell">Lazell, Barry (1997) ''Indie Hits 1980 - 1989'', Cherry Red Books, {{ISBN|0-9517206-9-4}}, p. 213</ref> Dickson and McCulloch also played in BMX Bandits at this time.{{r|Thompson}} The band were signed by former [[Wham!]] co-manager [[Jazz Summers]]' label Raw TV with further indie hits (and minor UK Singles Chart hits) following during 1987 and 1988.{{r|Lazell}}<ref name="Strong">Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, {{ISBN|1-84195-335-0}}, p. 515-6</ref> Over the course of six [[single (music)|singles]] (the first three collected in 1986 on a US-only compilation, ''Hang Ten''), they gradually developed a complex [[rock music|rock]] guitar sound, which culminated in their first album ''This Is Our Art'', now signed to major label [[Sire Records]].<ref name="Larkinindie">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-579-4|page=264}}</ref> After one single from the album - "Kingdom Chairs" - was released, they then returned to original label Raw TV and Big Life Records.

In the year after ''[[This Is Our Art]]'', The Soup Dragons' sound underwent a change from an [[indie rock]] sound, to the rock-dance crossover sound; this was mainly due to being without a drummer and buying a sampler and drum machine and experimenting with sound with the release of the album ''[[Lovegod]]''.  This change can be attributed to the rise of the [[methylenedioxymethamphetamine|ecstasy]]-fueled [[acid house]] [[rave]] scene in the UK. In 1990, they released "[[I'm Free (The Rolling Stones song)|I'm Free]]", their most successful hit single in the UK and an up-tempo cover of a [[Rolling Stones]] song with an added [[Deejay (Jamaican)|toasting]] overdub by reggae star [[Junior Reid]], which reached No. 5.{{r|Strong}} The single later appeared on the soundtrack for the film ''[[The World's End (film)|The World's End]]'' (2013).

Subsequent albums continued in the band's own style and in 1992, they enjoyed their biggest US hit with "Divine Thing", which reached No. 26 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].{{r|Strong}} It also hit No. 3 on the [[Modern Rock Tracks|Modern Rock]] chart and its video was nominated by MTV as one of the year's best,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjWsoct-uSo|title=The Soup Dragons - Divine Thing|date=8 December 2007|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> though beaten by [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana's]] "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RO7ONkc8PU|title=The Soup Dragons - MTV Awards|access-date=21 June 2021|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

The Soup Dragons disbanded in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-soup-dragons/im-free |title=I'm Free by The Soup Dragons |website=songfacts.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-06-21 |quote=The band split in 1995.}}</ref> Paul Quinn joined [[Teenage Fanclub]]. Sushil K. Dade formed the experimental [[post rock]] group [[Future Pilot A.K.A.]] Sean Dickson formed [[The High Fidelity]] and has released many records and albums with other artists like Bootsy Collins, Yoko Ono, Crystal Waters and David McAlmont.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/16/hifi-sean-i-was-consumed-with-guilt-interview-ft-excursions-sean-dickson|title=Hifi Sean: 'I was consumed with guilt because I'd hurt people'|date=16 April 2017|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=21 June 2021}}</ref> Jim McCulloch joined [[Superstar (band)|Superstar]], wrote and recorded music with [[Isobel Campbell]], and formed the folk group [[Snowgoose]]. [[Ross Sinclair (artist)|Ross A. Sinclair]] had a successful career in art, winning a number of international awards and becoming a Research Fellow at Glasgow School of Art,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.contemporaryartsociety.org/artist-members/ross-sinclair/|title=Ross Sinclair - Contemporary Art Society|work=Contemporary Art Society|access-date=2017-06-14|language=en-US}}</ref> and still makes music to this day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.patriciaflemingprojects.co.uk/index.php/current/everything_flows/|title=Patricia Fleming Projects - A contemporary art gallery and studio based in Glasgow.|website=Patriciaflemingprojects.co.uk|access-date=2017-06-14}}</ref>

The story of the Soup Dragons is traced as part of the 2017 documentary ''[[Teenage Superstars]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://film.britishcouncil.org/teenage-superstars|title=British Council Film: Teenage Superstars|website=Film.britishcouncil.org|access-date=2018-06-08}}</ref>

The group announced on 27 March 2023 that the original line-up will play six reunion shows in the UK in October and November 2023. Support acts will be [[the Vaselines]], [[BMX Bandits (band)|BMX Bandits]] and a DJ set from [[the Pastels]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.livenation.co.uk/artist-the-soup-dragons-1411078?omq=the%20soup%20dr&fbclid=IwAR2c3Iu6mxHdf61sWFUTeEK89VMx_T_mF2eKYK3GcFgYaQbJO5pgsoKoql4 | title=The Soup Dragons|website=Livenation.co.uk }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.totalntertainment.com/music/the-soup-dragons-return-for-live-tour/ | title=The Soup Dragons return for Live Tour|website=Totalntertainment.com | date=27 March 2023 }}</ref>

The band features in the book ''[[Postcards from Scotland]]'' detailing the 1980s and 1990s independent music scene in Scotland.<ref>{{cite book|title=Postcards from Scotland|first=Grant|last=McPhee|author-link=Grant McPhee|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|year=2024|isbn=9781913172473}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of albums, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Details
! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" |Certifications
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited  | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 516}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref>{{cite Ryan|page=261}}</ref><ref name="aus2">{{cite web|url= https://www.bubblingdownunder.com/2024/06/week-commencing-22-june-1992.html | title=Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 22 June 1992 |website=Bubbling Down Under|access-date=22 June 2024}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Recorded Music NZ|NZ]]<br><ref name="New Zealand Charts">{{cite web | url = https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Soup+Dragons&titel=Lovegod&cat=a | title = Soup Dragons Lovegod New Zealand Charting | publisher = charts.nz. Hung Medien | access-date = 2010-07-20}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref name="BB200">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-soup-dragons/chart-history/tlp/|title=The Soup Dragons Chart History: Billboard 200|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[This Is Our Art]]''
|
* Released: 1988
* Format: LP, CD, cassette
* Label: Sire
| 60 || — || — || — 
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Lovegod]]''
|
* Released: 1990
* Format: LP, CD, cassette
* Label: Big Life/Polygram
| 7 || 54 || 27 || 88
|
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Silver{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United Kingdom|artist=Soup Dragons|access-date=September 3, 2025|refname="BPI"}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Hotwired (The Soup Dragons album)|Hotwired]]''
|
* Released: 1992
* Format: LP, CD, cassette
* Label: Big Life/Mercury
| 74 || 177 || — || 97 
|
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Hydrophonic (Soup Dragons album)|Hydrophonic]]''
|
* Released: 1994
* Format: 2×LP, CD, cassette
* Label: Raw TV/Mercury
| — || — || — || — 
|
|-
| colspan="16" style="font-size:90%;" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

===Compilations===
*''Hang Ten!'' (1987), [[Sire Records|Sire]] – compiles the tracks from the singles "Hang-Ten!", "Whole Wide World" and "Head Gone Astray"
*''20 Golden Greats'' (compilation, 2012)

===Extended plays===
*''The Sun Is in the Sky'' (1986)
*''Hang Ten!'' (1986)

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="10"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[UK Indie Chart|UK Indie]]
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="Charts">{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Soup+Dragons&titel=I%27m+Free&cat=s|title=The Soup Dragons – I'm Free|website=australian-charts.com|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref><ref name="aus2"/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Ö3 Austria Top 40|AUT]]<br /><ref name="Charts"/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Ultratop|BEL<br />(FL)]]<br /><ref name="Charts"/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|FRA]]<br /><ref name="Charts"/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Irish Singles Chart|IRE]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement|title=Search for Soup Dragons in Artist|website=irishcharts.ie|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Dutch Single Top 100|NLD]]<br /><ref name="Charts"/>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Soup+Dragons|title=Discography The Soup Dragons|website=charts.nz|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-soup-dragons/chart-history/hsi/|title=The Soup Dragons Chart History: Hot 100|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "Whole Wide World"
| rowspan="2"| 1986
| —
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="3"| ''Hang-Ten!''
|-
! scope="row"| "Hang-Ten"
| —
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Head Gone Astray"
| rowspan="3"| 1987
| 82
| 3
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Can't Take No More"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpRoqq8-Uxs|title=32 - Soup Dragons - Can't Take No More|last=Lilian De Munno|date=22 February 2006|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
| 65
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="4"| ''This Is Our Art''
|-
! scope="row"| "Soft as Your Face"
| 66
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "The Majestic Head"
| rowspan="2"| 1988
| 77
| 4
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Kingdom Chairs"
| 82
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Backwards Dog"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNIMC7OwvWo|title=The Soup Dragons - Backwards Dog|access-date=21 June 2021|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
| rowspan="2"| 1989
| —
| 5
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="5"| ''[[Lovegod]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Crotch Deep Trash"
| —
| 6
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Mother Universe]]"
| rowspan="3"| 1990
| 94
| 4
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "[[I'm Free (The Rolling Stones song)|I'm Free]]"
| 5
| 2
| 9
| 26
| 38
| 33
| 15
| 52
| 6
| 79
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Mother Universe]]" (remixed version)
| 26
| —
| 67
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 45
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Electric Blues"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeGQ0UJjXx0|title=The Soup Dragons - Electric Blues|date=9 December 2007|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
| 1991
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| {{Non-album single}}
|-
! scope="row"| "Divine Thing"
| rowspan="2"| 1992
| 53
| —
| 133
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 35
| rowspan="2"| ''[[Hotwired]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Pleasure"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_FcaoXk9Z0|title=Soup Dragons - Pleasure|last=sjteich|date=22 August 2006|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
| 77
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 69
|-
! scope="row"| "One Way Street"
| 1994
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| ''[[Hydrophonic (Soup Dragons album)|Hydrophonic]]''
|-
! scope="row"| "Janice Long Session 01.09.86"
| rowspan="2"| 2022
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="5" {{Non-album singles}}
|-
! scope="row"| "John Peel Session 06.02.87"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Janice Long Session 30.08.87"
| rowspan="3"| 2023
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "John Peel Session 24.02.86"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Love Is Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%;"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/s/soupdragons/ The Soup Dragons at the BBC]
* [http://www.chrishunt.biz/features21.html Soup Dragons interview on set of Mother Universe video, Oct 1990] by [[Chris Hunt]]
* [http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=soup_dragons trouserpress entry]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130308074005/http://www.hifisean.com/ HiFi Sean Page]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soup Dragons, The}}
[[Category:Scottish alternative rock groups]]
[[Category:Baggy groups]]
[[Category:Madchester groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1995]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1985]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:Scottish indie pop groups]]
[[Category:Scottish indie rock groups]]
[[Category:Sire Records artists]]
[[Category:People from Bellshill]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in Scotland]]