British post-punk band, Pigbag, were formed in Cheltenham in late 1980 by Chris Hamlin. The group initially consisted of multi-instrumentalist Roger Freeman, trumpet player Chris Lee, and guitarist James Johnstone, with Andrew "Chip" Carpenter on drums and Mark Smith on bass joining later. Their first single, the instrumental "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag", was released in 1981 on Y Records and became an underground dance hit. The band signed to Stiff Records and saw mainstream success when they re-released "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag", which peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album, Dr Heckle and Mr Jive, reached the Top 20 of the UK Album Chart in March 1982. Notable singles from this period include "Sunny Day" and "Getting Up". The band toured extensively, including performances in the US and Europe and made appearances on Top of the Pops. Their final single "The Big Bean", released in 1982, reached number 40 on the UK Singles Chart. After Hamlin left due to internal tensions and Freeman departed before a TV appearance, Pigbag disbanded in mid-1983.
