Harriet Wheeler has been out of the public eye for quite some time now, but that doesn’t mean she’s not missed. It’s been over 10 years since their last album (wow!) yet I get more emails and comments about Harriet Wheeler and the Sundays than anyone else. If you’re ever feeling reminiscent, youtube has a great collection of Sundays interviews and videos, including their video for Summertime! While you’re here though, why not leave some comments about Harriet and the Sundays! Out of respect for Harriet and her family, please do not post any information on her place of employment! Any comments that do will be removed.
Image Gallery
Below are just a few pictures of Harriet Wheeler from various videos and TV appearances. More are available at the Sirens of Song photostream on flickr.
-
- Harriet Wheeler (the Sundays) – Summertime
-
- Harriet Wheeler (the Sundays) – In Concert
-
- Harriet Wheeler (the Sundays) – Goodbye
-
- Harriet Wheeler (the Sundays) – Love
-
- Harriet Wheeler (the Sundays) – MTV Europe
Concert Review
9:30 Club (Washington, DC – 12/3/97)
December 3rd, 1997 will go down as one of the best days of my life. I finally saw the Sundays in concert and they were awesome! Harriet hit every note. They performed about 17 songs (this is from memory…I wasn’t able to get my hands on a set list) including the 3 encores. Here they are in no particular order. If anyone does have the set list from the D.C. show please inform me of my errors.
Summertime
Homeward
She
What Do You Think
When I’m Thinking About You
Here’s Where The Story Ends
Can’t Be Sure
Joy
Medicine
Another Flavour
Hideous Towns
Monochrome
My Finest Hour
Goodbye
I Kicked A Boy
Turkish*
Cry
*clip from a Vancouver performance (3/15/93), not the D.C. show
The best part was that I met Harriet! After the show, I started walking to my car and noticed 3 or 4 people hanging around out front where the tour bus was so, I decided to stick around too. One of the tour members knew what was going on so he stressed to us several times that if we just stayed calm and didn’t act like maniacs they’d probably sign autographs and pose for photos.
To make a long story short, about an hour later it finally happened. They walked right out the front door and signed autographs and posed for pictures. (By this time there was a small crowd of about 20 people.) Both Harriet and David were very nice and down to earth. They were making conversation with everyone and were more than happy to sign everything and anything that was handed to them. They must have stood outside in the cold and drizzle for at least 30 minutes. I am quite happy to say I was able to get an autograph and even pose for a picture with them. Even after I got a pic with them I stuck around a while and took about 7 more pics. Of course it goes without saying I ran to the one hour photo shop the next day and got reprints in every size…5×7, 8×10, and 24×36. (Ok, I didn’t go for the poster size). All in all, it was a night I’ll never forget! More photos from the night are available at the Sirens of Song photostream on flickr.
Albums/Singles
This IS NOT a complete discography. This only represents what I own.
 Static And Silence (1997)
1. Summertime |
 Blind (1992)
1. I Feel |
 Reading Writing and Arithmetic (1990)
1. Skin & Bones |
 Summertime CD-1 (1997)
1. Summertime |
 Summertime CD-2 (1997)
1. Summertime |
 Cry CD-1 (1997)
1. Cry |
 Cry CD-2 (1997)
1. Cry |
 The Black Session (1993)
1. My Finest Hour – live |
 Can’t Be Sure (1990)
1. Can’t Be Sure |
 Goodbye (1992)
1. Goodbye |
Like everyone else, I still check every six months or so, just in case The Sundays decide to reform!
One of the best bands of the 90s. I know everyone seems to prefer Blind and Reading, but my God, Static and Silence is beyond amazing. It just kills me that they just dropped out of the music business after releasing such a top-notch record. I am so very jealous of all you fans who got to see them live. I’m sure they were wonderful in concert. Harriet and David, please think about producing some new music for your ocean of fans; you have talents that many musicians dream of having, please consider sharing it with us again soon! In the meantime, thank you for giving us three wonderful albums to enjoy! Peace!
I saw the Sundays at the very tiny Palace in Los Angeles. They had just released their second album and I was so exited to see them. Like all your comments above, Harriet was completely flawless and her husband was able to pull off a very convincing single guitar version of his multi-layer sound…so good that I didn’t miss that lushness so evident on the albums. A high compliment can be made to Harriet because Joni Mitchell was in the crowd, anxious, just like the rest of us, to hear Harriet’s beautiful voice.
I’m an old-timer and there are tons of bands I’d wish would reunite…but really none more than The Sundays…another album PLEASE!!!!
Hmmm,
It’s all a bit strange this.
The Sundays wrote and performed utterly bewitching songs. The heady mix of such a beautiful voice coupled with quirky, sparkling guitar was bound to intoxicate some of us.
I still listen to the Sundays, and I still remember seeing them live as if it were yesterday.
However, I don’t particularly want a photo of Harriet – much less a pastie. I would love to have an in-depth correspondence with the band – how did you write Medicine and 24 Hours? Given that a prophet is not without worth, except in his own land, can you appreciate the brilliance of your own music, or would that be too incestuous/pompous?
Truth is, I could say nothing interesting to say to the Sundays other than – I really like your music.
They shouldn’t release anything new, unless they have a desperate need to share some new ideas. A tour would be nice, but we’d all be asking, “When are you going to tour again?”
Let’s just appreciate what they’ve given us.
Btw, Grace, ask them why they don’t release “Something More/Wrong”. It was brilliant live. Just a few hours in the studio… it wouldn’t take long.
Sorry, I got carried away
Well, I was hoping for a RW&A 20 year retrospective this year (or at least a remastered album) but seeing that it is now mid November I’m guessing no….
My story:
Dec 5, 1997 will always be one of the best days of my life! I saw The Sundays in Atlanta at Variety Playhouse (sold out btw) and was in awe. What’s more, after the show the band came from backstage and chatted with fans for at least an hour. Dave & Harriet had a beer apiece, joked about their fav American sitcom The Simpsons and smiled in delight (much to my horror & embarrassment!!!) of my Southern dialect and usage of the word “y’all” as in “y’all try not to stay away so long this time okay?” Paul and Patch were friendly too and chuckled at the 5 year old pics of themselves inside the gatefold sleeve of my “Love” cd single which they happily autographed. When it was time for them to go they excused themselves politely as if they were leaving a birthday party that a friend of a friend had invited them to last minute.
A true class act. This is how I will always remember them.
Well I have to agree and say that Harriets voice is just melodic and beautiful…mixed with the guitar rifts it’s just so perfect. People (rightly) talk of Eva Cassidys voice but Harriets is just as sweet…maybe better…yes better!
I’d love them to record some new songs and tour, that would be fantastic!
Harriet’s voice just takes you somewhere else…all worries forgotten!
Please, if you ever read this…record new material, get some dates sorted and let me know!
So much become favorite song of my best friend, but i still loving goodbye!!
what would be your perfect set list????
Have seen hundreds of bands, but never The Sundays. Hope I’ll ever get to hear Harriet’s voice live. That woman can sing!
Hi,
we are trying to encourage The Sundays to tour again. Could you please join our group
http://www.facebook.com/kgudgin#!/pages/The-Sundays-to-tour-again/166582203368047
I always listen to music while I work.
Right now I’ve had my Sundays-only playlist on permanent loop for a few days. I’m starting to think that maybe The Sundays were the best band not just of the 90′s but of all time. I honestly never tire of the sound of Harriet’s voice. Just perfection. Great guitar too.
A few days ago I stumbled across a site like this that listed every Sundays track and I hunted down those obscure B-sides. I can’t quite explain it, but for me it’s as though they’ve just released a new mini-album. I’d never heard ‘Nothing Sweet’ or ‘Gone’ before last week, and right now I reckon ‘So Much’ is one of their best-ever tracks.
I don’t know if they ever check this page to see what’s being written about them, but anyway – Harriet & David – THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC.
We’re expecting a baby in the New Year and if it’s a girl I’d love to call her Harriet. Or at least I would if we didn’t already have a little boy called Harry.
I really love the Sundays. I’ve been a casual fan since Here’s where the story ends. I admit I wish they would release something new, but I’ll be satisfied with what I have forever if need be. Love from Memphis, TN.
Do you want to hear a new song written by Harriet and David!
Alas it’s not a real Sundays song, David is long time friend of David Baddiel who asked Harriet and David to write some 80s style songs for the movie titled ‘The Infidel’, Baddiel is the author of this movie that came out this year.
Click on the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbyOT1OAwRc
I really miss this group. I bought the last album in ’97 and listened to it just about every night for a couple weeks driving to a job working midnights in Detroit (a little souvenir of a terrible year). I’m now in my mid-50′s and Harriet’s voice can make the past 20 years melt away in an instant. Doesn’t appear that they’re ever coming back, but what they left is head and shoulders above most of what’s out there today.
I forget the link
http://www.youtube.com/user/AfanofTheSundays
Hello Luis E and all you Sundays fans come to my youtube channel many live videos and audio recordings. And if you leave a comment on my channel page THE COMMENT MUST BE ABOUT THE SUNDAYS! (not about my channel), and subscribe, I will send you a download link for a very good audio live recording of a Sundays concert!
THE SUNDAYS its my favorite band by far, love her voice ans her eyes…
nobody cant sing like her, hope she will come back
hello there! does anybody have Live concerts of them?? i got a few! but too few its never enough, i really really want “mayan theater” concert, or concerts about 92.
every once in a while I’ll get this ‘urge’ to play The Sundays, get addicted, play their music to death, then get tired due to their smallish catalogue, forget about them, and one day I’ll hear their music on a TV show, movie, a mention from someone, or just an remembered association—out comes the CD’s and and the cycle repeats
They really were great. What pleasure they have brought me over the years.
I actually think so too=] I have been surfing around the internet for some time today, and its kinda hard to find anything interesting to read on blogs:P Maybe its because there are too much of those around =) But your place actually keeps catching my attention. Great stories, and kawai design ^__^. Ill be sure to give it more time from now on =)
Absolutley love the Sundays, where are you ?
I’m not going to shrug my shoulders and suck my thumb !
Magic ! Thankyou so much or your amazing music
Ken
Liverpool, UK
Saw them on their first album tour at the Barrymore in Madison, WI. After the opening band left the stage, many people moved up to the front. When the Sundays came out, they played their first song and then she rushed off stage. When she came back out she admitted that it surprised her a bit that we (the audience) would give that kind of reception to them, but said thanks. They played every song from their album and since they were still working on new material, they played one song they were working on, and repeated a few others. They sounded soooooo good live!