Cook da Books (also known as Cook the Books and Da Books) was a British reggae group active in the 1980s.

History

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Cook Da Books formed in 1980 in Fazakerley, Liverpool, comprised of former members of The Dogems and Brooklyn.

They initially gained attention with their acclaimed, and politically-charged, debut single "Piggie in the Middle 8", about the widespread British riots in 1981 (which hit Liverpool hard) and other local issues. They then hit the bigtime when they were included on the soundtrack to successful French film La Boum 2. They can be seen giving a concert during the movie, and the track of theirs which was included, "Your Eyes", was very popular, hitting #1 in France and Hong Kong, and scoring the band international recognition, while they remained relatively unknown in their home country and the United States, despite high profile support slots with Men At Work, Joan Armatrading and The Undertones, among others.

After Prescott's departure, the remaining three members became simply "Da Books", and re-emerged a year later with a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City", released on Probe Plus.

Modus operandi

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Though the soundtrack to La Boum 2 was released on Polymer Records, and they were also signed to 10 Records (part of Virgin Records), Cook Da Books remained fiercely independent throughout their career, running their own label, Kite Records. According to the band themselves in an interview with Explicit magazine in 1983: "Being independent means that you've got the freedom to choose whatever we want, have whatever product we want marketed when we want".

Line-up

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• Owen Moran
• Peter Deary
• Tony Prescott
• John Legget

Discography

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Singles/EPs

• Piggie in the Middle Eight/Turn to Black (7" and 12") (Probe Plus) (March 1982)
• Rich Men Don't/Low Profile (7") (Kiteland LUST 122) (October 1982)
• Piggie in the Middle Eight/I Wouldn't Want to Knock It (7") (France:Philips 811442-7) (March 1983)
• Your Eyes (7") (France: Carrere CAR279) (May 1983)
• Low Profile/Rich Men Don't (7") (Kiteland LUST 123) (April 1983)
• I Wouldn't Want To Knock It/Up In Smoke/In Da Papers (7" and 12") (Kiteland CUSTY 124) (August 1983)
• Caress Me Like a Flower/Say Something Good (7" and 12") (TEN Records 18/18-16) (February 1984)
• Golden Age/Soho (7") (TEN Records 39/39-12) (November 1984)
• You Hurt Me Deep Inside/Piggie in the Middle Eight/Low Profile (7" and 12") (TEN Records 44/44-12) (March 1985)
• Living for the City/All I Want is Everything/How Could You Be So Low/Giving Up the Acid/England is Another Cuba (7" and 12") (March 1986)
• The Look Out Is Out (7") (Carrere) (1986)

Albums

• Outch (1983) (France: Philips 810482-1)

Tracklist

1. Heart of Fire
2. Rich Men Don't
3. Wouldn't Want To Knock It
4. Sankapou
5. Falling
6. Piggie In The Middle Eight
7. Who Are You To Cry?
8. Soho
9. This Is Not The Time
10. Up In Smoke
11. Say Something Good

Compilation appearances

• This is Not the Time (included on Crackin' Up at the Pyramid compilation) (May 1982)
• Get it Together/Your Eyes/Silver Man (included on La Boum 2 Soundtrack LP) (France:Philips, Germany:Carrere 6.26431)
• Piggie in the Middle Eight (new version) (Jobs for the Boys compilation (Natalie Records) (January 1985)

English musical groups | Music from Liverpool | Cook da Books | Cook da Books