| Belle &
Sebastian |
Belle
& Sebastian performing at the 9:30 Club in Washington,
D.C.
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genre(s) |
Indie Pop
Jangle
Pop
Baroque
Pop |
| Years active |
1996 - present |
| Label(s) |
Rough
Trade (UK, 2002–present)
Jeepster (UK, 1996–2002)
Matador (US) |
Associated
acts |
Looper
The Gentle Waves
The Reindeer Section
V-Twin
The Moondials |
| Website |
belleandsebastian.com |
| Members |
Stuart Murdoch
Stevie Jackson
Chris
Geddes
Sarah Martin
Mick
Cooke
Bobby
Kildea
Richard Colburn |
| Former members |
Isobel
Campbell
Stuart
David |
Belle & Sebastian are an indie pop
band formed in Glasgow,
Scotland
in January 1996.
Belle & Sebastian have much in common with influential indie
bands such as The Smiths and Felt,
and have more recently taken in the influences of northern
soul and funk.
After releasing a number of albums and EPs on Jeepster
Records, they are now signed to Rough
Trade Records in the United Kingdom and Matador
Records in the United States.
|
Contents
- 1 Members
- 2 History
- 2.1 (1996-1997)
Formation and rise
- 2.2 (1998-2002)
Continued success on Jeepster
- 2.3 (2003-present)
Rough Trade
- 3 Side
projects
- 4 Discography
- 4.1 Albums
- 4.2 Singles
& EPs
- 4.3 Compilations
- 4.4 Miscellaneous
songs
- 4.5 DVDs
- 4.6 Books
- 5 In
popular culture
- 6 External
links
|
Members
The current members are:
- Stuart Murdoch:
1996–present (vocals, guitar and keyboards)
- Stevie Jackson: 1996–present (vocals
and guitar)
- Chris Geddes: 1996–present (keyboards)
- Richard Colburn: 1996–present (drums)
- Sarah Martin: 1997–present
(violin, keyboards, guitar, and vocals)
- Mick
Cooke: 1998–present (trumpet and bass)
- Bobby Kildea: 2001–present (guitar and
bass)
Past members:
- Isobel Campbell: 1996–2002
(vocals and cello)
- Stuart David: 1996–2000 (bass)
History
(1996-1997) Formation and rise
Belle & Sebastian were formed in Glasgow, January
1996, when Stuart Murdoch
met bassist Stuart David. Together they recorded
some demos with Stow College music professor Pilar Duplac, which were picked up by
the college's Music Business course which, every year, produces and
releases a single on the college's label, Electric Honey. As the band
had a number of songs already and the label were extremely impressed
with the demos, Belle & Sebastian (named after Belle
et Sébastien, a children's book by French
writer Cécile
Aubry) were allowed to record a full-length album: Tigermilk.
It was rumoured that "Belle" referred to Isobel (Campbell) and
"Sebastian" to Stuart (Murdoch), as they were a couple for several
years before Isobel left the band in 2002. However, Stuart Murdoch has
said this is untrue.
Tigermilk was recorded in three days and originally only one
thousand copies were pressed on vinyl. These original copies now sell
for up to £400. By this time, the band had expanded to feature Stevie
Jackson (guitar and vocals), Isobel Campbell
(cello/vocals), Chris Geddes (keys) and Richard
Colburn (drums).
After the success of the debut album, Belle &
Sebastian were signed to Jeepster Records in August 1996 and
If You're Feeling Sinister,
their second album, was released three months later.
Just before the recording of Sinister, Sarah Martin (violin/vocals)
joined the band. Following this, in 1997, a series of EPs were
released. The first of these was Dog
on Wheels, and it contained four demo tracks
recorded before the real formation of the band. In fact, the only
long-term band members to play on the songs were Murdoch, David, and
Mick Cooke, who played trumpet on the EP but would not officially join
the band until a few years later. It charted at a modest #59 in the UK
singles chart.
The Lazy Line Painter Jane
EP followed in July. The track was recorded in a church hall and
features vocals from Monica Queen, and narrowly missed out
of the UK top 40, peaking at #41. The last of the 1997 EPs was
October's 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light.
The EP was made Single of the Week in both the NME and Melody
Maker and reached #32 in the charts, thus becoming the band's first top
40 single.
(1998-2002) Continued success on
Jeepster
1998's The Boy with the Arab
Strap album followed, and reached #12 in the UK
charts. During the recording of the album long time studio
trumpet-player Mick Cooke was asked to join the band as
a full member. Shortly after the release of the album the band were
awarded with Best Newcomer (for their third album) at the BRIT
Awards, beating competition from Steps. The This Is Just a
Modern Rock Song EP followed.
In 1999, the band hosted their own festival, the Bowlie
Weekender. Tigermilk was also
given a full release by Jeepster before the band started
work on their next LP. The result was Fold
Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant,
which became the band's first top 10 album in the UK. A stand-alone
single, "Legal
Man", reached #15 and gave them their first appearance on Top
of the Pops.
Stuart David soon left the band to concentrate on his
side-project, Looper,
and his book writing, which included his The Idle Thoughts of
a Daydreamer. He was replaced by Bobby
Kildea of V-Twin.
The "Jonathan
David" single — sung by Stevie Jackson — was released in June 2001 and
was followed by "I'm Waking Up to Us" in
November. The latter appears to describe Murdoch's relationship and
breakup with Campbell, but Murdoch denied this in the sleeve notes to
2006's The Life Pursuit.
"I'm Waking Up to Us" saw the band use an outside producer (Mike
Hurst) for the first time. Most of 2002 was spent touring and recording
a soundtrack album, Storytelling
(for Storytelling
by Todd
Solondz). Isobel announced her departure from the band midway through
their 2002 North American tour.
(2003-present) Rough Trade
The band left Jeepster in 2002 and signed with Rough
Trade Records. B&S completed their album Dear Catastrophe Waitress
in 2003, produced by Trevor Horn. The album showed
a markedly more 'produced' sound compared to their first four LPs. A
documentary DVD, Fans Only, was
released by Jeepster in October 2003, featuring promotional videos,
live clips and unreleased footage. A single from Catastrophe
Waitress, "Step into My Office, Baby"
followed in November 2003 — it would be their first single/EP taken
from an album.
"I'm a Cuckoo" was the second single
from the album, and picked up more radio play than any previous single
or EP. It achieved their highest chart position yet, reaching #14 in
the UK. The Books EP
followed, a double A-side single lead by "Wrapped Up in Books" from Dear
Catastrophe Waitress and the new "Your Cover's Blown". This
EP became the band's third top 20 UK release and the band went on to be
nominated for both the Mercury Music Prize and an Ivor
Novello Award. In January 2005, B&S was voted Scotland's
greatest band in a poll by The List, beating Simple
Minds, Idlewild, Travis,
Franz Ferdinand,
and The Proclaimers, among
others.
In April 2005, members of the band visited Israel and the Palestinian territories with
the UK charity War on Want; the group subsequently
recorded a song inspired by the trip titled "The Eighth Station of the
Cross Kebab House", which would later be released as a B-side on 2006's
"Funny Little Frog" single. Push Barman to Open
Old Wounds, a compilation of the Jeepster
singles and EPs, was released in May 2005 while the band were recording
their seventh album in California. The result of the sessions was The
Life Pursuit, produced by Tony
Hoffer. The album became their band's highest charting release to date
upon its release in February 2006, peaking at #8 in the UK and #65 on
the US Billboard 200. "Funny
Little Frog", which preceded it, also proved to be their highest
charting single, reaching #13.
On July 6, 2006, the band played a historic show with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at
the Hollywood
Bowl. The opening act at this 18,000 seat sell-out concert was The Shins.
The members of the band see this as a landmark event, with Stevie
Jackson describing the gig as "the thrill of a lifetime".
In October 2006, members of the band helped put together a CD
collection of new songs for children titled Colours
Are Brighter, with the involvement of major
bands such as Franz Ferdinand and
The
Kooks. A more detailed video report from STV is available here.
The group has been planning to release a compilation of their
Radio One sessions that they had performed between 1996-2001.
Side projects
- The Gentle Waves (Isobel Campbell)
- Looper
(Stuart David)
- The Reindeer Section
(Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke and Bobby Kildea)
- V-Twin
(Bobby Kildea)
- The Moondials (Stevie Jackson)
Discography
Albums
- Tigermilk (1996)
- If You're Feeling Sinister
(1996)
- The Boy with the Arab
Strap (1998)
- Fold
Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (2000)
- Storytelling
(2002)
- Dear Catastrophe Waitress
(2003)
- The Life Pursuit
(2006)
Live Albums
- If
You're Feeling Sinister: Live at the Barbican
(2005)
Singles & EPs
- Dog on Wheels
(1997)
- Lazy Line Painter Jane
(1997)
- 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light
(1997)
- This Is Just a
Modern Rock Song (1998)
- "Legal
Man" (2000)
- "Jonathan David" (2001)
- "I'm Waking Up to Us" (2001)
- "Step into My Office, Baby"
(2003)
- "I'm a Cuckoo" (2004)
- Books (2004)
- "Cassaco Marron" (2006)
- "Funny Little Frog" (2006)
- "The Blues Are Still Blue"
(2006)
- "White Collar Boy" (2006)
Compilations
- Lazy Line Painter
Jane (boxset) (2000)
- Push Barman to Open
Old Wounds (2005)
- Late Night
Tales: Belle & Sebastian (2006)
Miscellaneous songs
- "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
(trad. cover) on the Xfm
charity compilation It's A Cool, Cool Christmas,
released November
20, 2000 on Jeepster
Records
- "Final Day" (Young
Marble Giants cover) on the Rough Trade 25th-anniversary
compilation Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before,
released September 23, 2003 on Rough
Trade Records
- "Poupée de cire, poupée
de son" (live Serge
Gainsbourg cover) on the Fans Only DVD,
released October
20, 2003 on Jeepster
Records
- "The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House"
on the War
Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life,
released September
9, 2005 on Independiente
Records
- "Cassaco Marron" (Trio Esperança cover) on the Belle
& Sebastian-compiled album Late Night
Tales: Belle & Sebastian, released on February
27, 2006 on Azuli
Records, and as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl single (b/w David
Shrigley's spoken-word piece "When I Was a Little Girl") released February
13, 2006,
also on Azuli
- "The Monkeys Are Breaking Out of the Zoo,"
a children's song on the Save the Children charity album Colours
Are Brighter, released October
16, 2006 on Rough
Trade Records
DVDs
Books
- Belle
& Sebastian: Just a Modern Rock Story
by Paul Whitelaw (biography of band featuring contributions from all
members, past and present, with a cover designed by Stuart Murdoch),
2005
- Put the Book Back on the Shelf: A Belle and
Sebastian Anthology (compilation of comics based on
individual B&S songs), 2006
In popular culture
- The UK television series Teachers
often featured Belle & Sebastian songs, with an instrumental
version of "The Boy With the Arab Strap" played over the end credits of
each episode.
- "Seymour Stein" is featured in the film
adaptation of High Fidelity.
It is described by the character Barry as "old sad bastard music".
- On episode 1.4 of the CBS television series How
I Met Your Mother, Ted fondly remembers his ex-girlfriend's love for
Belle & Sebastian, in particular the song "We Rule the School."
- "Piazza, New York Catcher" references a rumor
that Major League Baseball catcher Mike
Piazza is gay with the line "Piazza, New York Catcher, are you straight
or are you gay?". Piazza has publicly asserted his heterosexuality and
has been married to the playboy playmate Alicia
Rickter since 2005, and the couple gave birth to their first child in
2007.
- "Stars of Track And Field" is used in the
movie Pumpkin.
The song "If She Wants Me" is also used in the
2005 movie "The Ringer" when Johnny Knoxville is pretending to be
handicapped and talking to his crush, Lynn (played by Katherine Heigl).
External links
