Wide awake with "the fourth best band in Hull"

One of the hallmarks of my recent illness has been an inability to secure a good night's sleep. That's one of the reasons why I am listening to THE HOUSEMARTINS before the sun comes up on a Sunday.
Of course, another reason is because The Housemartins were such a great band. Self-dubbed "THE FOURTH BEST BAND IN HULL," the four-piece enjoyed a run of seven U.K. top 40 hits between 1986 and 1988, including the Christmas number one "Caravan of Love," before they broke up.
PAUL HEATON could sound angelic, even when raging against inequality in his political lyrics. Heaton and drummer Dave Hemingway formed the musically similar BEAUTIFUL SOUTH when the Housemartins disbanded after only two albums.
Bassist NORMAN COOK has had the more divergent career path, gaining much more fame as FATBOY SLIM.
The Housemartins probably rivaled The Smiths for the catchiest songs of the late 80s. Listening to them before the sun comes up isn't all bad -- I just wish I had gotten more sleep.
"You can put it down to lack of patience, you can put it down to lack of sleep, but it's in my head to stay in bed, tucked under the sheets."
Oh yeah -- the three Hull bands reportedly "better" than The Housemartins were the Red Guitars, Everything But The Girl (or 3-Action, depending upon who told the story) and The Gargoyles.