The Poppies: Honeybee / Demos
(Self Released)
Streaming
Available Now
After over three decades in the musical wilderness, The Poppies have released their seminal 1993 album, Honeybee, on all major streaming services.
Not to be confused with the Stourbridge legends, The Poppies were the duo of Clifford Lane and Liberty Martin along with producer Roger Greenawalt. A cult US Indie band, their only album Honeybee was released during the hot summer of 1993. Long remembered for its infectious melodies and signature 90s indie-pop sound copies have only been available via auction sites or via file sharing despite the success of the lead single That’s What We’ll Do in both the UK and Australia, backed by their cover version of The Velvet Underground’s All Tomorrow’s Parties.
The genesis of the band came when Greenawalt and Lane wanted to put together a group to make up the band for performances. They attracted the attention of Columbia Records, who signed them to an album deal. Liberty Martin soon became the main vocalist and focal point for the act. TV and Radio presenter Iain Lee has been responsible for willing this project into happening, in a similar way to his cajoling of the members of The Man From Delmonte who made a triumphant return to both the stage and studio in 2025. Iain explains, “I have been a huge fan of the album since it came out. I was 23 at the time and it was the soundtrack to that summer for me. I kept checking Spotify and it wasn’t available. So I emailed one half of the group, Clifford Lane, and made it available. I’m really excited for both old and new fans to discover this music. It is one of my favourite records of all time and it’s criminal it hasn’t been possible to listen to it.”
For many fans, this marks the first time they can hear Honeybee in full along with rare B sides, of which a version of The Monkee’s Daydream Believer is featured, without hunting down expensive physical copies. Honeybee has been cited by archivists as an essential ‘missing piece’ of the era’s output. To compliment it’s release, an earlier version of the album has also been made available, a collection of 18 demos which also includes an incredible cover of Donovan’s Atlantis.
Speaking recently, Clifford Lane revealed, “We wrote Honeybee to be sweet with a sting. For us, pop with a dash of psychedelia was the easiest palette to be imaginative. The world was behaving a bit better in the early 1990’s, and joy was a noble pursuit, for the brave. We had the idea that community singalongs for gigs would be the ultimate “feel good” experience. But alas… life got in the way, and all that remains is this snapshot.”
All words by Iain Key. See his author profile here or find him via his LinkTree
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