Five UK Top 40 entries in 1996

With five UK Top 40 entries in 1996, Shed Seven had more hit singles than any other act that year, the high point coming with the release of their seventh single, “Going For Gold”, which entered the UK chart at number 8 on 17 March and remains their biggest chart hit to date. A sold-out thirteen-date Autumn tour followed, including their debut at the York Barbican . The definitive band line-up released 3 studio albums— Change Giver (1994), A Maximum High (1996) and Let It Ride (1998)—along with a greatest hits compilation, Going For Gold (1999). The release of the latter was forced upon the band by their record company, Polydor, after Let It Ride failed to match the album sales of its predecessor, which sold 250,000 copies in Britain alone. Despite the band’s reservations about issuing such a compilation so soon in their career, the album went on to sell 130,000 copies and featured brand new material in “Disco Down” and “High Hopes”, both intended to be issued as singles. “Disco Down” went on to become the last Banks-era hit for the band, peaking at number 13, whilst “High Hopes” was sidelined by Polydor in favour of a proposed re-release of the previous single, “Going For Gold”. However, the band refused to comply, leading to Shed Seven and Polydor Records parting company in late 1999;