by Bill Pearis
Mick Lynch (center) with Stump
Sad to learn that Mick Lynch, the Tin Tin-haired frontman of quirky ’80s band Stump, has passed away. The band announced the sad news today via their Facebook page and no other details have been shared.
The British band (Lynch was Irish) were unlike just about any other band at the time, drawing influence from Zappa and Beefhart and were generally kind of strange. (John Peel loved them.) That didn’t stop them from having a minor hit with 1988 single “Charlton Heston” that was about the making of The 10 Commandments and featured a nagging central hook made up of frog samples. That was from their album A Fierce Pancake which also featured the single “Buffalo” (also found on the classic C-86 compilation) with its memorable shouted chorus of “How much is the fish? How much is the chips?” You can watch videos for both below.
Rest in peace, Mick. You were an original and will be missed.
—