Captain Sensible
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Captain Sensible (born Raymond Burns, 24 April, 1954) is a singer and guitarist (and sometimes bassist) who grew up in Croydon, England, and founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image. His signature headwear is a red beret.
Early life
He was born Raymond Burns on April 24th, 1954 in Balham, London, England. Currently living in Hassocks, West Sussex.
The Damned
Sensible joined The Damned in 1976 on the suggestion of his work colleague Rat Scabies, the band's drummer, filling a number of positions during his tenure (including bassist, lead guitarist and keyboardist), and eventually becoming the band's main songwriter following the departure of Brian James. He left in the 1980s to concentrate on solo projects, but rejoined in 1996 after Scabies left, and co-wrote Grave Disorder, the band's first new studio album for 12 years, in 2001. He continues to tour with the band today, and one of his trademark moves on stage is playing guitar with an empty beer can.
Solo career
Sensible had a UK number one hit in 1982 with a cover of "Happy Talk", the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein song from South Pacific, featuring backing by Dolly Mixture; this was later sampled for rap artist Dizzee Rascal's 2004 version of the same song. Other hits include "Wot?", "One Christmas Catalogue" and "Glad It's All Over". He has also toured with his solo band Punk Floyd.
His recording of "The Snooker Song" from Mike Batt's musical The Hunting Of The Snark was used as the theme music for the BBC gameshow Big Break, and he also wrote and performed a song called "Brain's Theme" for the movie Skinned Deep in 2004.
Captain Sensible is also a member of Dead Men Walking, a supergroup featuring Mike Peters (The Alarm), Kirk Brandon (Spear of Destiny) and Slim Jim (Stray Cats).
Studio albums
- Women and Captains First (1982)
- The Power of Love (1984)
- Revolution Now (1989)
- The Universe of Geoffrey Brown (1993)
- Live at the Milkyway (1994)
- Meathead (1995)
- Mad Cows and Englishmen (1997)
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (June 2007) |
In a TV interview he mentioned that he got his ideas for songs by recording the music from advertisements, playing it backwards, then learning those reversed themes.
Sensible is also the leader of the Blah! Party, an avowed "protest party" that aims "to give all politicians a kick up the jacksie" and which has recently entered into a sponsorship deal with Seabrook Crisps.[1] The party bears more than a passing resemblance to the Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Sensible was a friend of Sutch - but with the serious edge of the defunct Raving Loony Green Giant Party. Indeed, the OMRLP's deputy leader Melodie "Boney Maroney" Staniforth defected to them in July 2007. Sensible had previously been a member of the Green Party of England and Wales.