THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

764-Stereophonics-Local Boy in the Photograph.

1997-Number 51 single. When it was re-issued later that year it peaked at Number 14.

Best Bit-At 1.28. Stereophonics are a Welsh band from the village of Cwmaman, as far as I am aware they are ‘the only band in the village.’

The Stereophonics (see also best songs 38) were formed in Cwmaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, in 1992, by Kelly Jones, (lead vocals, lead guitar, and keyboards) Stuart Cable, (1970-2010) (drums) and Richard Jones, who was not related to Kelly Jones (bass guitar.) Kelly Jones and Stuart Cable had lived on the same street as children, and had also played in other local groups together previous to forming the Stereophonics, while Richard Jones had also grown up in Cwmaman. Prior to becoming ‘Stereophonics’ the trio called themselves the ‘Tragic Love Company,’ a name inspired by their favourite bands, the ‘Tragically Hip,’ ‘Mother Love Bone,’ and ‘Bad Company.’ In 1996 they signed with the ‘V2’ record label, who insisted on a name change before they would allow them to release any music. The name ‘Stereophonics’ was chosen after Stuart Cable read the manufacturer name of a gramophone, ‘Falcon Stereophonic,’ the trio decided on ‘The Stereophonics,’ which was soon shortened to just ‘Stereophonics.’

In 2003 Stuart Cable was sacked by the Stereophonics, with the official statement saying that ‘he had other commitments he wanted to pursue,’ but there were also personal problems. Cable had been spending less time with the band, having been given his own television chat show ‘Cable TV,’ with ‘BBC Wales,’ and the other band members felt that he was spending too much time on his new media career at the expense of rehearsals. Cable was also going through a divorce, and in his autobiography he stated that ‘he had been a hard drinker and drug user, particularly whisky and cocaine.’ On June 7th, 2010, he was found dead at his home. On the previous two days he had began drinking, and the coroners report concluded that he had choked to death on his own vomit in his sleep, he was 40 years old. In 2004 Cable had been replaced in the band by Javier Weyler on drums, and he remained a member until 2012, when Jamie Morrison took over. Adam Zindani joined the band as a guitarist in 2007, and at the time of writing the group remain active as a quartet.

The lyrics to ‘Local Boy in the Photograph’ were written by Kelly Jones, with the music credited to all three band members at that time, with the production being by the New Zealand music producers Steve Bush, and Marshall Bird, that duo would also go on to produce the Stereophonics second studio Album ‘Performance and Cocktails,’ in 1999. ‘Local Boy in the Photograph’ was released in March 1997 as the second of five singles from the Stereophonics debut studio Album ‘Word Gets Around,’ from August 1997, and after only reaching Number 51, it was re-released in August 1997, and this time reached Number 14 in early 1998. All of the lyrics to all 12 tracks on ‘Word Gets Around’ were written by Kelly Jones about everyday life in Cwmaman, the band’s hometown. The deluxe, and super-deluxe editions of the Album were released in October 2010, with the name of the Album being taken from lyrics in the album’s last song, ‘Billy Davey’s Daughter.’

‘Local Boy in the Photograph’ originated from a newspaper article about a boy from Flint in North Wales, who committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. Kelly Jones who had known the boy has said,’I used to play county football, and there was a kid that used to play right back. I got to know him pretty well, he was a good looking kid who had it all. A few years later we found out he jumped in front of a train. There was a picture of him in the local paper, it was a picture of him smoking a joint, actually. That’s the picture they used, and he was the local boy in the photograph. I’d never known anybody our age to do that, to end his life. It was more about celebrating his life than his death, really, about the kid sitting on the bench drinking, with the imagery of the seasons and the clock going back, and I think that descriptive writing is what people would stop and listen to.’ Kelly Jones has also said,’When I wrote ‘Local Boy In The Photograph’ sitting on my bedroom floor when I was 18 years old, I didn’t imagine I’d have 50,000 people singing it back to me.’

‘A pebble beach, we’re underneath a pier, just been painted red, where I hear the news for the first time. And all the friends lay down the flowers, sit on the banks and drink for hours. Talk of the way they saw him last, local boy in the photograph. He’ll always be twenty three, yet the train runs on and on.’