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Belle And Sebastian Information
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'Belle and Sebastian' (sometimes written as 'Belle & Sebastian') are a Scottish "paper pop" band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. After releasing a number of albums and EPs on Jeepster Records, they are now signed to Rough Trade Records.
Lineup
The current members of the band are:
*Stuart Murdoch: 1996-present (vocals, guitar and keyboards)
*Stevie Jackson: 1996-present (vocals and guitar)
*Chris Geddes: 1996-present (keyboards)
*Sarah Martin: 1996-present (violin and vocals)
*Mick Cooke: 1998-present (trumpet and bass)
*Bobby Kildea: 2001-present (guitar and bass)
*Richard Colburn: 1996-present (drums)
Past members include:
*Isobel Campbell: 1996-2002 (vocals and cello)
*Stuart David: 1996-2000 (bass)
History
The band formed 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 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. The 2003 album Dear Catastrophe Waitress was shortlisted for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. Although a staple on many college radio stations, the band has yet to break beyond this niche to achieve notable mainstream success in America. Their British chart history has been more steady and respectable.
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 in a poll by The List, 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.
Side projects and spin-offs include the bands Gentle Waves, V-Twin, and Looper.
Discography
Albums
* Tigermilk, 1996; #13 UK (album did not chart until rerelease in 1999)
* If You're Feeling Sinister, 1996 (did not chart)
* The Boy with the Arab Strap, 1998; #12 UK
* Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, 2000; #10 UK, #80 US
* Storytelling, 2002; #26 UK, #150 US
* Dear Catastrophe Waitress, 2003; #21 UK, #84 US
* The Life Pursuit, 2006
Singles & EPs
* Dog On Wheels (EP), 1997; #59 UK
* Lazy Line Painter Jane (EP), 1997; #41 UK
* 3.. 6.. 9.. Seconds Of Light (EP), 1997; #32 UK
* This Is Just a Modern Rock Song (EP), 1998
* Legal Man (single), 2000; #15 UK
* Jonathan David (EP), 2001; #31 UK
* I'm Waking Up To Us (EP), 2001; #39 UK
* Step into My Office Baby (single), 2003; #32 UK
* I'm a Cuckoo (single), 2004; #14 UK
* Books (EP), 2004; #20 UK)
* Funny Little Frog (single), 2006;
Compilations
* Lazy Line Painter Jane (box of first three singles/EPs), 2000
* Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (2xCD compilation of Jeepster EPs), 2005; #40 UK
* Late Night Tales: Belle and Sebastian (compilation of other artists, compiled by B&S), 2006
DVDs
* Fans Only, 2003
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