The Verve was a British rock band founded in Manchester, England in 1989 by Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones, and Peter Salisbury.  The bandmates met when they were all students at Winstanley Sixth Form College.  They were quite popular for their avant-garde approach to their music.

In 1991, they were signed by Hut Records and in 1992 had their first single releases: “All in the Mind”, “She’s a Superstar”, and the Gravity Grave EP (Verve EP in the U.S.).  These songs were hits and the band’s success mounted.

The Verve released their first full-length album, A Storm in Heaven, in 1993 to critical acclaim, but reached only #27 on the UK album chart.  Their 1994 tour included a spot in the U.S. festival, Lollapalooza.  However, the tour took a sour turn when Ashcroft was hospitalized for dehydration due to an Ecstasy overdose.  In addition, Salisbury was arrested for trashing a Kansas hotel room.

This turmoil followed the band into the recording of their second album in 1995, A Northern Soul.  Sessions started well, but the strained relationship between Ashcroft and McCabe and the continual drug use took its toll.  While this album took turns into soulful ballads, a break from their psychedelic rock sounds, it reached #13 on the UK charts.  However, Ashcroft broke up the band three months after the album’s release.  When he regrouped a few weeks later, McCabe refused to come back, so The Verve brought in an old school friend, Simon Tong, on guitar.

In 1997, the group started work on their third album, and McCabe even came back for a few sessions.  Although, drug-induced, the album was more spiritual, and Urban Hymns gave The Verve their first widespread success, including breaking into the United States music scene.  It reached #1 on the UK charts and #23 on the U.S. charts.

Their lead single from the album, “Bitter Sweet Symphony” was a huge success, but controversy would surround it and The Verve would end up making no money from it.  The Rolling Stones sued and won songwriting credit due to an infringement of the Stones’ song “The Last Time.”  When the Stones’ agreed to let the song be used in a Nike commercial and in the movie, Cruel Intentions, The Verve sued for moral rights to prohibit any more commercial use.

“The Drugs Don’t Work” was the follow-up single and proved to be a success in both the UK and the States, going platinum.  However, while the band was touring, Simon Jones collapsed on stage.  After a successful homecoming show in Aspull, Wigan, McCabe again left the band.  Ashcroft tried to keep the band together for additional recording sessions, but in 1999, the band split up.

Members of the band went on to form other groups and join other musical artists.  Ashcroft worked on a solo career and released his debut single in 2000, “A Song for the Lovers” which made it to #3.  He released three solo albums and performed with Coldplay in London at the Live 8 concert in 2005.

In 2007, the original members of The Verve reunited for a world tour and working on a new album for release in 2008.  While the tour was kept to a small number for fear of fan loss, the shows sold out in a matter of minutes.  The Verve agreed to another small number of venues to perform.

The Verve, despite their drug use and health issues, is known as one of the most influential British alternative rock bands.