Belle & Sebastian
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Belle & Sebastian is a Scottish twee pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996 under the aegis of a training scheme and music business course. Built mostly around the creative mind of Stuart Murdoch, their first album, Tigermilk, was recorded as part of the course and released on the independent Electric Honey label.
Signing for the slightly larger Jeepster Records they released the album If You're Feeling Sinister in 1996 and a sequence of EPs through 1997. Their third album, The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998), was a top-20 hit in the UK. The band was then proclaimed Best Newcomer at the 1999 Brit Awards. 1999 was also the year of the Bowlie Weekender, a music festival curated by the band.
In July 2002 they announced the switch to Rough Trade Records. In the summer of 2003 they had their first mainstream hit in the United States with "Step Into My Office, Baby". The album Dear Catastrophe Waitress was shortlisted for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize.
Presenting a slightly fey image to the public at large, Belle and Sebastian's bittersweet love songs inspire a fanatical loyalty amongst their fans, similar to that experienced by The Smiths during their heyday. Some of this loyalty is due to the fact that until 2003 the band did not include singles on their albums. Thus, being in possession of their complete discography is a mark of true devotion.
In January 2005 Belle and Sebastian were voted Scotland's greatest band, beating Simple Minds, Idlewild, Travis, Franz Ferdinand, and The Proclaimers, among others.
The band's name is taken from Belle et Sébastien, a children's book by French writer Cécile Aubry about a boy (Sébastien) and his dog (Belle). The book was made into a French live action tv series in 1965 and a Japanese anime in 1981 (see below).
The current members of the band are Stuart Murdoch (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Stevie Jackson (vocals and guitar), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Sarah Martin (violin and vocals), Mick Cooke (trumpet and bass), Bobby Kildea (guitar and bass) and Richard Colburn (drums). Past members include Isobel Campbell (vocals and cello) and Stuart David (bass). Side projects and spin-offs include the bands The Gentle Waves, V-Twin, and Looper.
Discography
- Tigermilk, 1996; #13 UK (charted in 1999)
- If You're Feeling Sinister, 1996
- Dog On Wheels (EP), 1997
- Lazy Line Painter Jane (EP), 1997
- 3.. 6.. 9.. Seconds of Light (EP), 1997; #32 UK (singles chart)
- The Boy with the Arab Strap, 1998; #12 UK
- This Is Just a Modern Rock Song (EP), 1998
- Lazy Line Painter Jane (box of first three singles/EPs), 2000
- Legal Man (single), 2000; #15 UK
- Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, 2000; #10 UK, #80 US
- Jonathan David (single), 2001; #31 UK
- I'm Waking Up to Us (single), 2001; #39 UK
- Storytelling, 2002; #26 UK, #150 US
- Dear Catastrophe Waitress, 2003; #21 UK, #84 US
- Fans Only (compilation DVD), 2003
- Step into My Office Baby (single), 2003; #32 UK
- I'm a Cuckoo (single), 2004; #14 UK
- Books (EP), 2004; #20 UK (singles chart)
- Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (2xCD compilation of Jeepster EPs), 2005; #40 UK
External links
- Belle & Sebastian official webpage (http://www.belleandsebastian.com/)
- Jeepsters webpage (http://www.jeepster.co.uk/belleandsebastian/)
- Sinister: Mailing List & Tab Collection (http://www.missprint.org/sinister/)
- Bowlie forum (http://www.bowlie.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=11)
- David White's B&S site (http://welcome.to/belleandsebastian/)de:Belle and Sebastian
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