The Ukrainians are a United Kingdom band, which plays traditional Ukrainian music, heavily influenced by western post-punk.
Career
The Ukrainians were formed in 1990 by Wedding Present guitarist
Peter Solowka, with singer/violinist Len Liggins and
mandolin player Roman Remeynes, after all three had played on the Wedding Present's Ukrainian John Peel Sessions recordings (
Ukrainski Vistupi v Johna Peela, released 1989). Following the success of that release, the trio began composing and recording in Ukrainian as a separate band.
In 1991, their first Extended Play, Oi Divchino, was awarded Single of the Week by British music weekly, NME.
In the same year, Solowka left the Wedding Present, later claiming that he had been kicked out, the success of the Ukrainian project making him the scapegoat for the band's lack of mainstream success.
Since 1991, the band has released seven studio albums as well as various live albums and EPs, all without chart success in the United Kingdom. They continue to tour regularly, especially in Poland and England. They celebrated 20 years of the band in 2011 with a tour of British Ukrainians clubs.
Band members
Besides Solowka, Liggins and Remeynes, band members have included:
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Dave Lee - drums
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Woody - drums, percussion
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Chris Harrop - bass guitar
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Paul 'Dino' Briggs - bass guitar
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Allan Martin - bass guitar
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Alan Dawson- Bass guitar
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James Howe - bass guitar
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Stepan Pasicznyk - accordion, backing vocals, guitar
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Steve Tymruk - accordion, melodion, backing vocals
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Paul Weatherhead - electric mandolin, sopilka, theremin
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Michael L.B. West - mandolin, guitar, piano, trumpet, duda, oud, 'cello, euphonium
The current line-up comprises Liggins, Solowka, Tymruk, Wood, Weatherhead and Howe.
Discography
Albums and EPs and singles include:
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Oi Divchino (1991)
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The Ukrainians (1991)
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Pisni iz The Smiths (EP) (1992) (four songs originally by The Smiths translated into Ukrainian, also included as bonus tracks on reissues of Kultura).
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Vorony (1993)
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Live in Germany (1993)
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Kultura (1994)
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Radioactivity (Single) (1996), a cover of the Kraftwerk song, in order to raise money for the Children of Chernobyl charity and to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
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Drink to my Horse! The Ukrainians Live (2001)
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Anarchy In The UK (EP) (2002) (three songs originally by the Sex Pistols translated into Ukrainian).
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Respublika (2002)
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Istoriya: The Best of the Ukrainians (2004)
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Live in Czeremcha (2008)
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Diaspora (2009)
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20 Years (Best of) (2011)
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A History of Rock Music in Ukrainian (2015)
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Summer in Lviv (2018)
External links
