The Lightning Seeds is a band which essentially consists of one person - writer, singer and guitarist Ian Broudie (born August 4 1958, Liverpool).
Broudie devised the act as the 'perfect pop project' and the Lightning Seeds broke through in 1989 with a simpery, psychedelic hit called Pure which made the UK Top 20.
In the 1990s, the act would become one of the most popular and enterprising acts of the era. The 1995 album Jollification was a critical masterpiece, spawning several timeless singles, including Lucky You, Change, Marvellous and Perfect. Its cover was also memorable - it was dominated by an enormous strawberry.
In 1996, the Lightning Seeds provided the music and production for the official England anthem for the Euro 96 football tournament. The lyrics were written and sung by comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel and the song, Three Lions, went straight in at Number 1.
The Lightning Seeds maintained its popularity, enjoying three more UK Top 20 hits, including a version of You Showed Me, which become the act's biggest hit in its own right. In 1998, though the Football Association decided not to endorse it this time, a re-make of their football anthem was cut for the World Cup in France, featuring re-written lyrics, and again it went to Number 1, easily outstripping the official England anthem of that tournament. It became the first song ever to top the charts on two separate occasions with different sets of lyrics.
Since the end of the 1990s, the act has taken a back seat as Broudie has concentrated on producing other people's work. In 2004, Broudie will release an CD called Tales Told his first work since 1999. The album is expected mid October.