Spike reunites with The Quireboys co-founder Guy Bailey and they start new album

Spike has reunited with The Quireboys’ co-founder Guy Bailey and the pair are writing a new album together which they say they will release under The Quireboys name.

Guitarist Guy Bailey formed The Quireboys alongside singer Spike in 1984 and they co-wrote many of the band’s signature tunes including ‘Hey You’, ‘7 o’clock’, ‘I Don't Love You Anymore’ and ‘There She Goes Again’ from their hit debut album ‘A Bit of What You Fancy.’

After The Quireboys split in 1993, Bailey was part of the band’s brief reunion in 1995 but didn’t rejoin their ranks when they reformed permanently in 2001.

In a post on social media last night (10th May), Spike announced that the “original Quireboys are back” and he and Bailey are “writing their first new Quireboys album together for the first time in over 30 years.”

The reunion comes a month-and-a-half after The Quireboys announced they had parted ways with Spike, prompting the singer to claim in response that he was fired via a letter signed by three band members.

The Quireboys issued a sizable statement on 5th April insisting the decision to axe Spike was "the culmination of not just months but years of persistent problems.”

Amongst other things, they also claimed he sang on a freelance basis after declining to sign up for their registered business, and they also cited issues caused by Spike’s solo show booking clashes and several no-shows at live gigs.

Hitting back, Spike said in his own statement a few hours later that many of the points made were “untrue, misleading and somewhat dismissive”, he accused his former band mates of trying to “re-cast events” and he vowed to continue The Quireboys name.

Last night’s statement reiterated Spike’s ambition to press ahead with performing as The Quireboys, and reads: “Spike has always maintained he has never, and would never, leave the band he founded, a band he fronts and has created the intellectual property for.

“The Quireboys is a band that has gone through various line-up changes over the years, with Spike being the only consistent, original member.”

Spike and Guy Bailey also issued their own statements, with Spike’s saying: "This week I met up with life-long friend and band co-founder Guy Bailey. We've started writing new Quireboys songs together - and the magic is still there. We've always written so well as a double-act, we write quickly and there's natural chemistry."

"There's also a collection of unfinished and unreleased early Quireboys songs that I wrote many years ago, many with Guy Bailey, around the time of recording 'A Bit of What You Fancy.' These songs have never seen the light of day but we're going to finish those as well."

"Looking back, the benchmark Quireboys songs were written by Guy Bailey and myself. Our session this week took me back to our early days sharing a flat together in London in the 80's, where we'd spend the evenings playing acoustic guitars together in the front room. Hey You, 7 O'clock, I Don't Love You Anymore - that's where all those key Quireboys songs came from; Guy Bailey and I bouncing ideas off each other, writing chords and lyrics together as we played the acoustics. It's really been great to go full circle, back to the beginnings of what has defined the Quireboys story."

Guy Bailey added: “Events of recent weeks have shocked me. For members of Spike’s band to think they can sack him in a two-line statement and then elect themselves to use his band’s name as their own beggars belief. Spike and I wrote all the original Quireboys songs - and when I decided I didn’t want to tread the boards anymore, I gave Spike my blessing to take the band forward as his own. The thing with the original band is it never really broke up. Whilst we have gone off and done different things, we have always stayed in touch as great friends - and it may now be time to get the gang back together again. These new songs mark the return of the original and only Quireboys.”

Spike finished: "The three former band members that split with me were each written to three weeks ago, setting out that they did not create the intellectual property in the Quireboys name, their Limited Company is not called The Quireboys, they should not present themselves as the Quireboys. I have received no reply but have clearly laid out the position. As such, I will continue with the Quireboys. I've never had any intention of doing otherwise. I never left the band."

"I have been moved by the enormous show of support from fans, venues, media, promoters and fellow musicians in the last month. To all those fans that have requested ticket refunds in recent weeks, rest assured - new Quireboys music is coming everybody and I'll be back with my band, The Quireboys. New music, a new album and new shows from a new Quireboys line-up - and you'll probably recognise a few of the faces."

"Together, let's keep it positive as we keep rock n roll alive."

"See you at the bar, God bless, Spike"

The real names of famous rock stars, including Spike:

Listen to Planet Rock on DAB nationwide, on our Rayo app, online or via your smart speaker (“Play Planet Rock”).

• the quireboys