The Jesus and Mary Chain

(Redirected from The Jesus & Mary Chain) 1989 promo shot for the album 'Automatic'

The Jesus and Mary Chain were a British Indie rock band that revolved around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim Reid and William Reid. Hailing from East Kilbride in Scotland, they released a constant string of albums, singles and EPs until their demise in 1999.

History

In much the same way as The Smiths, The Mary Chain originally revolved around the songwriting partnership of its two main members. To fully realise their vision of the band, the Reid brothers recruited bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Galglish. The latter was quickly replaced in favour of Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, and the band recorded their debut single, Upside Down, that would be released in October 1984 on Creation Records. Though the single received universal critical acclaim from the British music press, and the band were championed fanatically by the NME, it was their live shows that drew them the most attention and notoriety.

Controversial by design, the Mary Chain's early gigs have become the stuff of legend in indie circles. Playing in front of small audiences, the Mary Chain earned their notoriety by playing very short gigs, some lasting no more than 10 minutes and consisting of a either the mangling of a couple of covers songs or a constant wall of feedback and distortion, as well as playing with their backs to the audience and refusing to speak to them. Any reporters or photographers from the music press would be verbally insulted and spat at. Many shows culminated with the Reids trashing their equipment, which was often followed by the audience rioting. All of this delighted manager and Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who obviously found it very easy to get attention for the band. He would simply make sure people from the music press were present while these events naturally transpired, and so ensuring blanket coverage in the music papers.

The violence that followed the band's every action culminated in an event that is now a part of indie folklore. On March 15, 1985, the Mary Chain played a gig at the North London Polytechnic in front of one of their largest crowds up to that point. Support band Meat Whiplash had stirred up violence before the Mary Chain even set foot onto the stage by throwing a wine bottle into the audience. By the time the Mary Chain started their short set, the audience was already in the mood for violence, and because of the size of the audience, the riot that occurred was far bigger and wilder than any other that had occurred at a Mary Chain gig. The music press were present at the show, and this event subsequently became known as "The Jesus and Mary Chain Riot".

The same year, the band signed to Blanco y Negro and released the You Trip Me Up and Never Understand singles which were soon followed by their debut album Psychocandy. The album fused together the Reid's two primary influences, the indie guitar noise of The Velvet Underground with the '60s pop leanings of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys. The record received unanimously positive reviews and is now considered a landmark recording. Following the release of the follow up single Some Candy Talking, Bobby Gillespie left to front Primal Scream on a full time basis. He was replaced with John Moore, though he was gone as well by the release of the band's second album, Darklands, in September 1987 (Moore went on to form Black Box Recorder with Luke Haines). Featuring a more melodic sound, the album was recorded almost entirely by the Reids themselves, replacing live drums with a drum machine, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews by the British music press.

Ironically, the band's live shows, at one time considered the most exciting element of the band and the reason for most of their success, were now overshadowed by their records. In 1987 and 1988 they toured without a drummer, instead employing a roadie to play a tape of drum tracks through the PA system. The gigs were very poorly received and they quickly reverted back to live drums, drafting in Richard Thomas for two years, subsequently replaced by Steve Monti in 1990. The fluid nature of the Mary Chain's line up continued throughout their entire career, with a revolving door of drummers, bassists and guitarists being recruited for TV appearances and gigs whenever they were required, the only constants being the Reid brothers.

Following the odds-n-sods collection Barbed Wire Kisses in 1988 and constant touring, the album Automatic was released in September 1989. Boasting heavy use of synthesized bass and keyboards, the album was not received quite as well as its predecessors though it was still a strong, consistent album, and contained the singles Head On and the Dylan ode, Blues From a Gun. By this time, the violence that was originally associated with the band was practically non-existent and the Reid brothers were being less antagonistic and aggressive in general. It seemed that they had calmed down.

They proved their detractors wrong with their next single, Reverence. Spitting feedback and punk rock bile in every direction, the track was banned from Radio and the video was banned from TV play due to its potentially offensive lyrics ("I wanna die just like JFK, I wanna die in the USA".) The Reid brothers had not calmed down after all, proving that they could still rage, kick and spit with the best of them. The single was followed by the release of the album Honey's Dead in 1992. Following the tour to support the album and the release of another compilation of odds-n-sods, The Sound of Speed, they returned to the studio to record their fifth album proper, the largely acoustic Stoned & Dethroned which would see release in 1994.

Following the final album in their odds-n-sods trilogy, 1995's Hate Rock N' Roll, the Mary Chain parted ways with Blanco y Negro, their record label of over a decade, and signed to American indie rock label Sub Pop. For Sub Pop they recorded 1998's Munki album, which would turn out to be their last before splitting the following year. Though it was not until October 1999 that the split was made official, on September 12 1998 the Reid brothers had a falling out onstage during a sold out gig at Chicago's famous House of Blues club about 15 minutes into their set. William left the band following that show and the band finished up their US and Japanese dates without him.

In 2005, some six years after the Mary Chain split up, their Heat track, taken from the Sound of Speed compilation, was used in a television advertising campaign for Coor's Beer in the UK.

Influence

The Jesus and Mary Chain are easily one of the most influential bands of all time in indie circles. Their debut album Psychocandy, along with the Cocteau Twins, was a huge influence on the British Shoegazing movement of the late '80s as well as on numerous American bands. The Mary Chain's influence remains to this day, an influence that has been confirmed by the numerous cover versions of Mary Chain songs. Contemporary bands such as The Raveonettes simply would not exist without the Mary Chain's influence. However, it could be said that the Mary Chain's great legacy was the realization that punk rock/industrial noise was not diametrically opposed to pop melody, that the two could be woven together into music far more than the sum of its parts.

Discography

Albums

  • Psychocandy, 1985 - Perhaps their finest moment.
  • Darklands, 1986
  • Barbed Wire Kisses, 1988
  • Automatic, 1989
  • Honey's Dead, 1992
  • The Sound of Speed, 1993
  • Stoned & Dethroned, 1994
  • Hate Rock N' Roll, 1995
  • Munki, 1998
  • The Complete John Peel Sessions, 2000
  • 21 Singles, 2002
  • BBC - Live in Concert, 2003

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However, it could be said that the Mary Chain's great legacy was the realization that punk rock/industrial noise was not diametrically opposed to pop melody, that the two could be woven together into music far more than the sum of its parts. She was nominated for a 2005 Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition Accompanying a Vocal" for her interpretation of the song "Unchained Melody" on her At Last album. Contemporary bands such as The Raveonettes simply would not exist without the Mary Chain's influence. In March of 2004 the full length "Shine" album was finally released, though exclusively in Japan. The Mary Chain's influence remains to this day, an influence that has been confirmed by the numerous cover versions of Mary Chain songs. In November 2003 an album of standards was released entitled At Last (formerly "Naked City"), which became a top 40 hit in the US and Australia. Their debut album Psychocandy, along with the Cocteau Twins, was a huge influence on the British Shoegazing movement of the late '80s as well as on numerous American bands. She maintains a devoted fanbase and lives in New York with her husband, actor David Thornton, and their child.

The Jesus and Mary Chain are easily one of the most influential bands of all time in indie circles. She then re-signed with Sony/Epic Records, the label that made her a star, and a new album called Naked City was in the works. In 2005, some six years after the Mary Chain split up, their Heat track, taken from the Sound of Speed compilation, was used in a television advertising campaign for Coor's Beer in the UK. Additionally Lauper's former label Sony issued a new greatest hits CD entitled The Essential Cyndi Lauper. William left the band following that show and the band finished up their US and Japanese dates without him. of remixes from the unreleased "Shine" album was sold on the Edel America Records website. Though it was not until October 1999 that the split was made official, on September 12 1998 the Reid brothers had a falling out onstage during a sold out gig at Chicago's famous House of Blues club about 15 minutes into their set. In 2003, an E.P.

For Sub Pop they recorded 1998's Munki album, which would turn out to be their last before splitting the following year. She undertook her second co-headlining tour with Cher in 2002. Following the final album in their odds-n-sods trilogy, 1995's Hate Rock N' Roll, the Mary Chain parted ways with Blanco y Negro, their record label of over a decade, and signed to American indie rock label Sub Pop. of the same name was made available through her website and at Tower Records, the full length album concept was scrapped. Following the tour to support the album and the release of another compilation of odds-n-sods, The Sound of Speed, they returned to the studio to record their fifth album proper, the largely acoustic Stoned & Dethroned which would see release in 1994. Although a five song E.P. The single was followed by the release of the album Honey's Dead in 1992. Just weeks before the album's scheduled release, however, her label, Edel America Records, folded, and, to Lauper's consternation, the tracks were leaked to the public.

Spitting feedback and punk rock bile in every direction, the track was banned from Radio and the video was banned from TV play due to its potentially offensive lyrics ("I wanna die just like JFK, I wanna die in the USA".) The Reid brothers had not calmed down after all, proving that they could still rage, kick and spit with the best of them. In 2001 Lauper prepared an album, Shine, which saw her returning to her early bubblegum pop sound without losing the "maturity" she had embraced on later records. They proved their detractors wrong with their next single, Reverence. She also garnered critical plaudits for her roles in several independent films including The Opportunists (with Christopher Walken) and Off and Running. It seemed that they had calmed down. In 1999 she co-headlined a tour alongside Cher, and contributed a cover version of the disco classic "Disco Inferno" to the soundtrack of the film A Night at the Roxbury. By this time, the violence that was originally associated with the band was practically non-existent and the Reid brothers were being less antagonistic and aggressive in general. The album's singles were remixed to great acclaim, and Lauper began performing as a featured artist at gay pride events around the world.

Boasting heavy use of synthesized bass and keyboards, the album was not received quite as well as its predecessors though it was still a strong, consistent album, and contained the singles Head On and the Dylan ode, Blues From a Gun. The topicality of the album also contributed to its "pink" appeal: the song "Ballad of Cleo and Joe" addressed the complications of a drag queen's double life, while "You Don't Know" tackled the thorny issue of coming out. Following the odds-n-sods collection Barbed Wire Kisses in 1988 and constant touring, the album Automatic was released in September 1989. With subject matter even more adult than before, it was quickly embraced by the gay community for its disco and club stylings. The fluid nature of the Mary Chain's line up continued throughout their entire career, with a revolving door of drummers, bassists and guitarists being recruited for TV appearances and gigs whenever they were required, the only constants being the Reid brothers. Her 1997 album Sisters of Avalon brought her back into the limelight. The gigs were very poorly received and they quickly reverted back to live drums, drafting in Richard Thomas for two years, subsequently replaced by Steve Monti in 1990. The album was released under a number of different titles, packaging and track listings around the world.

In 1987 and 1988 they toured without a drummer, instead employing a roadie to play a tape of drum tracks through the PA system. and Then Some, a greatest hits compilation that included two new tracks, one of which was a remix of her first big hit, newly christened "Hey Now (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun)". Ironically, the band's live shows, at one time considered the most exciting element of the band and the reason for most of their success, were now overshadowed by their records. She also released 12 Deadly Cyns.. Featuring a more melodic sound, the album was recorded almost entirely by the Reids themselves, replacing live drums with a drum machine, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews by the British music press. In 1995 Lauper won an Emmy award for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for her portrayal of wealthy contessa Marianne Lugasso in Mad About You. He was replaced with John Moore, though he was gone as well by the release of the band's second album, Darklands, in September 1987 (Moore went on to form Black Box Recorder with Luke Haines). With a smooth new R&B sound and production by Junior Vasquez, she tackled such topics as spousal abuse and abortion.

Following the release of the follow up single Some Candy Talking, Bobby Gillespie left to front Primal Scream on a full time basis. She released the critically acclaimed album Hat Full of Stars in the same year, but once again sales were poor. The record received unanimously positive reviews and is now considered a landmark recording. Fox's secretary in My Life With Mikey. The album fused together the Reid's two primary influences, the indie guitar noise of The Velvet Underground with the '60s pop leanings of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys. Lauper took a break from singing at this point, but didn't disappear from show business, and in 1993 she played Michael J. The same year, the band signed to Blanco y Negro and released the You Trip Me Up and Never Understand singles which were soon followed by their debut album Psychocandy. In 1990 she joined many other guests for Roger Waters' massive performance of The Wall in Berlin.

The music press were present at the show, and this event subsequently became known as "The Jesus and Mary Chain Riot". Orbison's version was not released until 1992, three years after Lauper's version and four years after Orbison's death. By the time the Mary Chain started their short set, the audience was already in the mood for violence, and because of the size of the audience, the riot that occurred was far bigger and wilder than any other that had occurred at a Mary Chain gig. Lauper's third album, 1989's A Night to Remember, though critically well-received, was not as commercially successful as its predecessors, spawning just one hit, "I Drove All Night", which was originally penned for Roy Orbison. Support band Meat Whiplash had stirred up violence before the Mary Chain even set foot onto the stage by throwing a wine bottle into the audience. Her soundtrack contribution, "Hole In My Heart (All the Way to China)", also flopped. On March 15, 1985, the Mary Chain played a gig at the North London Polytechnic in front of one of their largest crowds up to that point. In 1988 she appeared as the female lead in the quirky comedy Vibes, which was poorly received by critics and a commercial flop.

The violence that followed the band's every action culminated in an event that is now a part of indie folklore. The title song went on to become her second Platinum number 1 hit. He would simply make sure people from the music press were present while these events naturally transpired, and so ensuring blanket coverage in the music papers. Revealing a more mature sound and sensibility, it reached number 4 on the US album charts. All of this delighted manager and Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who obviously found it very easy to get attention for the band. In 1986, after recording the song "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" for the 1985 film The Goonies, Lauper released her second album, True Colors. Many shows culminated with the Reids trashing their equipment, which was often followed by the audience rioting. At this stage of her career, she was often compared to Madonna.

Any reporters or photographers from the music press would be verbally insulted and spat at. Lauper was popular with teenagers, in part because of her quirky image which took the popular late 1970s punk look and marketed it to a mainstream audience. Playing in front of small audiences, the Mary Chain earned their notoriety by playing very short gigs, some lasting no more than 10 minutes and consisting of a either the mangling of a couple of covers songs or a constant wall of feedback and distortion, as well as playing with their backs to the audience and refusing to speak to them. The album also included "She Bop", a paean to female masturbation, and the romantic ballad "Time After Time", an instant "standard" which has since been covered by over 70 artists (most notably Miles Davis). Controversial by design, the Mary Chain's early gigs have become the stuff of legend in indie circles. Cyndi Lauper was the first female artist to have four consecutive Top 5 hits from one album, She's So Unusual. Though the single received universal critical acclaim from the British music press, and the band were championed fanatically by the NME, it was their live shows that drew them the most attention and notoriety. Lauper won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards of 1984 for her work on the album.

The latter was quickly replaced in favour of Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, and the band recorded their debut single, Upside Down, that would be released in October 1984 on Creation Records. A mixture of teen-friendly pop-rock and edgier, almost punky sounds, the album's biggest hit, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", quickly established itself as a female anthem. To fully realise their vision of the band, the Reid brothers recruited bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Galglish. She began her career in a band named Blue Angel, and in 1983 started dating her manager David Wolff with whom she released She's So Unusual, a worldwide hit which made Lauper a household name. In much the same way as The Smiths, The Mary Chain originally revolved around the songwriting partnership of its two main members. Cyndi Lauper was born in Queens, New York. Hailing from East Kilbride in Scotland, they released a constant string of albums, singles and EPs until their demise in 1999. Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper (born June 22, 1953), better known as Cyndi Lauper, is a singer whose melodic voice and wild costumes have come to epitomize the 1980s, the decade in which she first came to fame.

The Jesus and Mary Chain were a British Indie rock band that revolved around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim Reid and William Reid. 2005 The Naked Brothers Band (currently in post-production). BBC - Live in Concert, 2003. 1999 The Opportunists. 21 Singles, 2002. Parker and the Vicious Circle (Cameo). The Complete John Peel Sessions, 2000. 1994 Mrs.

Munki, 1998. 1993 Life With Mikey. Hate Rock N' Roll, 1995. 1991 Off and Running. Stoned & Dethroned, 1994. 1988 Vibes. The Sound of Speed, 1993. 1985 The Goonies (Cameo).

Honey's Dead, 1992. Sincerely...Mariya Takeuchi Songbook (Various Artists) - 2003 (Vocals on "Winter Lovers"). Automatic, 1989. Blowback (Tricky) - 2000 (Vocals on "Five Days"). Barbed Wire Kisses, 1988. Rugrats in Paris - the Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Various Artists) - 200 (Contributes track). Darklands, 1986. Southie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Various Artists) - 1999 (Vocals on Wild Colonials track "If By Chance").

Psychocandy, 1985 - Perhaps their finest moment. A Night at the Roxbury: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - 1998 (Contributes track). Largo (Various Artists) - 1998 (Contributes 2 tracks). Out of Body (The Hooters) - 1993 (Lead vocals on "Boys Will be Boys"). Put on Your Green Shoes (Various Artists) - 1993 (Performs title track, billed as part of "3 Cats 'n Jammers").

A Very Special Christmas 2 (Various Artists) - 1992 (Duets with Frank Sinatra). Tycoon (Various Artists) - 1992 (Contributes 2 tracks). Music Speaks Louder Than Words (Various Artists) - 1990 (Contributes track "Cold"). The Wall: Live in Berlin (Roger Waters) - 1990 (On several songs recorded live).

The Bridge (Billy Joel) - 1986 (Duets on "Code of Silence"). Cyndi Lauper & Friends (Compilation with songs by others) - 1985 (Brazil Only). The Wrestling Album (Various Artists) - 1985 (Backing Vocals, billed as "Mona Flambe"). Confrontation (Face to Face) - 1985 (Backing Vocals, billed as "Kindy Lipkey").

USA For Africa - 1985. The Goonies: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack = 1985. What's In a Name? (Henry Gross) - 1981 (Backing Vocals). Shine Remixes - 2003.

Shine E.P. - 2002. Wanna Have Fun - 1998. Shine - 2004 (Japan Only). At Last - 2003.

The Essential Cyndi Lauper - 2003. Shine - 2002 (Unreleased). Pop Wave - 2002 (Germany Only). Cyndi Lauper - V.I.P. - 2002 (Germany Only).

Feels Like Christmas - 2001. Grande Sucesses - 2001 (Brazil Only). Siglo XXI Cyndi Lauper Los Exitos Del Siglo - 2001 (Brazil Only). Media Markt Presents Cyndi Lauper - 2001 (Germany Only).

Cyndi Lauper Greatest Hits - 2000 (Colombia Only). Best of Best Gold - Time After Time - 2000 (UK/France Only). Cyndi Lauper - The Best - 2000 (Peru Only). Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life - 1998.

Sisters of Avalon - 1996. Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some - 1994. Hat Full of Stars - 1993. The Best Remixes - 1989.

A Night to Remember - 1989. True Colors - 1986. She's So Unusual - 1984. Blue Angel - 1980.

Download sample of "Time After Time" from She's So Unusual.