The Shamen

One of the ultimate rock/dance crossover bands of the 1980s/1990s, The Shamen also provoked enormous controversy, notably with their biggest hit, the storming Ebeneezer Goode, whose catchy chorus was widely interpreted as an immoral celebration of the drug Ecstacy. Originally calling themselves Alone Again Or (taking the name of a song by the American West Coast band Love), the group was formed by Colin Angus, who was interested in mixing house and hip-hop techniques with guitar rock. Bass player Will Sinnott joined in 1987 to play a major role in the band's techno style as he and Angus became strongly influenced by London's acid house scene; evidenced by their 1989 album In Gorbachev We Trust. They had a hit single with Move Any Mountain in 1990 from their third album En-Tact, which featured new additions in female singer Plavka Lonich and rapper/DJ Mr C. Tragedy struck when Will Sinnott drowned in Tenerife in 1991 but after much soul-searching Angus elected to continue The Shamen with Jhelisa Anderson replacing Plavka Lonich as vocalist on their successful 1992 album Boss Drum. This included the controversial smash hit Ebeneezer Goode, which stayed at Number 1 in the UK for a month. Lesser hits followed as the personnel continued to change and the band pursued a less commercial path, releasing their last album UV in 1998.