Nick Heyward and Les Nemes had been in several bands together since They gigged under the names Rugby, Boat Party, and Captain Pennyworth, [ 3 ] but did not release any music.
During a meeting brainstorming band name ideas, Heyward suggested Haircut One Hundred and because it was the one "that made us laugh the most" [ 5 ] they kept it. The three were joined by drummer Patrick Hunt. Managed by Karl Adams, the band recorded some demos.
Phil Smith played saxophone on the sessions and he joined the group, followed by percussionist Marc Fox. The group played some live dates and were signed by Arista Records in Pelican West was released in February, reaching No.
In late , tensions began arising within the band as they struggled to record new material, which was hindered when Heyward refused to attend recording sessions. Eventually, in January , the band's forthcoming single, " Whistle Down the Wind ", was postponed and a statement was issued confirming that the band and Heyward were parting company. The band left Arista and signed with Polydor Records , and released a single called "Prime Time" which spent 5 weeks inside the Top 75 but failed to get any higher than number Further singles by this line-up, such as "So Tired", [ 10 ] failed to reach the UK top 40 and their follow-up album, Paint and Paint failed to chart.
The band split up soon after. Heyward, however, had embarked on a successful solo career in , and scored several chart hits including the aforementioned song "Whistle Down the Wind", which was his first solo release in March and a top 10 album, North of a Miracle. There were no further appearances from the band until five years later in , when they rekindled their friendship via Facebook, and Heyward invited the rest of the band to perform at one of his solo gigs.
