Babybird

Babybird was essentially Stephen Jones — a Sheffield songwriter who had recorded over four hundred songs on a four-track recorder before signing to Echo Records in 1996. The sheer volume of material was extraordinary, and the quality was consistently high. Jones's sardonic, witty lyrics and his melodic invention gave Babybird a quality that was immediately distinctive.

'You're Gorgeous' (1996) was the breakthrough — a song of extraordinary sardonic wit that reached number three in the UK charts. The lyrics — about a photographer exploiting a model — were simultaneously catchy and deeply uncomfortable. 'Ugly Beautiful' (1996) was the debut album, and it showed the range of Jones's songwriting.

Babybird have continued to record and perform, Jones's prolific output never diminishing. His later work has been more experimental and less commercially successful, but the quality of the songwriting has remained consistently high. He remains one of the most underrated British songwriters of his generation.