HISTORY: noun: a record or account of past events and developments. Some Gene history: Gene formed midway through 1993 in London, England. Costermonger Records released their debut single, and double A-side featuring "For The Dead" and "Child's Body", in May 1994. The second single, a triple A-side featuring "Be My Light, Be My Guide", "This Is Not My Crime", and "I Can't Help Myself" was released in August. The temptation to follow this up with a format redefining sextuple A-side was tempered and single number three, "Sleep Well Tonight", was released at the end of October. It was the band's first Top 40 hit. Throughout this period Gene did as rock bands do and played gigs. Spiritually at least, everyone was at Wembley Stadium.

Gene began 1995 by winning an NME Brat Award for Best New Band. They ended 1995 by getting ready to make a second album. Somewhere in the middle they played the Glastonbury Festival, where Martin fell on his bottom. Undaunted, they rocked. Somewhere in between The Brat Awards and Glastonbury they released their first album "Olympian". Many bought it and were rightly charmed. Somewhere in between Glastonbury and getting ready to make their second album, Gene did a world tour, released their biggest hit single to date, "Olympian", and recorded a stunning session for John Peel. It featured four new songs: "Fighting Fit", "Speak To Me Someone", "Save Me, I'm Yours", and "Drawn To The Deep End".

Gene began 1996 by getting on Top Of The Pops with a new version of their first single. Nice Work. "For The Dead" reached Number 14 in the national pop chart. Meanwhile, writing and recording proceeded at a frenzied pace in collaboration with producer Chris Hughes, interspersed with personal appearances at such illustrious festivals as Phoenix and Reading. On October 21st, a new single "Fighting Fit" was released on new label Polydor. Soon after, Gene announced their new album would be released February 1997 and they would begin the month of March by playing London's Royal Albert Hall.

"I can bring you solace on the bureau in my office ..." (New Amusements)
The news Gene album is saucy.

"You said I should stop trying to call you, you've had it up to here ..." (Where Are They Now?)
The new Gene album is emotionally fraught.

"Our love it will shatter all, take me on and we will conquer ..." (Fighting Fit)
The new Gene album is exultant.

"Never alive, 'til late 25 ..." (Why I Was Born)
The new Gene album is naked. (As opposed to nude.)

"When darkness folds across this old sky, then I'll open up for you that night ..." (Speak To Me Someone)
The new Gene album is poetic.

"So sorry to trouble you, but this room is like a jail ..." (Save Me, I'm Yours)
The new Gene album has moments of mordant wit.

"We all like a drink, but he deserved it ..." (The Accidental)
As well as its sinister aspects.

"It's time to tell my friend I love them ..." (We Could Be Kings)
Not forgetting its affirmatory expressions of some universal truths.

"I love you -- what are you?" (I Love You, What Are You)
But over and above everything else the new Gene album has a song called "I Love you, What Are You?". Never Forget this.

To reiterate: the band is Gene. The album is "Drawn To The Deep End". The name of the game is to stoke your life with attitude, soul and integrity. Let's see what Martin Rossiter reckons.

"I'd rather be calling it a day if I didn't think we'd grown as a band. Making another "Olympian" would have been fatuous and pointless exercise. It would have bored the living hell out of us. We had to do something more. We always said that we would as well, because we say the potential and we say what we were capable of. I think we're more vigorous as people now and we're generally stronger. We're prepared to fall flat on our face. And I think in a way, because we are it mean we're less likely to."

"Drawn To The Deep End" by Gene. A spaghetti classic.