Reading, England Genre(s) Dream pop
Shoegaze
Ambient Years active 1989 - 1995 Label(s) Creation Records
SBK (U.S. distribution)
Sanctuary (reissues) Associated
acts Mojave 3
Monster Movie Website slowdive.co.uk

Slowdive were a shoegaze/dream pop band formed in 1989, lasting until 1995. The band was formed in Reading, Berkshire, England and soon signed to Creation Records in the UK. The band consisted of Neil Halstead (vocals/guitar), Rachel Goswell (vocals/guitar), Nick Chaplin (bass), Christian Savill (guitar), Adrian Sell (drums, 1989), Simon Scott (drums, until early 1994) and Ian McCutcheon (drums, 1994 onwards). Goswell and Halstead had known each other since early childhood in Reading, Berkshire, when Goswell was an obsessive fan of The Smiths. After the end of Slowdive, Goswell, Halstead and McCutcheon formed Mojave 3.

Career

The band claims it did not take its name from the Siouxsie & The Banshees song "Slowdive," but rather from a dream that bassist Chaplin had. Initial demos were released as the Slowdive EP in late 1990; the band's dreamlike sound was influenced by the Cocteau Twins and Creation labelmates My Bloody Valentine, featuring heavy use of guitar effects and subdued vocals. Reviews in Melody Maker and the NME were enthusiastic, and two further well-regarded EPs followed in 1991. Debut album Just For a Day was written and recorded in six weeks, and reached the UK top forty. It also received some play on alternative and college radio stations in the U.S., such as WHFS.

The UK music press had started to pick up on the nascent American grunge scene, and the more introspective sounds of Slowdive, labelmates Ride, Chapterhouse, and other "shoegazing" bands, had fallen from critical favor. American label SBK Records pushed back the release of the album after a disastrous viral marketing campaign (involving vandalism of a public statue). In early 1992 the band toured the U.S. with Ride (the two bands released a split tour 7"), and returned to the UK to record a second album.

The following album, Souvlaki, is the band's most popular and well-received record. Two songs featured contributions from Brian Eno, "Souvlaki Space Station" was influenced by dub reggae, tracks such as "Dagger" and "Here She Comes" were indications of the country-rock direction Halstead and Goswell would take a few years later. Several songs, such as "When the Sun Hits" and "Alison," continued the style of the first album. Initial copies of the UK version came with Blue Day, a compilation of most of the early EP tracks which was originally released as a separate album in Japan and some European countries. Later in the year the band released 5EP, four songs which showed the influence of ambient techno - the lead track "In Mind" was remixed by Bandulu and Reload (both then signed to Creation's dance label).

As with the first album, SBK delayed release, and the band found themselves touring the USA in the summer of 1993, supporting Catherine Wheel, with no new product to promote. The U.S. version of Souvlaki was eventually released in February 1994, and included a cover of "Some Velvet Morning" (originally recorded for the Volume 7 compilation) and three of the tracks from 5EP. When Slowdive was finally able to tour America to support the second album, SBK withdrew funding halfway through; two further tours that year were entirely funded by the band. SBK supposedly gave promotional trinkets to members of Slowdive's street team who posted the most gig flyers on telephone poles (each of which, of course, required photographic proof, in the days before digital cameras); this was because SBK refused to post said flyers themselves.

Scott left amidst creative differences in 1994, feeling that the introduction of electronic drums on 5EP had diminished his role in the group. He was, however, replaced on drums by Ian McCutcheon. The band had almost become a Halstead solo project by the recording of their final album, Pygmalion. More of an "ambient" record, it took the dreamy guitar sound and warm yet solemn tone of earlier Slowdive to a newer, more minimalist extreme, similar to heavily-ambient bands such as Seefeel, A R Kane, and Labradford.

Slowdive was dropped by Creation a week after the release of Pygmalion (as were Swervedriver not long after); Halstead had been warned before the recording of the album that the relationship with the label would end unless Slowdive delivered a "pop album." A legend arose that the band was dropped due to the Gallagher brothers refusing to sign Oasis to Creation if Slowdive and their counterparts remained on the label's roster, although Oasis had in fact released their debut single almost a year before Pygmalion.

Post-Slowdive endeavours

Shortly after being dropped by Creation, Halstead, Goswell and McCutcheon recorded an album of country-influenced songs, and were signed to label 4AD Records, changing the band name to Mojave 3 to reflect the new musical direction. This group is still active.

Savill went on to form Monster Movie, a dream pop group that continued where Slowdive left off. They have released four albums thus far. Pre-Slowdive, Savill was in a band called Eternal, which apparently also featured future Catherine Wheel bassist Dave Hawes.

In 2004, Scott formed Televise, a group which stripped back the noise and experimental song structures that helped define shoegaze to focus on a more radio-ready brand of indie rock.

Halstead and Goswell have both released solo albums on 4AD.

Legacy

Following 2004's Catch the Breeze compilation, all of Slowdive's albums were reissued in 2005. Just for a Day included a bonus disc with all tracks from the first three EPs, and the three songs recorded for a John Peel session on 26 March 1991. Souvlaki included a bonus disc with all the remaining EP tracks, and "Some Velvet Morning." Pygmalion, which had become a collector's item in the years since its release, never having been issued in the U.S., contained no extra material.

Italian dream-pop-based magazine Losing Today was named after an early Slowdive b-side.

An electronica-themed tribute album to Slowdive was released in 2002, entitled Blue Skied an' Clear.

"Dagger" was covered in 1998 by The Hope Blister (featuring guest vocals by Halstead). "When the Sun Hits" was covered by hard rock band The Gathering.

"Dagger" was used in the film Mysterious Skin.

Discography

Albums

• Just for a Day (1991, Creation/SBK) (#3 U.K. Indie)
• Souvlaki (1993, Creation; 1994, Creation/SBK [U.S.])
• Pygmalion (1995, Creation)

Singles, EPs

• "Beach Song" b/w "Take Me Down" blue flexi 7" (1990, Sunday)
• Slowdive" EP (1990, Creation)
• Morningrise EP (1991, Creation) (#17 U.K. Indie)
• Holding Our Breath EP (1991, Creation) (#1 U.K. Indie)
• split tour 7" (Ride: "Leave Them All Behind" b/w Slowdive: "She Calls") (1992, SBK/Sire) (blue vinyl)
• Outside Your Room EP (1993, Creation)
• 5 EP (1993, Creation)
• 5 EP (In Mind Remixes) (1993, Creation)
• "Alison" CD single (also has "Moussaka Chaos") (1994, SBK; promo-only)

Compilations

• Blue Day (1992, Creation) (compiled most of the tracks from the first three EPs)
• Catch the Breeze (2004, Sanctuary) (double-CD best-of compilation)

Music videos

Music videos were released for: "Shine" (featuring interpretive dance moves by Goswell), "Morningrise," "Ballad Of Sister Sue," "Catch The Breeze," and "Alison." A promotional VHS tape called Catch The Breeze was released in Sept. 1991, featuring snippets from the band's videos, as well as interview segments.

Soundtrack appearances

• The Doom Generation - "Blue Skied An' Clear" (1999, Astralwerks)
• Splendor - "Shine" (1995, Warner Bros.)
• Mysterious Skin - "Catch The Breeze", "Golden Hair" (2005, Desperate Pictures)

External links

• Official site
• Scandinavian fansite with discography
• Rare Slowdive mp3s from EPs, singles
• Unofficial Slowdive myspace
• Musicstack page
• Trouser Press entry
• Inkoma site
• 1991-92 Slowdive archive